Vechta starts groundbreaking care project: Better conditions for everyone!

Vechta starts groundbreaking care project: Better conditions for everyone!

A significant pilot project to improve working conditions for nursing staff is currently being implemented in the heart of Vechta. The St. Hedwig Foundation launched the initiative in March 2024, which is intended not only to ensure the quality of care, but also to reduce the workload of nursing staff. These measures are in the context of the introduction of the new personnel assessment procedure PeBeM, which is intended to revolutionize personnel planning in fully inpatient care facilities. As om-online.de reports, the nursing service manager Juliana Edich is carrying out a comprehensive analysis to record the individual care needs and the qualifications of the employees.

Edich is supported by Horst Geers, an expert in care and quality management at the State Caritas Association for Oldenburg. This collaboration aims to create scientifically based personnel reference values. The pilot project has paved the way for sustainably improving working conditions for nursing staff. The planning includes, among other things, a higher-level qualified day care specialist who acts as a central contact point for information.

Focus on optimal staff deployment

Another aspect of the project is the new working hours structure, which is particularly suitable for families – a real advantage for young mothers. Nursing staff benefit from longer shifts and fewer working days, which not only increases the work-life balance but also helps to keep skilled workers in the profession in the long term. “As the project progresses, the focus will always be on the needs of the residents,” explains Edich.

The PeBeM personnel assessment procedure, which has been introduced since 2023 and is due to be fully implemented by the end of 2025, offers an individual determination of the personnel requirements of each care facility. This measure, as carerockets.com explains, takes into account not only the number of people in need of care, but also their level of care. “The procedure was introduced based on a study by Professor Dr. Heinz Rothgang, who carried out comprehensive analyzes in 62 institutions,” says the report. In the future, the staffing ratio will be determined by factors that take into account the level of care of the residents and the qualifications of the employees.

Adapt structures for better quality of care

According to the information from ppm-online.org, from 2025 the skilled worker quota will be regulated more strictly in order to ensure the quality of care and improve working conditions. The goal is to employ at least 40 percent of employees as skilled workers, 30 percent as assistants and 30 percent as unskilled workers. The transition to a new organizational structure should take place smoothly, but this will not be without challenges.

The findings from the current project should serve as a basis for future staffing and could also provide a central basis for negotiations to increase staff. According to the analyses, this could not only represent a win-win situation for those in need of care and their relatives, but also for the employees - a worthwhile goal that should be pursued in the interests of everyone involved.