After the closure of a nursing home in Augsburg – among other things due to deficiencies in care – Bavaria’s Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) launched an offensive to improve the protection of the residents of such facilities. “People in Bavaria must be able to trust that the care and support in all Bavarian nursing homes is guaranteed well and appropriately,” emphasized Holetschek in Munich. “But the latest allegations against a nursing home in Augsburg show that we have to take a close look at the structures and controls and act.”
The city of Augsburg announced on Saturday that it had closed the Ebnerstrasse nursing home that had made the headlines due to serious defects. All 86 residents have been relocated, specialists are no longer on site. “The closure of the house is final and the home management was informed by the home supervisor,” said the city administration. “This means that nursing work is no longer possible in this facility and under this management,” explained health officer Reiner Erben.
Recently there had been a major corona outbreak in the facility. More than half of the residents and caregivers had tested positive. There had been a lack of care in the nursing home for a long time. According to the city of Augsburg, the facility had been under close observation since the beginning of last year.
Holetschek announced that, among other things, a “care SOS contact point” for reporting grievances should be created for the future. In the event of defects, there should be immediate immediate measures. An expert discussion on the quality of care should take place this spring. An external expert report is intended to shed light on the structures in Bavarian care and, if necessary, to identify weak points. If allegations are confirmed, there must be clear consequences. In the Augsburg case, the local specialist department for care and disabled facilities – quality development and supervision (FQA) therefore consulted with the ministry, the government of Swabia and the Bavarian medical service as well as the working group of care insurance associations in Bavaria about necessary measures. Next Tuesday, the ministry will report to the health committee of the state parliament on the events in Augsburg.