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The (sudden) need to take on caregiving duties for adult dependents can create great challenges for students and employees. Members of the UZH community can quickly access the support they need and have their questions answered using the content and resources below.
We’d also like to draw your attention to this interesting podcast series about aging (“Übers Alter reden”, German only): zfg.uzh.ch
The regulations on paid leave apply to UZH employees:
The legal basis for this is §84 and §85 of the implementation ordinance of the employment act of the Canton of Zurich (VVO):
Many caretaking situations are made more difficult by the fact that no legal documents for decision-making power and responsibility are in place. Two important documents are:
Contracts granting power of attorney regulate personal care, asset management and representation in legal matters. The power of attorney must be granted in writing. This is in the interest of the affected person as well as their relatives. Swiss child and adult protection authorities (Kindes- und Erwachsenenschutzbehörde, KESB) only recognize power of attorney via the original legal document.
Living wills, also known as patient decrees, clarify a person’s desired medical treatment and life-saving measures. They serve as orientation for relatives and medical personnel in cases where a person is no longer capable of judgment. In a living will, individuals can freely define which treatments, interventions and medical procedures they would like to have depending on their state of health and which ones they reject. Additionally, a person can be named to make decisions on behalf of this individual when they are not capable of doing so.
Yo can find templates for these documents (in German) at:
When it comes to adults who require care, the need can arise slowly or come all of a sudden. Not every situation leaves the person’s relatives with enough time to adapt to and prepare for the new situation. A lot of questions and decisions come up in connection with caretaking situations. There are changes in the life of the individual in question as well as that of their caretakers. Here is an overview of the most important points for caretakers.
Legal matters need to be taken care of in a timely manner, both in slowly deteriorating situations and in situations where the need for caretaking arises suddenly. The individual’s loved ones have to take on responsibility in situations that don’t leave a lot of time for clarifying legal issues. However, these issues are of utmost importance (see legal documents above).
Often it’s unclear what kind of health situation to expect in the near future. For example, it can be important to make arrangements for rehabilitation in addition to arranging short-term care, long-term care and assistance. Advanced age doesn’t mean that rehabilitation cannot be successful. Being in need of caretaking doesn’t have to be a permanent situation. The degree of independence of the affected person depends not only on the adaptability of their environment but also on how well they can regain their physical and mental capabilities. Organizing medical care in this situation is very important. The following questions can help:
People in need of caretaking often cope better with their situation if they can continue living in a familiar environment. They usually prefer to keep living in their own home. Ask them where they want to live. Everyone has different ideas when it comes to quality of life and living conditions. The preferences of the affected person should be taken into consideration. The following aspects can be considered when trying to find a suitable place for the person to live:
The most important point when it comes to organizing nursing and care is maximizing a person’s independence and subjective feeling of well-being taking into account their limitations and abilities. Improving the caretaking situation – both for the affected person and those within their social environment – is equally important. Organizing nursing and care basically entails adapting the environment to the special abilities and needs of the affected person. These situations are complex, and the requirements of the person requiring care can only be met through the close cooperation of all family members, friends, medical professionals (doctors, physiotherapists, etc.) and other support services. Home care should therefore be based on several pillars. There are also various support services for the diverse needs of people requiring care:
If the person needing care is fortunate, there might be someone who is willing and able to take care of them at home. People who make the decision to act as caregivers deserve a great deal of respect and recognition. At the same time, however, this decision should not be taken lightly. The relationship between care recipients and caregivers is an important point to be considered in this decision. The following questions can help you make the right decision:
The condition of the person needing care, their psychological resources and their coping strategies all significantly influence the caretaking process and can also have a negative impact. The following questions can help guide your decision:
Caregiving responsibilities demand a lot of time. Be aware that this time needs to be invested every day, and usually more time is required as the situation develops. In addition to actual nursing tasks, there may also be the need to provide more general caregiving tasks, for example if the person has dementia, and to provide for the person’s social and communicative needs. You should be able to answer the following questions:
Becoming a caregiver might mean the following for your life:
The solution that you decide on depends on your own needs and those of the person requiring care. If possible, this decision should be made together.
There’s not always enough time to calmly and carefully make the necessary preparations for at-home care under the guidance of a professional. Nevertheless, even if you are under time pressure, you should still use the opportunity to obtain professional advice, starting with the question of what you’re getting into, and covering other areas such as selecting care and household services or choosing a nursing home or other type of institutional care setting.
Aging
Dementia
Violence
Addiction
Taking care of relatives who live in a distant city or even in another country can be challenging and overwhelming. Here are a few of the most important points that you should consider.
The Senior Life advisory center at UZH offers support to:
