Lower Austria Model for the Promotion of 24-Hour Care, Lower Austria

With the Lower Austria model for the promotion of 24-hour care in accordance with the Home Care Act, the state of Lower Austria provides a flat-rate reimbursement of social security contributions for legal care arrangements. The goal is to enable persons in need of care classified under care allowance levels 1 and 2 with a confirmed diagnosis of dementia to live a long, self-determined life in their own home. Up to two 24-hour care arrangements per household are eligible for funding. The model provides monthly support of €400 for self-employed caregivers and €800 for employed caregivers. Applications can be submitted at any time without a deadline and can be claimed retroactively for up to three months from the date of submission, thereby flexibly covering short-term care needs.

Prerequisites for the funding grant include Austrian citizenship or equivalence (e.g., EEA citizens or persons with permanent residence in the EU), a primary residence in Lower Austria, and receipt of care allowance level 1 or 2 including a medical confirmation of dementia. Furthermore, a care arrangement in accordance with the Home Care Act must be documented. Only the social security contributions of the caregivers are covered. For the application, documents such as the care allowance notice, medical dementia certificate, confirmation of registration with social security, proof of income and maintenance obligations, and, if applicable, authorization documents must be submitted. Thanks to the fee exemption pursuant to § 72 of the Lower Austria Social Assistance Act, no administrative fees are incurred. The model contributes to relieving caregiving relatives and ensuring high-quality care in a familiar environment.