Paid family care expands as private home-care services grow

A growing number of private home-care services in Switzerland are employing relatives to provide care at home, SRF reports. Sylvia Capitani has been caring for her 26-year-old son Clà, who has progressive muscle wasting, for years and has been paid for part of that work for the past two years.

Clà cannot eat independently, stand or sit alone. He can speak and see well, and operates his wheelchair with a mini joystick using his thumb and index finger.

Capitani receives 35.30 Swiss francs an hour for 3.5 hours of basic care each day. Before she could be employed by a private home-care service, she had to complete a care assistant course.

“In the morning I wake him and wash him. Then I move his limbs. After that, I help him urinate into a bottle. He also has lung training,” she said.

Clà needs help with eating and drinking throughout the day and must be repositioned regularly. His position in the wheelchair and in bed has to be adjusted precisely to prevent dangerous pressure sores.

Only this basic care is paid for. A qualified care professional determines which services can be billed.

Capitani said the payment was a form of recognition. “I couldn’t do any other job. When Clà is ill, I am there for him 24 hours a day.”

The family originally comes from Lenzerheide. Capitani moved to Zurich because of Clà, and her daughter now lives there as well and helps with his care.

Since relatives have been allowed to receive payment for providing care, dozens of private home-care services have been established. The costs have risen accordingly and are paid mainly by health insurers and municipalities. Both are now examining more closely which services they approve, and some contributions have been reduced.

“I think it is right that they keep an eye on it. It is also important that the public knows how this works,” Capitani said. “Many people think we do nothing and receive a lot of money from the health insurer. That really is not the case. Such prejudices should be dispelled.”

The young industry has developed faster than its legal framework. There are relatively few rules and standards, leaving a large grey area. Paid family care is nevertheless considered socially useful. The political challenge will be to establish clearer legal boundaries without stifling private initiative.