Pflegebedürftige, die in den alten Bundesländern in einem Heim wohnen, erhalten häufiger umstrittene Schlaf- und Beruhigungsmittel als in den neuen Ländern. „Im Westen kommen die risikoreichen Dauerverordnungen deutlich häufiger vor als im Osten“, teilten der Bundesverband der Allgemeinen Ortskrankenkassen (AOK) und sein Wissenschaftliches Institut Wido am Dienstag in Berlin mit.
In the worst quarter of the analyzed cases, nearly 10 percent of the residents were treated this way, while in the best quarter, not even 5 percent were treated this way, according to an evaluation of the billing data for the AOK Care Report 2023. The average was 7.6 percent. 350,000 residents aged 60 and older were considered, accounting for about half of all those receiving stationary care.
High values in Saarland and in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The information from the eleven regional health insurance funds in 400 districts and independent cities showed that long-term administration of medications is common throughout Saarland as well as in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), „where 45 out of 53 districts and independent cities have noticeable results.“ Previously, there had been reports that dependent individuals were being medicated to keep them calm.
„Ich kann es nicht umformulieren.“
Ten relationships between nursing and health were systematically examined. In the reporting year 2021, nationwide, nearly 4 percent of all dementia patients were admitted to a hospital from a nursing home due to inadequate fluid intake. However, in the 20 most noticeable districts and cities, the percentage was up to 12.5 percent. Most of them were located in Bavaria, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, and North Rhine-Westphalia, as indicated by the new AOK online portal „Quality Atlas Nursing.“
Good news can be found regarding the often considered unnecessary hospital admissions of nursing home residents in the last 30 days of their lives. Between 2017 and 2021, the rate decreased from 47 to 42 percent, with the effects of COVID-19 being unclear. Once again, a disparity between the western and eastern regions was observed. In Saarland, it was nearly 50 percent in 2021, while in Saxony it was only 36 percent.