Caring for family members: how to find support

Caring for family members is one of the most challenging tasks, with the greatest amount of responsibility, that many people in Switzerland take on. Around 1.9 million people regularly care for family members who need support – whether due to age, illness or disability. The vast majority of them work as well. What support can you as a family carer get in Switzerland? And how can you organise in-home care and support without putting your own health at risk?

In Switzerland, it is mostly women who care for family members. They take on 62 percent of unpaid care work. Men invest around 10 million hours in care and support of family members each year. The many challenges often remain invisible: coordinating medical appointments, organising the household and carrying the emotional burden.

It is particularly challenging if you have to balance care with your own professional life. Many do not talk about this double burden. But to make sure you as a family carer stay healthy in the long term, you must get help if you need to.

There are many services available in Switzerland that can ease the burden on you as a family carer, ranging from advisory services and nursing courses to financial support.

• Advisory services and nursing courses: organisations such as the Swiss Red Cross and Pro Senectute offer advice, practical support and courses. These can help you to organise your caring responsibilities more effectively. They also offer a chance to talk to other family carers. Pro Infirmis advises family members of people with disabilities and supports them until the OASI retirement age. Many municipalities also offer advice. You can also get advice from health associations such as FRAGILE SUISSE, diabetesschweiz and the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Society.
• In-home care by family members: Spitex offers professional care at home, which can provide excellent respite for you as a family carer. In addition to nursing duties, Spitex will also take care of household chores, so you can organise your in-home care responsibilities more effectively. You can also find relief for your in-home care responsibilities from local seniors for seniors’ initiatives, the care services of the Swiss Red Cross, ProSenectute and the Swiss Carer Relief Service.
• Balance between professional life and care: the programme work & care provides information about how you can balance your professional life and your responsibilities as a carer more effectively. Very often, employees do not talk about their responsibilities caring for family members in the workplace. Employers may offer flexible working hours, arrange special leave or provide counselling to reduce the pressure on you. It’s therefore a good idea to talk to your HR department if you need to. If you do not have access to a company counselling service, you can contact Fachstelle UND. Many local authorities and retirement homes also offer respite care or day clinics to provide you with temporary relief.

In addition to the physical and emotional burden, the question of financial support and compensation often arises.

• Care costs: compulsory health insurance covers the costs of care provided by recognised service providers such as Spitex (home nursing) organisations, independent nursing professionals and nursing homes. However, it does not cover support and household help services. Helsana customers with VIVANTE or CURA supplementary insurance can claim additional benefits if they require care.
• Helplessness allowances: if a person requires regular medical assistance, they can apply for a helplessness allowance, depending on the severity.
• Supplementary benefits: pensioners can apply for supplementary benefits to finance the cost of in-home care and medical aids.
• Care credits for family members: anyone caring for a family member can apply for care credits to increase their own OASI/DI pension.

We have compiled some important information on “Caring for family members” and a list of the advisory services in this brochure.

Caring for family members is a valuable but challenging task. It’s important that you are aware of the support available – from advice to financial compensation. Make use of these services to protect your own health.