Left party sounds the alarm: too few controls in care

The Left Party in the state parliament is calling for more inspections in care homes. "The inspection activities of the municipal social association have reached an alarmingly low level and the inspection rate continues to fall," warned parliamentary group leader Susanne Schaper. It urgently needs to be increased, especially as far more people in need of care will have to be cared for in the future. According to the Left Party, all care homes should be inspected annually.

Schaper referred to information provided by the Ministry of Health in response to several minor questions in the state parliament. According to this, 246 out of 767 care facilities in Saxony were inspected unannounced last year. That was less than one in three. According to Schaper, this continued the trend of previous years. In 2019, more than half of all facilities (461) had been inspected.

Faults lead to admission stops and fines

"We trust Saxony's nursing staff," Schaper assured. Nevertheless, errors and shortcomings cannot be ruled out, especially as staff shortages and cost pressure make the work more difficult. The aim must be to ensure that those in need of care receive the best possible care and that staff have good conditions. "People in need of care have the right to be protected from deficiencies, especially as they have to pay horrendous co-payments."

According to the ministry, the most frequent complaints during inspections in 2024 were deficiencies in the handling of medicines, structural defects and hygiene problems. There were also deficits in terms of violence protection concepts and staffing levels in care homes. Sanctions imposed included admission freezes or fines.