2024-05-01 08:31:26
BOLZANO. The data from the latest competitions for social-health workers (Oss) and social-welfare workers (Osa) are disheartening: in the first case there were 29 places, 22 candidates and 16 were found suitable; in the second 62 places, 2 candidates and 2 suitable. In total, of 91 places only 18 will be filled. “They want to increase the number of beds almost everywhere in facilities for the elderly, but with which operators?”. If he asks Stefano Boragine, secretary of the Ago union; all those who look with concern at the rapid aging of the population are asking this; and to the contextual transformation of the family which once dealt with the care of the elderly and today less and less. Currently, in Alto Adige, out of 4,700 beds in RSAs, around 200 are kept empty, because there is a lack of staff. It is therefore useless to expand or build from scratch, because it would not be known who would manage the new structures. It is already a miracle to guarantee existing services. It is now difficult to find collaborators in any sector; even more so for retirement homes. In Bolzano, where the deficiencies are particularly felt, we must resort with ever greater frequency to precepts that allow us to bypass the obligation of bilingualism. If this were not done, entire structures would have to be closed.
More free time
«More flexibility is needed – says Boragine -: in Trentino, three-day work shifts with two rest days are being experimented in some retirement homes. The staff, more empowered, appreciates the organizational effort and the service benefits from it.” Stefan Luther, director of the Labor Market Service, continues to repeat it to everyone, regardless of the sector: «Given the overall situation, employers must make changes to the organization of the activity and adapt to the new needs of collaborators». The answer is ready Martina Ladurner, president of the Association of Residences for the Elderly of Alto Adige: «Young people, in general, no longer want to work full time; in our structures where many women are employed, the preferred model is part-time. Further reducing or concentrating the hours over a few days becomes objectively very complicated in the face of the exponential growth in demand for services.”
But what is being worked on to address the shortcomings of Oss and Osa? «We are thinking of reducing hours, going from the current 38 hours per week to 36; however, the extra hours would be paid a lot. We also focus on the new training model. In December 2023, the first 43 OSS graduated with the system that provides for the training of people already in service; three more courses with 56 graduates will finish in November this year. A course for Osa will start on May 7th with 19 students enrolled: they are all people who already work for us and will graduate in a year and a half, i.e. in December 2025″.
Francesca’s choice
Seeing the enormous difficulty in finding Oss and Osa and looking at the most recent surveys on the attractiveness of the jobs, one must conclude that these are the ones who have the least of all. But there are those who like it Francesca Innocenti, 24 years old from Bolzano, with a captivating smile accompanied by great empathy, she chose this job and prepared herself to do it as best as possible. For five years she has been serving as a socio-health worker at the “Intensive Unit” of the Don Bosco retirement home in via Milano, where there are 42 guests to accompany in the last stretch of her life. The most difficult. «As with all jobs – she explains – you have to be talented, but if you put passion into it, she gives you a lot. I have always had a certain predisposition for social issues and for this reason, after finishing middle school, I enrolled in the Levinas School: training is important. At the end of the four-year course, we reached 9 out of 22 students. I did it at the Einaudi for the fifth year.”
In your opinion, why is it so difficult to find Oss and Osa? «First of all, there is little information. For the vast majority this work boils down to cleaning the person. It’s just not like that. Here there is an excellent team that takes care of the person and, despite having to deal with staff shortages, there is always time to listen, pamper, cheer up, encourage people to do things while also taking advantage of their remaining skills. At the end of the shift you are tired, but satisfied.”
2024-05-01 08:31:26