In the past, the NPO & SE Competence Center has already succeeded in demonstrating that investments in care create significant added value. A study published in 2015 analysed the social and economic effects of inpatient care and nursing facilities in Lower Austria and Styria.

To achieve this, impact chains were created for the relevant stakeholder groups using an SROI analysis. Following the SROI logic, impacts were identified, quantified and monetised. The impacts evaluated in monetary units were finally compared to the investments in the old people's homes and nursing homes. In addition, an alternative scenario was calculated in which there are no inpatient nursing and care facilities. In this case, the current residents would have to be accommodated in other care settings if capacities were available. This would concern, for example, mobile nursing and care services, alternative forms of housing, nursing homes in neighbouring federal states, hospitals or the purchase of services on the market (e.g. private care, 24-hour care).

Follow-up study

Some three years later a follow-up study has now been published, which contains an adaptation for the province of Burgenland. Based on the concept of the previous study as well as on the preceding results, an SROI analysis was also carried out on behalf of the Working Group for Home Managers and Care Service Providers of Old People's and Care Homes in Burgenland to evaluate the social and economic benefits of old people's and care homes. The impact model already developed for Lower Austria and Styria was examined for its applicability in Burgenland as well as for its topicality. The stakeholder selection as well as the stakeholder-specific effects were adapted to the care landscape of Burgenland. In addition, indicators that were used in the previous study to quantify and monetise the identified impacts were reviewed for the follow-up study and, where necessary, revised or supplemented.

The study report is currently only available in German.

Significant impact

Once again, the results of the present study show the high impact and sense of purpose of inpatient geriatric and nursing care facilities in Burgenland. The SROI value for the Burgenland system is 3.62, which is even slightly higher than the one calculated for Lower Austria and Styria.

The most significant positive impacts arise for the stakeholder groups of residents and hospitals, followed by relatives. Together, these three stakeholders account for around 75% of the total impact. The residents benefit in particular from the improvement of their general physical condition due to the reduced probability that they will be affected by various nursing or medical problems during their stay in the inpatient old people's and nursing homes. Ultimately, this also leads to a longer life expectancy, as they do not become neglected and die earlier with appropriate care and support. Appropriate care of the residents in the inpatient care system also brings significant benefits to the hospitals by preventing possible misallocations. The relatives benefit in particular from a reduced mental and physical burden and time relief due to the assumption of care activities.

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