The importance of nursing and care services in our society has not only gained relevance through the Covid 19 pandemic, but has an important role, especially in the course of demographic change. The political significance is also increasing. This is particularly visible in the care reform and the inclusion of the term care in the Austrian Federal Ministry for Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection. In addition to the high importance for and the increasing number of people with care and support needs, financial resources and human resources are also essential factors for the social system. 

The Austrian care and nursing sector offers a variety of dynamically growing areas and service offers. In addition to inpatient and mobile services, various mixed forms such as alternative forms of living beside care homes have received increased attention in recent years. Informal care is also of great importance. In order to face the growing challenges of an ageing society, both innovative solutions and the integration of formal and informal care are of particular importance.

In order to cover this broad range of care, for-profit and non-profit (private) organisations and structures are indispensable in addition to the state in order to enable comprehensive care. This coexistence of diverse interests and forms of organisation also has an impact on the organisational culture in the nursing and care setting.

At the NPO & SE Competence Centre, we have been working intensively on these different aspects of the topic of care and nursing for many years. This includes, among other things, evaluations and benchmarks in inpatient nursing and care facilities, the date collection and calculation of social value as well as sector analyses of the social sector as a whole and the nursing and care sector in particular. In addition, we are increasingly dealing with the effects of technological changes such as the development of Ambient Assistant Living (AAL) systems as well as the recording of the quality of life and satisfaction of nurses and care staff, clients and informal carers in the corresponding area. Internationally, too, we are now dealing with the topic beyond the borders of Austria, especially with the focus on dementia (INDEED) and community care and support services (I-CCC).