Violation of human rights in German old people`s nursing homes

13th august 2001 Press report:   Violation of human rights in German old people`s nursing homes People in need of nursing starve to death and suffer from dehydration – For the first time international: Germany has to justify in front of the UNO! In August the German government has to present the UNO in Genf her report about the social human rights in Germany. The German government is obliged to do it all five years. The International Pact concerning economic, social and cultural rights is the basis for this report. This pact is the most important international agreement to protect the social human rights. In their report the German government mentions only good results. In reality living in most of german old people`s nursing homes is inhumane and undignified. This statement is the result of a detailed research of the munich “Forum for the improvement of the situation of old people in need of nursing in Germany”, which has been send as parallel report to the UN-committee for economic, social and cultural rights. In german old people`s nursing homes we have daily violations of the human right concerning food, health and participation in civilised life. Up to 85 % of the inhabitants of German old people`s nursing homes suffer from malnutrition, ca. 36 % suffer from dehydration. The number of old people in Germany requiring nursing is rising. At the same time the personnel and approved services in the nursing homes are continually being reduced to save money at the cost of the old people. Human nurse is more and more an exception. The normal day is gastric drips instead of eating and urinal drips to avoid trips to the toilet. The introduction of the nursing insurance has brought the situation to a head. Strictly prescribed times, further reductions of benefits of the health insurances and the lack of qualified specialists reduce the nurse to insufficient treatment of bed-ridden patients. Neither the German government nor the charity organisations have an interest in improving the situation. For this reason the Forum want to inform the public of the world about this violations. The Forum hopes to get help from Genf to oblige the German government under the international pressure to improve the situation. On 13. of August the Forum will be in Genf to report in front of the comittee of the UNO.