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For the first time, Berlin has a care commissioner. Sinja H. Meyer-Rötz officially started work on 1 September, the Senate Department for Care announced.
The office is the point of contact for concerns and complaints from people in need of care and their relatives. The position of State Commissioner for Mental Health has also been reappointed.
According to the state of Berlin, there are 185,000 people in need of care and around 200,000 family members, some of whom are carers. The number of people in need of care, the majority of whom are looked after by relatives and outpatient care services, is increasing year on year, said care senator Ina Czyborra (SPD). "The challenges in care are great - for the employees, but also for those in need of care and the people who look after them. This is where our new care officer can provide assistance, but also support with problems that arise in people's everyday lives."
The care representative makes recommendations and forwards concerns to the appropriate authorities in the sense of a pilot function, the administration announced. The service is free of charge and confidential. Work can also be carried out anonymously on request. Enquiries received serve as the basis for an annual report to the Berlin House of Representatives. The aim is to draw attention to the issues and problems of people in need of care and their relatives.
Norma Kusserow has taken over the position of State Commissioner for Mental Health, as announced by the Senate Department for Care. Kusserow is also head of the Department of Psychiatry, Addiction and Health Care in the Senate Administration. "People still don't talk about certain mental illnesses," said 36-year-old Kusserow according to the press release. "That's why my focus is on information and awareness-raising work." Kusserow has a master's degree in social work. She is responsible for fundamental issues relating to the situation of mentally ill people in Berlin and questions about the care system. She is also responsible for the framework planning, quality assurance and documentation of care in Berlin.