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Shocking number of Hungarian women go to the West to care for the elderly
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An ageing society is a growing problem within the European Union. In most cases, the task of caring for the elderly is performed by women. The problem has spread to Western Europe as well, but there, people can afford to get help from outside of the family. The result is an influx of workers from the East to the West, and it affects women the most.
Workflow from East to West
According to a survey, a third of Hungarians know a woman who works abroad as a nurse or caregiver, writes telex.hu. The flow of workers from East to West is affecting more and more people. As society ages in most European countries, the elderly make up an increasing proportion of the population.
The situation in Hungary is special, as many caregivers come from the East, but many also go to the West from Hungary.
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They come to Hungary from the East mostly from Romania, while from Hungary, Austria and Germany are the most popular destinations. The lack of language skills or former experience is not a problem. They have similar positions as professional caregivers or nurses. So, they monitor the condition of the elderly and are also responsible for administering medications and helping the elderly to wash.
It’s simple economics. My late mother (Hungarian) in London, UK had a Hungarian Caregivers (normally resident in Hungary) because they were recommended by a Hungarian friend. The Caregivers were in there 60’s and knew very well the going rate for their services – 600 GBP (approximately 264,000 HUF) a week – which they always demanded in cash and without any exposure to the tax system. These Caregivers usually stayed for a year or so but always wanted a 2 week (unpaid) holiday but we were expected to pay the airfares to and from Budapest and London. The last one also demanded severance pay when my mother died! She did not get it and a flight was arranged for the day after back to Budapest (she actually lives near Miskolc).
Not a word about “economic immigrants” or “economic emigrants”. Or is that a Christian Heritage / EU entitlement thing?