The Chlösterli Care Centre is relying on teamwork

The corona virus is currently keeping everyone in a state of suspense. Due to the many measures and restrictions during this time, many people cannot work, and have to stay at home, and sometimes don’t know what to do with their free time, thought Paul Müller, managing director of the Chlösterli Retirement Centre (Alterszentrum/Pflegezentrum Chlösterli) in Unterägeri. On the other hand, there are many healthcare institutions that cannot shut down. "Our own resources of currently 150 employees could become exhausted," says Müller. His idea: "Special situations require special solutions." He is therefore using the Chlösterli website and Facebook to look for volunteers.

"In order to ensure that we can continue to operate in the future, we are appealing for assistance from volunteers with the motto " Together we’ll do it! "" Says Müller. We are looking for healthy people who would be willing to support the Chlösterli in the area of care and support, household services such as delivering meals, laundry, kitchen or childcare work, as needed, and to thereby make a good use of their currently available time". Around 60 interested parties have so far responded to the call. In order to keep the volunteers well informed, information events are currently taking place in the Chlösterli.

Information events are currently taking place.

Previous knowledge is not mandatory
Many young people who wanted to help in this difficult time answered the call, but there were also people who are currently not working. Some of these volunteers are already being trained. Previous knowledge is not mandatory: “We need people who want to help. If an acute shortage of specialist staff really occurs as a rest of the virus, we will be grateful for  someone who, for example, could empty a full urine bottle in an emergency,” says Müller. The Chlösterli is not acutely affected by the virus at the moment, and only one employee has tested positive for the virus up to now. "She is now healthy again, and is expected to return to work next week," says Müller. In order to promote the exchange of information among the nursing homes in the canton of Zug or to provide help where necessary, several nursing institutions have come together to form the “Project for the Control of Personnel and Material in the Nursing Institutions of the Canton of Zug”. The institutions came together at an information event organised by the government council in order to offer mutual help: “A care centre recently needed surface disinfectants, for example, and the other institutions were able to help out immediately. Otherwise it would have taken much longer,” explains Müller.