Suche
Mein Konto
EmslandCare starts: Health guides for more support!
From January 2026, the “EmslandCare” project will start in Emsland with health guides in town halls to support citizens in need.
EmslandCare starts: Health guides for more support!
Something is happening in the area of health care in Emsland: The new “EmslandCare” project will start in January 2026 and is intended to specifically support citizens with psychosocial, dementia or nursing support needs. The health guides who are part of this program come from the social education or nursing sector and will work in the region's town halls. How NDR reports, those affected will in future be able to independently contact these guides, who are available during weekly consultation hours and can be reached by telephone.
The project will initially start in Emsbüren, Spelle and Geeste before being implemented in other municipalities in February. Contact points are planned in a total of 19 town halls along the entire Emsland region, ranging from Freren to Salzbergen. Health guides not only provide advice, but also refer you to specialists or nursing services. Sigrid Kraujuttis, head of the social affairs department, emphasizes the necessity of this program, as doctors often do not have the time necessary for such comprehensive care in their everyday lives.
Relief for family doctors and support in the region
A central goal of “EmslandCare” is to relieve the burden on general practitioners’ practices. In a rural area where medical care is often challenging, this project is seen as a true pioneering piece. As in a study by the Munich Foundation As has been shown, innovative approaches to healthcare are necessary to improve the healthcare situation in rural regions.
The health guides are intended to build a bridge between patients and the existing medical structures. Your work includes not only individual support, but also valuable networking and cooperation with various service providers in the health sector.
Project structure and financing
As part of “EmslandCare”, consultation hours of at least four hours per week are planned in the municipalities. The planned full-time positions are to be financed through a combination of financial resources from the district and the municipalities. Of a total of just over one million euros, around 40% is applied for through a funding application to the state of Lower Saxony. The remaining amount of around 670,000 euros will be distributed to the individual municipalities, which corresponds to 11,600 euros per municipality annually.
The successful implementation of this project is crucial to ensuring long-term medical care in the district and increasing the quality of life of its citizens. That's killing several birds with one stone!