About the Korian Foundation for Care and Dignified Aging

The foundation's primary focus is on caregivers. Improving their daily work and the overall reputation of the care sector are central concerns. Caregivers are the lifeblood of the care system. They are essential to its functioning. Currently, nursing is a shortage occupation. It is therefore all the more important to support those actively working in care so that they can and want to remain in their profession for as long as possible. High rates of absenteeism and early retirement are factors that we, as the Korian Foundation, actively seek to counteract. We also aim to strengthen the scientific foundation by supporting research projects that, for example, investigate typical pathologies among caregivers and generally address their well-being. The social and societal aspects will not be neglected. For instance, we want to focus on the integration of caregivers with a migration background. Here, we see ourselves as a beacon in the foundation landscape within the field of care, because every project we initiate and implement will be guided by our goal of supporting caregivers and promoting their health. For us, healthy and motivated nursing staff are the key to secure and high-quality nursing care. The Korian Foundation therefore stands alongside the nursing sector, whose most valuable asset is its workforce. We intend to undertake projects that move beyond the traditional paths of corporate health management. With its focus on the health and well-being of nursing staff, the Korian Foundation will not replace traditional HR tasks. In general, the foundation will not perform any operational activities or act as a management consultant. Our non-profit status obligates us to conduct social, academic, and scientific projects independently of corporate structures, the results of which will be made available to the entire nursing sector and thus to society as a whole. Suggestions and implementation of these results by and for companies and policymakers are, of course, welcome.

The next step is to build the foundation and establish a presence. This means that the board and management will design projects focused on caregivers, which they can then further develop with the scientific advisory board and project partners. Another task will be to identify potential co-financing sources. Public appearances, presenting the Korian Foundation and its objectives, as well as traditional networking through personal conversations within the healthcare policy are also planned. Within the next two years, we aim to raise awareness of the Korian Foundation and establish ourselves within the healthcare and foundation landscape. We intend to launch this with a major online project: a free online course, "Stress Management & Self-Care," which encourages and empowers caregivers to examine their own situation and positively change it to enable a healthier work environment. Such a course, as well as the medium, structure, and platform, are new to the healthcare sector. With this online project, we aim to raise initial awareness of the foundation through social media, the trade press, and events, while simultaneously introducing and promoting ourselves. All projects will be scientifically evaluated. However, this requires an initial step – our online course – so that potential project partners, such as universities or institutions like health insurance companies, can understand the Korian Foundation for Care and Dignified Aging. In the medium term, meaning within two to five years, following successful initial projects, we plan to conduct larger research projects in collaboration with universities, associations, or other foundations. The framework for these projects will be defined by the advisory board and its scientific expertise during the early planning phase. Depending on the project's focus, scientific protocols or, in the case of clinical projects, study protocols will be developed jointly with the selected project partners. Naturally, the European scientific framework is of interest, as the topics and targeted findings often have Europe-wide significance.