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Care in rural areas
When municipalities care
11.09.2025
A fire station here, a village square there: the Neustadt-Aisch/Bad Windsheim region lives not only from its towns, but also from its many small communities. Idyllic - and at the same time challenging when it comes to care provision. Although there are clinics and facilities in the centers, the question arises in the countryside: Who will take care of people in the future if the number of people in need of care continues to rise? The regional care conference, which began its work at the beginning of June, aims to provide an answer to this and many other questions.
The care conference is a platform that brings together all relevant stakeholders from the region: Nursing schools, employment agencies, local authorities, the state parliament, the Association of Carers in Bavaria - and also Bayern Innovativ, which provides support with expertise and impetus.
Care innovation in rural areas
The expert panel not only aims to bring new approaches to regional care practice - it is an innovative model in itself. Marina Iftner, Health Project Manager at Bayern Innovativ, was present at the conference and gets to the heart of the matter:
"Nursing has not yet had its own voice. There were discussions about chambers of nursing care years ago, but they were never implemented. The fact that the local authority is now taking responsibility itself is an innovative step for me. For the first time, we are creating a realistic and structured overview of care in the region - and that is precisely what makes this concept unique and innovative."
Ten working groups, many topics
The experts have organized themselves into ten different working groups. Among other things, they are discussing training and further education, the integration of foreign specialists and new concepts for cooperation in the region. Bayern Innovativ contributes specialist knowledge to the groups, provides impetus and networks decision-makers - an important step towards sustainable care.
A model for the future of care
Other countries are further ahead here: in Denmark, responsibility for care has been with the local authorities for years. What is standard there is now being tested in Franconia. The care conference is thus becoming a best-practice model: it pools voices, makes problems visible and initiates projects - openly, transparently and without closed circles.
The work is hybrid: online and at face-to-face meetings in the region. In this way, suggestions quickly become concrete. And ideas for innovation in rural areas.
Would you like to be part of the care conference?
- Become a member: Participation is voluntary. Anyone who would like to participate submits an application and receives invitations to the next conferences.
- Inform & participate: You can find all the important information on the Health Region Plus website - including a video of the first care conference.
- Work & implement: From September, the working groups will meet regularly, both digitally and on site, to implement the first project ideas.
