ToPer

The collaborative project “ZuPer – Cohesion and Prospects for Effective (Collaborative) Work in Elderly Care” addresses key challenges in fostering a work culture free of discrimination and based on solidarity in elderly care. The starting point is the shortage of skilled workers, which is projected to result in hundreds of thousands of unfilled positions by 2049—particularly in rural regions such as the Görlitz district and the Werra-Meißner district. There, migrant care workers make a significant contribution to care provision but often experience racism, a lack of employee participation, and devaluation, which jeopardizes their long-term retention.

The project aims to create working conditions that are free from discrimination and promote employee participation. The focus is on collaboration within teams of diverse origins, the quality of which is compromised by experiences of racism and structural power imbalances. The innovative approach combines anti-racist perspectives with the strengthening of workplace participation. Particular attention is paid to an East-West comparison to assess the contextual sensitivity of regional challenges. Participation is facilitated through co-researchers from the care teams, who are actively involved in research and solution development.

The goal is to develop sustainable strategies for improving work culture in close cooperation with care facilities, educational stakeholders, and civil society partners. The interactive “GemeinsamSolidarisch Guide” provides key findings and practical recommendations for action. In this way, the project contributes to strengthening social cohesion, securing a skilled workforce, and developing models for non-discriminatory organizational cultures in the care sector.