This year the Altenpflege Award 2010 is once again being presented at ALTENPFLEGE. The award is dedicated to finding optimum ways of reducing or eliminating restrictions on personal freedom in care institutions. The Altenpflege Award 2010 carries a prize purse of EUR 5,000. The editors of Altenheim magazine created the award to encourage nursing and care-service initiatives dedicated to preventing restrictive measures, as summed up in the competition slogan “Freedom Is a Human Right”.

Unfortunately, the tendency towards restricting the personal liberties of patients is a recurring feature of everyday care practice. This not only applies to fixation measures using abdominal belts or bed rails but also to more discreet measures like the administration of psychotropic drugs. While some restrictive measures may at times be unavoidable, care service personnel needs a more finely nuanced problem-solving strategy if they are to ensure the maximum possible measure of autonomy for their clients.

The projects submitted had to reveal a coherent concept, describe practical experiences and findings, have a model character and be worthy of imitation.
Some 100 care institutions and care workers competed from all parts of Germany.

The winners will be announced on March 23 at the Convention Center at the Hannover exhibition grounds, Room 3, at 10:45 a.m.


Apart from Altenpflege Chief Editor Dr. Holger Jenrich, who will give a speech honoring the year’s winners, cabaret artist Matthias Brodowy from Hannover will entertain the audience with a program entitled “Allergies — Better than Nothing”. Matthias Brodowy is the recipient of several cabaret awards, including the “Black Sheep”, “Prix Pantheon” and “Springboard” prizes.