until now, henri kruger has been dependent on neighborly help to get from alt rehse to work on time or home late at night. Because the bus schedule does not fit his shifts and he is not allowed to drive. Stefan sour
The first bus to the district town rolls at 6 a.m. in the morning.35 o’clock go. That may be early for someone who has to go to the office. For henri kruger’s way to the early shift, it’s even two hours too late. And on late shift days, the 53-year-old has a problem getting home: from his place of work in neubrandenburg to his home village of alt rehse, the last bus of the day already leaves in the afternoon.
Henri kruger loves his work in a neubrandenburg nursing home, something he probably wouldn’t have dreamed of ten years ago. He was no longer able to perform his original job in the German armed forces when he was diagnosed with epilepsy. For years, the old man from Reh got by with tangible jobs in gardening and landscaping, as a tiler and in a stonemasonry business; then last summer he followed a suggestion from the employment agency to take a "taster course" with the German Red Cross (DRK). He has been working at the oberbachzentrum nursing home since June, has learned a lot of things by doing, and is really getting to grips with his job.
Neighbors take turns with "driving duty
If only there wasn’t the problem of the almost twelve-kilometer commute to work: because of his epilepsy, the 53-year-old is not allowed to drive a car; however, the bus connections between alt rehse and neubrandenburg are not really compatible with his shifts outside of school bus times – even when his mother-in-law drives him the four kilometers to krukow early in the morning so that he can get on the bus from there. Several neighbors also take turns getting the commuter to neubrandenburg at half past four in the morning or home again at half past eight in the evening.
Such solidarity is a great thing. "but i have to think from shift schedule to shift schedule about who can drive me and when," the novice caregiver asserts. A very active neighbor is now himself absent for months due to illness. And shouldn’t there please be an "official" solution for someone who for objective reasons can’t make his own way to work?? The possibility of using a driving service or having cab costs reimbursed, which would quickly eat up his wages if financed privately?
Referred from one contact person to the next
With a corresponding application, Kruger first turned to the integration office, which is responsible for all matters relating to the participation of people with disabilities in working life. But not in this case, as he learned: since he had paid into the pension insurance fund for more than 15 years, it was the right place to turn to.
So a new application marathon began: Henri Kruger filled out questionnaires, listed information on routes and times, obtained confirmation from his neurologist that he could not drive a car. The pension insurance, however, had instead demanded an expert opinion and sent further inquiries, all of which he had already answered in the previous papers. At the turn of the year, he received the decision that his application could not be granted due to "lack of cooperation".
Previously, he had also received information from time to time that support was only possible for distances of 20 kilometers or more, or that his degree of disability of 60 was not sufficient and that he needed a degree of care – although if he were in need of care himself, he would probably hardly be able to do his job.
Moving would mean losing his entire environment
Simply moving to neubrandenburg, however, is not an option. For more than 30 years, alt rehse has not simply been henri kruger’s place of residence, it has been his home. He lives here under one roof with his adult daughter and the parents of his deceased wife, looks after the house and the farm, and is also active in the fire department and the village association. With a move, he would lose his entire social environment, which he (and it) does not want to do without.
But the work in the district town is important to him. And the DRK, as an employer, is interested in retaining the employee. For this reason, he offered to help write an objection, reports matthias gorb, facility manager of the DRK nursing home oberbachzentrum. The chance of carpooling had also been examined, but none of the colleagues came from the same direction. The DRK’s own transport service, on the other hand, needs a financial basis and also needs to be extremely flexible, as sickness frequently leads to changes in the service schedule.
"perhaps a travel allowance can be applied for at the employment agency," gorb recommends, and the agency suggests individual counseling in response to a nordkurier inquiry. A general commitment is not possible, the prerequisites must be examined in each individual case. The association for the disabled, which had also been approached, also responded invitingly: the old rehser was welcome to come by with his documents to get some advice.
Pension insurance wants "crucial documents"
the german pension insurance north also urges renewed contact. So far, not all the necessary documents have been submitted for the application to be reconsidered. "the decisive ones are missing," the authority informs, citing as examples a description of the route from home to the bus stop and the place of work, as well as a current health certificate. The applicant was informed in detail what was needed and why, so that his request could be re-examined.
Henri Kruger, on the other hand, is willing to leave no stone unturned: he will take another close look at both the advisory services and the requirements of the pension insurance scheme.