Rhythmic rush: everyday outpatient care within microgeographies of home and “service complex systems”

Abstract. As ageing beings, the home spaces we inhabit in old age become pivotal in engendering a sense of security and emotional and physical well-being. Therefore, long-term outpatient carers work in highly sensitive contexts, wherein the establishment of a trusting atmosphere is of great significance. The introduction of the private sector into the long-term care market in Germany has led to the establishment of standards for each care task. This paper explores the rhythms of the implemented system of the so-called “service complexes” for long-term outpatient care by using a rhythm analysis. In doing this, I reflect on the effects of constructed standards on body(spaces), work processes and home spaces, which are sustained by digital technologies. The research is grounded in qualitative fieldwork conducted in the rural Altenburger Land, a region with one of the oldest populations in Germany. The findings illustrate the impact of the commodification of care on nurses, the corporeality of clients and their spaces of private retreat.