Organising care at home: relief for family carers

Most people in need of care in Germany are looked after at home — predominantly by family members. That is valuable and demanding at the same time. This structure helps make everyday life sustainable.

About 7 minutes to read · Topic: Care at home

First: clarify roles and expectations

Care rarely begins with a decision. More often it grows slowly — until one person is carrying most of it without that ever having been discussed. That is exactly where exhaustion and conflict come from later on.

So sit down together as a family early on and clarify three questions:

• Who takes on what? Not every task is care in the narrower sense. Shopping, lifts, official correspondence, coordinating appointments, finances — even someone living further away can carry a share.
• What is realistic? Anyone in work cannot provide round-the-clock care. Honesty at this point prevents recriminations later.
• What does the person in need of care want? Self-determination matters more than perfection. Even if some things take longer: whatever can be done independently should be done independently.

Check your entitlements — all of them

Many families use only a fraction of what they are entitled to. A care level is the key to several benefits at once. If there isn't one yet, first read how to apply for a care level.

From care level 1 onwards, the following are among the options:

• consumable care essentials worth up to €42 a month
• a contribution towards a home emergency call system — particularly worthwhile if the person in need of care is alone at times
• grants for measures that improve the living environment, such as a level-access shower or grab rails
• free care courses under Section 45 SGB XI for family carers

From care level 2, further benefits are added, such as care allowance, care benefits in kind through an outpatient service, and options for temporary respite. Your care insurance fund or an advice session can tell you which amounts currently apply.

Adapting the home to care

Many falls happen in the same places. It is worth walking through the home with a critical eye:

• remove or secure rug edges, cables and door thresholds
• fit grab rails in the bathroom and hallway, convert the shower to level access
• improve lighting, especially on the way to the toilet at night
• move frequently used things to within reach so nobody has to climb on chairs

There are grants from the care insurance fund for many of these measures. Get advice before the conversion — afterwards it becomes more difficult.

Fixed routines help more than perfection

A dependable daily rhythm gives both sides security: set times for meals, medication and personal hygiene, plus a visible weekly plan on the noticeboard. This reduces arguments and helps particularly in the early stages of dementia.

A care folder kept in a fixed place is also useful: decisions, medication plan, medical reports, powers of attorney, emergency contacts. When the ambulance comes at night, every minute in which nobody has to search counts.

Don't forget yourself

Family carers often overlook their own strain until they can no longer carry on. Warning signs are sleep problems, constant irritability, withdrawal from friendships and the feeling of never doing enough.

What helps:

• Plan respite before it becomes urgent. Substitute care and short-term care exist for exactly this — they are not an admission of failure.
• Keep contact with the outside world. One fixed appointment a week that has nothing to do with care.
• Seek out exchange. Care support centres and self-help groups advise free of charge and know the local services.
• Accept help when it is offered. Even concrete small things like doing the shopping bring noticeable relief.

Frequently asked questions

This article offers general orientation and does not replace individual advice. The statutory provisions of SGB XI and the decision of your care insurance fund in each individual case are what count.