Gloves, disinfectant, bed pads: anyone cared for at home is entitled to consumable care essentials from care level 1. Many families do not know this — and pay out of their own pocket.
What are consumable care essentials?
Consumable care essentials are products needed for care at home that get used up in the process. The legal basis is Section 40 (2) SGB XI. Because they cannot be reused, the care insurance fund covers the costs each month up to a fixed amount.
They typically include:
- Disposable gloves — for personal hygiene, wound care and using the toilet
- Hand disinfectant and surface disinfectant
- Bed pads for single use
- Protective aprons, washable or single use
- Face masks
- Finger cots
These are distinct from technical care aids such as a care bed, walking frame or home emergency call system. Those come from a different pot and are applied for separately — a home emergency call system, for instance, as a monthly benefit.
Who is entitled?
The entitlement exists when three conditions are met:
- There is at least care level 1.
- Care takes place in the home environment — in your own flat, with family, or in a shared living arrangement.
- The aids are used by carers, meaning family members, neighbours, friends or a care service.
Anyone living permanently in a care home is not entitled — there, supply is part of what the facility provides. No care level yet? Then the first step is to apply for a care level.
How much is the amount?
The care insurance fund covers costs up to €42 per month — so up to €504 over the year. There is no co-payment for you, as long as the monthly amount is not exceeded.
Important: the amount is a monthly allowance, not an annual budget. Unused amounts generally expire at the end of the month and cannot be saved up. So anyone who only starts receiving supplies in November does not get the preceding months retrospectively.
How the application works
There are essentially two routes.
Route 1: Buy it yourself and submit receipts
You buy the products, collect the receipts and submit them to your care insurance fund. This works, but it means paying up front, paperwork, and waiting for reimbursement.
Route 2: Through a supplier
An approved provider submits the application for you and then bills your care insurance fund directly. You just put together what you actually need and get the box delivered to your home each month — no payment up front and no invoice.
For the application you usually only need the care level, the name of the care insurance fund and the delivery address. The first delivery goes out once the fund has approved it.
Three things that often go wrong
- Applying too late. Because unused monthly amounts expire, every month without an application costs real money.
- The contents don't match the need. A standard box full of products nobody uses is wasted. Make sure the contents can be adjusted each month.
- Privately insured people bill it incorrectly. With private compulsory care insurance you receive an invoice and submit it yourself for reimbursement.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay anything towards the care essentials?
Do I need a prescription from a doctor?
Can I change the contents of the box later?
What happens if I don't need anything one month?
Your box of care essentials, delivered monthly
You put together what you really use. We apply for cost coverage from your care insurance fund and bill them directly — no co-payment, no contract commitment.
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.