When a person is no longer able to care for themselves due to illness or advanced age, family members often choose to provide care at home. Home care presents many challenges for all involved, as it is not only their relationship with each other that changes: it is not uncommon for bed and bathroom modifications to be required, and family caregivers must become familiar with the new daily routine as well as caregiving techniques and the individual needs of the person being cared for.
Caring for family members at home is a challenge
Elderly care deals with the care and supervision of the elderly, for example, in home health care, nursing home or nursing home. According to statistics, about 70% of all persons in need of care are in home care by one or more relatives. In addition to the physical and psychological stress caused by the often permanent care and support, logistical changes and balancing acts are also frequently necessary. In addition, special furniture and aids have to be purchased. For example, the normal bed must be replaced by a nursing care bed that can be adjusted in many ways, enabling the person in need of care to eat, sit, sleep and perform personal hygiene in bed. Since a nursing bed can be expensive to purchase, it is possible to have the required piece of furniture financed by the health insurance fund. Incidentally, this also applies to many care aids that are used regularly, because care aids are free of charge with a care degree.
Home care as an opportunity and a risk
Elderly care looks after people in need of help who can no longer manage their everyday lives themselves. Not only are they cared for and given medical attention, but they are also exposed to meaningful occupations. When a relative becomes in need of care due to an accident or illness, it is not uncommon for the remaining family members to be faced with the question: should care be provided at home or should it be provided in a nursing home after all? The decision is often made in favor of home care – especially in the interest of the person in need of care. In an already difficult situation, the patient does not have to get used to a new environment, but can remain within his or her familiar four walls. Familiar and loved ones can also help elderly and sick people feel more comfortable than in a care facility with unfamiliar staff. In addition, money can be saved for the relatives, because accommodation in a home usually turns out to be much more expensive than care at home. Of course, caring for a father, mother, child or spouse also means a burden that should not be underestimated: the everyday life of the caregiver changes immensely when they take on this task.
Is home care possible in an individual case?
The decision to care for a relative at home has far-reaching consequences for everyone involved. In advance, potential caregivers should ask themselves whether their personal and home situation allows for all-around care. Working people quickly reach their limits here in terms of available time:
It doesn’t work without the help of other family members or an additional external caregiver. The daily routine of all persons involved changes decisively due to the care, which can also represent an immense burden for marriages and comparable partnerships. Caring for parents or siblings at home is also a financial challenge – despite numerous available aids from the state and health insurance. Last but not least, potential caregivers should be honest with themselves and ask themselves whether they are physically and, above all, psychologically capable of providing long-term care. Particularly in the case of dementia, for example, the patient’s personality also changes – a fact that not everyone can deal with in the long term.
Home care not without appropriate knowledge
Anyone who decides to care for a relative permanently at home cannot simply do so without professional and medical knowledge. For this reason, it is necessary that caring relatives acquire the appropriate knowledge. This is adapted to the respective care and illness situation: An Alzheimer’s patient makes different demands than, for example, an amputee who is completely mentally lucid.Long-term care insurance companies are required to provide family caregivers with free courses and training that provide at least basic knowledge in the following topics:
- Personal care
- Domestic care
- Dressing and undressing
- Help with going to the toilet
- Laying and lifting the relatives
- Administering food and medication
Caregiver leave and family caregiver leave: what is it exactly?
Family caregivers are legally entitled to a six-month caregiver leave. During this, they can take time off from work and focus fully on care. Only partial release from work is also possible. A corresponding application for caregiver leave must be submitted to the employer. But be careful: The claim can only be asserted by the employee if the number of employees exceeds 16; below that, the employer can refuse the caregiver leave. An alternative can be the so-called family care leave: Here it is possible to reduce working hours to 15 hours per week over a period of 24 months. This is intended to make it easier to reconcile work and care for the first two years of care at home. At least 26 employees are required in the company to be able to enforce the claim. The exact conditions of caregiver leave and family caregiver leave are agreed and recorded together with the employer.
Apply for care allowance from the relevant care insurance funds
Anyone caring for a relative at home can apply for financial support from the care insurance fund. Between a care degree between 2 and 5, the so-called care allowance can be requested. Without a care degree, no financial support is possible. This also applies to cases in which care is primarily provided on an outpatient basis by external caregivers. If the care allowance is approved, it can be used, among other things, to purchase care aids or furniture or to compensate for other financial burdens arising from home care. Whether care allowance is eligible in an individual case can be found out from the relevant care insurance fund.
Aids and furniture for home care
With a rollator, it is possible for people with walking impairments to move more freely and without further supports. Depending on the individual living situation and the physical as well as mental condition of the person in need of care, home care requires numerous modifications and equipment. In addition to the care bed already mentioned, a bathroom suitable for the disabled may be required if the person concerned is not completely bedridden. Then a wheelchair is also needed, which in turn requires barrier-free room transitions. If the person in need of care is temporarily left alone at home, a home emergency call system must not be missing, which can be operated quickly and easily even by people with severe physical impairments. Last but not least, everyday aids are needed in sometimes large quantities:
These include disinfectants, disposable gloves and skin care products, as well as cosmetics specially designed to meet the needs of elderly and/or sick people. Helpful advice and comprehensive information on the subject of care can be found at pflege.de, among other places.