Why is a Care Strengthening Act needed?
In order to meet the increasing requirements and to improve the situation of people in need of care, relatives and caregivers, a care reform became necessary: To this end, the first Care Strengthening Act came into force in January 2015, it is also known as Care Strengthening Act 1 (PSG I). This was followed in January 2016 by a new care law – Care Strengthening Act 2 (PSG II). In December 2016, the legislature passed the third Care Strengthening Act (PSG III).
Care Strengthening Act 1
The Care Strengthening Act 1 also improves the situation of family caregivers: For example, they can now apply for a substitute for six weeks instead of four in the event of illness or vacation. The Care Act also introduced the possibility of using up to 40 percent of the funds for outpatient benefits in kind elsewhere, namely for low-threshold care and respite services.
Care Strengthening Act 2
A core issue of the PSG 2 is the redefinition of the term “need for care”. You can read more about this far-reaching care reform in the article Pflegestärkungsgesetz 2.
Nursing Care Strengthening Act 3
The third Care Strengthening Act came into force partly on January 1, 2017, and partly on January 1, 2020. You can find out what it contains in the article Pflegestärkungsgesetz 3.
