Where and how can I request home care? | Home Care

Where and how can I request home care?

When applying for home care, the nursing care fund with which the person to be cared for is insured is the right contact. The first step in obtaining financial support for home care is to apply for a degree of care. This can be done informally, e.g. by phone or letter.

You will then be sent the necessary forms with which you can apply for a degree of care and the care allowance. Depending on the information you provide in this application, the nursing insurance fund may call in the MDK (Medical Service of the Health Insurance Funds) to check the extent of the need for nursing care. After the application for care allowance has been approved, the person in need of care must choose a type of home care.

It is possible to have the care provided completely by relatives or other persons close to the patient. It is also possible to have the care carried out completely by an outpatient nursing service. Combinations of both are also possible. Depending on the decision of the person in need of care, the insurance company pays nursing allowance or supports you in the form of benefits in kind (nursing service).

What requirements must be met for me to receive home care?

Basic condition for the fact that one gets domestic care in the form of cash benefits (care money) or benefits in kind (care service) from the care insurance company is that the prospective care duration will amount to over 6 months. If care is only required for a short period of time, an application for home care must be submitted to the health insurance company. The second prerequisite for receiving home care is the existence of restrictions in everyday life (personal hygiene, nutrition, mobility, household) that justify a degree of care and thus the support of the care insurance.

Short-term, temporary care after a hospital stay must be prescribed by a doctor and is then a benefit of the statutory health insurance.Domestic nursing care after a hospital stay can only be prescribed if the patient cannot take over the activities of treatment care (e.g. changing bandages, injecting anti-thrombosis prophylaxis), basic care and/or housekeeping himself/herself and no relative living in the same household can take over these activities. In home care after a stroke, there are no differences in terms of organizational matters. There is no difference in the level of care, the application for home care or the support options provided by an outpatient care service. However, a stroke is a very drastic event for the health, many of the affected patients suffer from physical limitations and disabilities after a stroke. The care of stroke patients can therefore be particularly challenging.