• ... a close relative experiences limitations in his/her abilities with increasing age and is dependent on your support?
• ... you are unprepared for a care situation?
• ... you have a child who is dependent on your care support in everyday life?

Relatives are particularly challenged in this situation. If the care situation allows, seek an open and honest discussion with the person concerned and find a solution together that meets everyone's wishes and expectations. There are many support services that you can fall back on.

1. Submit an application to have the need for long-term care assessed. To do this, call the long-term care insurance fund of the person concerned, which is affiliated with the relevant statutory or private health insurance fund. The long-term care insurance fund will send you an application.
2. Once the care insurance fund has received the completed application, it will commission a care assessment to determine the need for care. The assessment is carried out by the Medical Service for those with statutory insurance and by Medicproof for those with private insurance.
3. Making an appointment & expert opinion: It is important to be well prepared as a caregiver. Talk to the person you are caring for about the upcoming visit. You will need all medical documents for the consultation, such as

• doctor's letters
• medical reports
• medication list
• Discharge reports from the hospital
• Expert opinion
• A care diary - it gives the assessor a direct insight into the limitations of the person concerned in everyday life
• Notes on how much help and support you already provide in everyday life

If you already have or need care aids, talk to the assessor about them. The assessor will take a look at your living situation. If modifications are necessary, please state exactly what these might look like. It is particularly important during the assessment process that you answer all of the assessor's questions realistically and honestly.

A care report will then be drawn up on the basis of the visit. This will be sent to you promptly by your care insurance fund.

Further detailed information can be found under the following link: Care guide NRW.

If a relative is in hospital and it is clear that a care degree should be applied for, the application can be handled by the hospital's social services department.

The social services department will help with all questions, fill out the application for a care degree together with you, enclose all medical reports from the hospital and can send the application directly to the care insurance fund.

If necessary, the social services can immediately apply for appropriate aids.

Important to know:

When relatives in need of care are discharged from hospital, care must be ensured. The hospital has a discharge management system for this purpose. Talk to the hospital's social services department, as the discharge management service is responsible for finding short-term care or care from a nursing service at home.

You can find more detailed information at the following link: Federal Ministry of Health.