A sudden need for care often brings with it many unexpected tasks for family caregivers. However, most people are not familiar with the topic of care. They often don't know who they can turn to for support or what benefits they are entitled to.
The changes caused by a sudden need for care can be overwhelming and it can be difficult to adjust quickly to the new situation. Whether due to an accident or a sudden illness, the reality changes abruptly when a loved one becomes a care case. Suddenly, family members are faced with the challenge of working with the person affected to find the best way to organize their care.
What is a sudden need for care?
A sudden need for care occurs when the need for care arises acutely and unexpectedly, for example after an accident, a heart attack or a stroke. In such critical moments, it is important to have knowledge of first aid. After first aid and medical care, relatives need to think about how further care, nursing and support can be organized.
As a relative, you can prepare for the occurrence of a sudden need for care by living wills and powers of attorney in order to be able to act in an emergency. Our checklist for a sudden need for care provides an overview of the necessary first steps. With the help of this checklist, it is possible to make good decisions for the affected family member even in a stressful situation.
Recognizing the need for care
The need for care means that someone is dependent on the support of others due to physical, mental or emotional limitations. The need for care often develops gradually, especially in old age. Initially, only minor assistance may be required, but as the need for care progresses, the need for support increases.
It is very important to recognize the signs of a need for care in order to obtain a care degree in good time. This enables access to important care benefits such as care allowance, care benefits in kind and other financial assistance.
As a family caregiver, you are in a unique position. You are often the first to notice signs of a family member's need for care. It is therefore important that you know what to look out for.
The signs of needing care can be many and varied from person to person. Here are some of the most common signs:
Difficulties with personal hygiene, nutrition and mobility
- Problems with personal hygiene such as washing, dressing, shaving or applying make-up
- Difficulties in coping with incontinence
- Challenges with eating and drinking or with food intake
- Problems with mobility, such as difficulty walking, standing, sitting or climbing stairs
- Difficulties leaving the apartment
Restrictions on mental capacity
These include, for example:
- increased forgetfulness
- Confusion
- Disorientation
Difficulties in coping with everyday tasks
Possible challenges include, for example
- Difficulties with cooking, cleaning, shopping or going to the doctor
- Problems with organizing and managing financial matters
If you notice signs of a need for care in yourself or a loved one, it is advisable to observe them carefully. Share your observations with the person concerned and talk about them. It can be useful to make notes so that you do not forget the signs you have noticed.
What to do when the need for care arises
A care case within the family almost always raises a number of questions and important decisions. When a family member suddenly becomes in need of care, relatives often have to decide together how to proceed. This process can be very stressful and overwhelming for both the person in need of care and the family carer. Those in need of care often don't want to be a burden on their loved ones, while the family caregivers only want the best for their family member in need of care and at the same time have to ask themselves how to provide adequate care.
Take a moment to breathe and try to think in a solution-oriented way. A list of priorities can help to ensure that nothing important is overlooked. Don't hesitate to accept help right from the start. Solution-oriented means focusing on how you can specifically tackle the existing problem or difficulty.
Get together as a family and clarify who can take on which tasks and who is interested in taking on something. Perhaps there are also friends or neighbors who would like to come over and provide supportive care?
It is crucial to build a functioning support network that supports the care situation and is tailored to the needs of everyone involved. This is because opportunities are often lost if they are not discussed.
Settle your care case in 6 steps
This guide will take you through the basic steps you should take if you need long-term care.
These comprise the following six steps:
- Step: Record the care requirements.
- Step: Determine which type of care is best suited to your situation. Care advice is essential here and you have a legal right to it.
- Step: Apply for a care degree.
- Step: legal representation.
- Step: Ensure that the legal requirements for the comprehensive representation of your family member are met.
- Step: Make sure you have financial security for your care.
Record the care requirements
At the beginning, it is advisable to record the care needs. This is crucial for the organization of everyday care and for later classification into a care degree. There are various care degree calculators available on the Internet that can help you with this. These calculators determine the support requirements and the remaining independence of your relative. The result provides information about the need for care and a possible classification into a care degree. However, it is important to note that a care degree calculator only serves as a guide. Ultimately, the expert opinion of the medical service and the decision of the care insurance fund will determine which care level your family member receives.
What form of care is necessary?
In the best case scenario, the family sits down together with the person in need of care to discuss a suitable form of care. This is particularly important in the case of progressive illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's or dementia. If the need for care arises suddenly, the family usually does not have a ready-made plan. Therefore, a decision must first be made as to whether outpatient or inpatient care is the best solution.
Sometimes the level of care required is so high that inpatient care is the only option. Alternatively, day care or night care can also be used, where those in need of care are regularly looked after for a few hours in a care facility. Our advice is to carefully examine the advantages and disadvantages of both home care and inpatient care and then make an informed decision together with the person in need of care; it is important that the chosen care concept meets the needs of everyone involved.
Apply for a care degree
The earlier you apply, the sooner you will receive financial resources to fund your care. To apply for a apply for a care degreecontact your relative's care insurance fund, which is usually linked to the health insurance fund. You can submit the application in writing, by telephone or by e-mail. For reasons of verifiability, however, we recommend that you submit the application in writing. Many long-term care insurance companies offer special forms that make it easier for you to submit the application. You can often download these forms from the health insurance company's website.
The legal representation
If you have important powers of attorney and advance directives, you have already laid the legal foundations for care, which is great. In particular, this means a health care proxy, a living will and a care directive.
A health care proxy enables the person concerned to determine who may make decisions for them in the event of care, in which areas and for how long. A care directive allows the person concerned to determine in advance who should look after them in the event of care. It is advisable for everyone to have a living will, regardless of age. In such a living will, the author can specify at an early stage which medical measures may or may not be taken in the event of illness.
If the person in need of care is no longer able to make important decisions and there are no powers of attorney or advance directives, relatives are often faced with challenges. In such situations, they have limited options for action. One option is to apply for guardianship at the local district court. The jurisdiction of the local court depends on the place of residence of the relative in need of care.
Distribute the tasks for a care case in the family
Once you have determined the care needs and roughly planned the organization of the care, it is important to divide up the tasks at hand, because there is always something to do. Even if it is not always easy to ask for help and realize that support is needed, it is important to divide up the tasks so that you are not overloaded. Think about what you can realistically manage yourself and what care knowledge you already have. Involve other family members and professional service providers in your day-to-day care.
A possible procedure could look like this:
- The person in need of care must be assisted with washing and dressing in the morning.
- He is then taken to day care while you go to work.
- In the afternoon, the person in need of care is brought back. You can do things together or visit the doctor or go to the authorities.
- During the week, you order a menu delivery service for dinner. At the weekend, you do the cooking yourself.
- Take turns with other family members to take care of hygiene at home in the evening.
- You hire a domestic help who takes care of the household twice a week.
- A caregiver will step in if you have important appointments.
Financing care
The financial situation often causes concern for those in need of care and their relatives. Not only must the care costs be covered, but everyday living expenses must also be ensured. Additional expenses may also arise due to relocations or necessary renovation work at home.
It is therefore important to deal with a few questions at an early stage:
- What costs will we face in the near and distant future?
- Are conversion measures required in the house?
- How much money do we need to live on?
- What benefits are the person in need of care legally entitled to?
- Does the person concerned have financial reserves?
First of all, you should check whether the person in need of care has taken out private long-term care insurance. In addition benefits from the care insurance fund can also be claimed. The amount and scope of these benefits depend on the care level assigned and the type of care required (outpatient or inpatient).
Financial support from the care insurance fund
In order to improve your care situation, as an insured person in need of care with a recognized care degree, you are entitled to various benefits from long-term care insurance. The Eleventh Book of the German Social Code (SGB XI) forms the legal basis for the long-term care insurance benefits catalog. To find out which benefits are included in detail, we recommend that you read our comprehensive magazin on long-term care benefits.
Financial support from the health insurance company
Even if not every case qualifies for recognition of a care degree, people with health-related restrictions are still entitled to various benefits from their health insurance fund. For example, if there is a medical need, the health insurance fund will cover some or all of the costs for special aids and so-called patient transportation. The basis for this entitlement to benefits from the relevant health insurance fund is set out in the Fifth Book of the German Social Code (SGB V).
Financial support from social welfare
If the financial resources from the care insurance fund and your own assets are not sufficient to cover the entire costs of care, you have the option of applying for care assistance in accordance with the Twelfth Book of the German Social Code (SGB XII). In such situations, the state covers all care costs that cannot be borne by the person in need of care or their closest relatives, regardless of the care level assigned.
Care in the home
Check whether nursing home care is necessary and what costs you can expect. Visit several care homes and choose the right one after careful consideration. If you are not yet able to decide on a particular care home, you have the option of a trial stay.
For dementia patients with a tendency to wander, a care home with a special dementia ward may be required. Consider what furniture is needed in the care home. Please note that there are no GEZ fees for accommodation in a care home, so people in need of care should be deregistered with the GEZ.
Follow my checklist when moving to a care home, and if you don't want to carry out the move yourself, hire a removal company in good time. You can request a free and non-binding cost comparison from various providers here
The home costs are reduced if the resident is on vacation, in rehab or in hospital. Further information on the costs incurred can be found here: Nursing home costs: These costs are incurred when the resident is in hospital or on vacation.
Find out in my article that children do not necessarily have to sell their house and farm to cover their parents' care home costs. Nursing home residents are also entitled to aids and care aids. You can find more information on this in my article on the provision of aids in care homes.
Support for home care
As a caregiver, it can happen that you are temporarily unavailable, whether for hours or days. In such cases, a replacement caregiver is required, for which respite care is available. Alternatively, short-term care in nursing homes can also be considered. A care service can be called in for certain care activities, as can 24-hour care workers.
It is important to check whether a rehabilitation measure can improve the patient's current condition and whether personal assistance is necessary. If the person in need of care has to be accommodated for a short time, for example to bridge a vacation or a construction project, a suitable facility should be selected in good time.
The care service can also help with the provision of medication, either by preparing it in dispensers or by using an automatic tablet dispenser. An outpatient care service can provide various care services at home, such as washing the patient, helping with dental hygiene, assisting with getting up and going to bed and administering injections.
To avoid losing care allowance, you should find out about hourly respite care. It may also be necessary to look for qualified specialists and specialist clinics or to check whether day or night care is required. There is also the option of hiring a carer from Eastern Europe or making use of various support services and offers, such as neighborhood help, mobile support services or senior care.
Apply for aids
The aids are intended to help people with disabilities to participate better in daily life and at the same time make care easier and relieve the burden on the caregiver.
It is important to check which aids are required. A doctor, a nursing service or staff at a social care center can help you with this. The aids must then be applied for. If an aid is rejected, you have the option of lodging an objection. Care insurance companies often decide on the basis of files without knowing the patient personally, which can lead to urgently needed aids being rejected. A clarifying discussion with the person in charge can help here.
Depending on requirements, a care bed can be requested, although a classic care bed is not always necessary. Sometimes a height-adjustable bed for the elderly is sufficient. It is important to check which aids are required to improve mobility, such as wheelchairs, rollators or electric scooters.
Other aids required could include bath lifts, compression stockings, incontinence material, walking aids or special mattresses. It may also be necessary to convert a vehicle to make it suitable for the disabled.
Care aids for consumption should also be checked and applied for. Every patient with a care level is entitled to monthly care aids worth 42 euros. This includes, for example, bed protection pads, disposable gloves, disinfectants and disposable aprons.
It is also advisable to check whether a home emergency call is necessary, which can be financed by health insurance if required.
Illnesses and disability card
As a family caregiver, it is important to familiarize yourself with the specific illness or condition of the person in need of care. This is because, depending on the clinical picture, people require different approaches and ways of dealing with them. For example, people with dementia require a different type of communication and care than people with Parkinson's disease. Each illness brings its own special features and challenges.
Another important aspect is the link between the need for care and the disability certificate. Many people in need of care have a care degree, but may not be aware that their physical, mental or emotional limitations are significant enough to qualify for a disability certificate. A disability certificate brings with it a number of benefits that should be used to support the person in need of care.
Palliative care and end-of-life care
The Palliative care and end-of-life care represent a compassionate approach to caring for people in the final stages of their lives.
The following points should be clarified:
- Is special palliative care required to reduce pain as much as possible and make the dying person's life as comfortable as possible?
- Where should palliative care take place: at home, in a nursing home or a hospice?
- The wishes of the dying person should be taken into account.
- Some people choose to fast until death, so it is important to respect the decision of the dying person.
- Obtain information about different forms of end-of-life care.
- Plan and organize the family's farewell to the dying person.
- Preparing and organizing a funeral, keeping an eye on subsidies and costs.
- Offering support and coping with grief after the death: Obtain and accept information about grief reactions, find access to grief groups or professional grief counseling.
Palliative care and end-of-life care are not only a response to physical needs, but also an expression of humanity and respect for life until the last moment. This form of care helps to ensure that the last phases of life can be as dignified, pain-free and fulfilling as possible.
