Apply for day and night care for people in need of care under social long-term care insurance
If you have at least care level 2 and are cared for at home, you are entitled to temporary, partial inpatient care in day and night care facilities.
Partial inpatient care is intended to relieve the burden on family caregivers and ensure the continuous care of those in need of care. Day care is generally used by people in need of care whose relatives work during the day: Those in need of care are picked up by a transport service in the morning and brought back home in the afternoon. Night care is a facility for people in need of care who also require care at night, for example for wound treatment or for uninterrupted care in the case of dementia.
If you or an authorized person submits an application to your care insurance fund, it will cover the costs of day or night care up to a certain amount. The long-term care insurance fund is affiliated to your statutory health insurance fund. You can therefore use the same contact details.
The long-term care insurance funds cover the costs of day or night care
- only in approved facilities with which they have concluded care contracts and
- only for nursing services, social care and the transportation service. You are responsible for other costs, for example for your meals.
The maximum monthly amount that long-term care insurance companies pay for day and night care depends on your care level (as of 2021):
- for care level 2, a maximum of EUR 689.00
- for care level 3, a maximum of EUR 1,298.00
- a maximum of EUR 1,612.00 for care level 4
- for care level 5 a maximum of EUR 1,995.00
You can apply for the money for day and night care in addition to other benefits from your care insurance fund. Care allowance and care benefits in kind will therefore continue to be paid in full.
- If applicable: Power of attorney, guardian's certificate
- Notification from the long-term care insurance fund about the determination of the degree of care (expert opinion from the medical service of the long-term care insurance)
- If applicable: medical documents
- If applicable: certificate of severe disability
- Proof of health and long-term care insurance
Depending on the individual case, further documents may be required. Please contact your care insurance fund for more information.
- You have care level 2, 3, 4 or 5
- You are cared for at home
- If you have care level 1, you can apply for the relief amount
- If you have care level 1, you can apply for the relief amount
You do not have to pay anything for the application.
You can submit your application for day and night care by post, for example, or - with many long-term care insurance companies - in person at the office or online.
- You submit the application for day and night care to your care insurance fund. If you are unable to do this yourself, you can authorize someone in writing.
- The care insurance fund will check your application and inform you of the result.
- You look for a facility for day care or night care. Find out about suitable providers from your care insurance fund, for example.
- The care insurance fund usually settles the bill directly with the facility.
Processing normally takes about 2 working days.
In order to process and decide quickly, your long-term care insurance fund must have the necessary information and any required documents in a complete and meaningful form.
The long-term care insurance fund decides on applications promptly.
Please note that the processing time indicated is an average value for all long-term care insurance funds. It may vary in individual cases.
The exact processing time also depends on the complexity of the individual case and may be longer. The same applies if documents or records are sent to you or your long-term care insurance fund by post.
As a rule, you do not have to observe any deadlines.
- Objection
- Action before the social court
- Forms: yes
- Online procedure possible: Many long-term care insurance companies offer an online procedure.
- Written form required: yes
- Personal appearance necessary: no
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
Federal Ministry of Health
22.11.2021
