If an application for benefits has been filed or if benefits are already being provided by long-term care insurance, the individual is entitled to binding and professionally sound long-term care counseling. Before the initial consultation, the long-term care insurance fund will designate a responsible long-term care advisor or an advisory office within 14 days. Upon request, the consultation can also take place in the patient’s home, together with family members and other caregivers. Special attention is always given to ways to provide relief for caregivers.
Privately insured individuals can contact compass private pflegeberatung, a subsidiary of the Federal Association of Private Health Insurers, which also complies with all legal requirements. In addition to telephone and online counseling, in-person counseling is also offered here.
Anyone receiving a care allowance under care levels 2–5 is required to seek counseling on a regular basis. This is carried out by a certified nursing professional commissioned by the long-term care insurance fund or by a recognized counseling center. The review cycle is semiannual for care levels 2 and 3 and quarterly for care levels 4 and 5. Individuals in Care Level 1 may voluntarily schedule a counseling visit every six months. The counseling is tailored to individual nursing and care needs and is designed to ensure quality in home care. The findings will be reported to the long-term care insurance fund.
Note: Nursing Services
The person in need of care may also choose to hire a licensed home care agency for consultation. It is recommended that the same care service be hired each time in order to ensure continuity in counseling and its implementation in care and support. The person in need of care must provide proof of the consultation to the long-term care insurance fund. There are forms for this purpose. Please note: If this is not done, the care allowance may be reduced by up to 50%, and if proof is repeatedly not provided, it may even be completely discontinued.
Care Centers
Care support centers are counseling centers for people in need of care and their family members ; theyare operated by various organizations, such as cities and counties, AWO, Caritas, and Diakonie. They offer free advice and assistance regarding all nursing, medical, and social services. They also facilitate and coordinate Help and Support Services. At the long-term care support centers, care advisors from the long-term care insurance funds also serve as case managers. For you, this means that a counseling plan will be developed and you will receive support over an extended period of time.
People in need of care and their family members can submit applications right here on site, which are then forwarded to the appropriate agencies. Your health insurance provider or private health insurance company can provide you with the addresses of care centers.
Care Courses
If you work in nursing, you have the opportunity to gain specialized nursing knowledge through nursing courses. In a basic course, family members can learn, for example, basic caregiving techniques. In addition, there are specialized training programs on specific conditions, such as dementia. Health insurance companies offer caregiving courses—either as individual or group sessions—for family members and volunteers. Upon request and with the consent of the person requiring care, individual training is also available at home. It is important that the course and its content meet your needs and preferences. Experience shows that the majority of participants were very satisfied with the program after taking part. It’s best to ask your care advisor for more information on this.
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