Guide to care at home in Germany

Care benefits & costs

Care grades, care allowance, benefits in kind, relief amount, day care and grants: what German long-term care insurance pays in 2026 and how to claim it.

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Benefits in kind and the combination benefit: mixing home care and care allowance Benefits in kind (Pflegesachleistung) 2026: €796 to €2,299 a month for home care. How the combination benefit with care allowance works, with examples. Read Care allowance (Pflegegeld) 2026: what German care insurance pays per grade Care allowance (Pflegegeld) 2026: €347 at care grade 2 up to €990 at grade 5 per month. Eligibility, advisory visits, combining with home care and tax rules. Read Care grades 1 to 5 in Germany: how the points work and what each grade pays German care grades (Pflegegrade) 1 to 5 explained: points from 12.5 to 100, the six assessment modules and their weighting, and benefits per grade in 2026. Read Day care for older people in Germany: what care insurance pays and what you pay Day care (Tagespflege) in Germany 2026: care insurance pays €721 to €2,085 a month on top of the care allowance. Own share, relief amount, transport, example. Read Home adaptation grant in Germany: up to €4,180 from care insurance Home adaptation grant in Germany 2026: up to €4,180 per measure from care grade 1, max. €16,720 for several people. Bathroom, stairlift, application, deadlines. Read The €131 relief amount (Entlastungsbetrag): what it covers and how to claim it Relief amount (Entlastungsbetrag) 2026: €131 a month from care grade 1 for recognised services. What it covers, how to claim, carry-over and planned reform. Read Respite care and short-term care in Germany: using the €3,539 annual budget Respite and short-term care in Germany 2026: joint annual budget of €3,539, up to 8 weeks each, half the care allowance continues, rules for relatives, claims. Read

Emergency call & technology

Home emergency call, mobile alarms, fall detectors, smart home and digital care apps: what helps, what it costs and what insurance covers.

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Digital care applications (DiPA): entitlement, application and how they differ from DiGA Digital care applications (DiPA) in Germany: up to €40 a month for the app and €30 for support from a home care service. Eligibility, application, BfArM list. Read Fall detectors and smart home technology for older people: what helps, what it costs, who pays Wearable and room fall sensors, inactivity alarms, cooker shut-off and motion lights in Germany: what the technology does, who pays and what applies to privacy. Read Home emergency call (Hausnotruf) costs in 2026: what care insurance pays Home emergency call 2026: care insurance covers the basic tariff from care grade 1, €27 net a month since 1 April 2026. Eligibility, application, extras. Read Mobile emergency call with GPS in Germany: features, costs and what to look for Mobile emergency alarms with GPS in Germany: how location tracking, two-way speech and fall detection work, who pays and how to choose the right device. Read Preventing falls in older age: a room-by-room checklist for the home Preventing falls at home in Germany: common trip hazards, a room-by-room checklist, exercise and aids, plus up to €4,180 towards adaptations from care grade 1. Read

Organising care at home

Applying for a care grade, choosing a home care service, using advice and supporting family carers: step by step to the right care.

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Applying for a care grade (Pflegegrad): application, assessment and appeal Applying for a care grade in Germany: informal application to your fund, benefits from the month you apply, assessment, decision in 25 working days, appeals. Read Care advice (Pflegeberatung) and advisory visits: your rights and duties Care advice under § 7a SGB XI is free; advisory visits under § 37(3) are due every six months with the care allowance, video possible until 31 March 2027. Read Choosing a home care service in Germany: a 20-question checklist for the first meeting How to choose a home care service in Germany: check approval, service area, cost estimate and care contract. With a 20-question checklist for the first meeting. Read Everyday support services and companions: what they are and how to pay Companions and household help in Germany: pay with the €131 relief amount from care grade 1 and up to 40 % of benefits in kind from grade 2. Who is recognised. Read Family carers in Germany: time off work, care leave, pension and relief Family carers in Germany: 10 days off with care support pay, care leave up to 6 months, family care leave up to 24 months, pension contributions from grade 2. Read How much does a home care service cost in Germany and what does insurance pay? Home care costs in Germany 2026: care insurance pays €796 to €2,299 a month as benefits in kind, health insurance covers medical care. How your share arises. Read Out-of-hospital intensive care at home: entitlement, prescription, co-payment Out-of-hospital intensive care in Germany (§ 37c SGB V): who qualifies, who prescribes, the potential assessment, the co-payment and choosing a provider. Read

What does care insurance pay in your case?

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