BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – The traffic light coalition is struggling to find possible improvements to the planned care reform in order to provide more support for those in need of care at home. “Care by relatives is not the cheap care service,” said Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) on Wednesday at the federal association day of the social association VdK in Berlin. It means the preservation of family structures, which everyone would like if it were still possible. Therefore, the ultimate goal of any reform should be to maintain and expand this form of care. The Greens are also pushing for more relief for care at home.
Lauterbach signaled that he would work for further improvements in the ongoing negotiations in the coalition. So it’s about whether a “relief budget” can still be added. It could bring together support services that those in need of care can then access flexibly. He hopes to get a good result. At the same time, one must work within the framework of the budget, which provides for compliance with the debt brake.
The passage of the law is expected to be on the agenda of the Bundestag at the end of next week. Among other things, it is planned to raise the care contribution by 0.35 percentage points on July 1st – a little more for people without children. This should also implement a judgment of the Federal Constitutional Court. It is currently 3.05 percent of gross wages, and 3.4 percent for childless people. The care allowance for those in need of care at home, which was last increased in 2017, is to rise by 5 percent at the beginning of 2024. This is often criticized as insufficient. Surcharges for those in need of care in the home are to be increased in 2024.
Greens leader Ricarda Lang made it clear that the current draft could “add more” as far as caring relatives are concerned. The Greens faction had already complained that the reform plans had been slimmed down more and more in the deliberations after the intervention of Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP). With a view to the previous plans, the social association VdK criticized that politicians were abandoning the four million people in need of care who were cared for at home. President Verena Bentele called for a relief budget from which those in need of care could take what they needed. She also campaigned for a wage for people who care.
The VdK presented a study on stress in care at home. According to this, 37 percent of the carers have been providing care for more than five years, and 23 percent have cared for at least 40 hours a week. 59 percent of the caregivers agreed that they were neglecting their own health. At the same time, 62 percent did not use a nursing service. There were no suitable offers or co-payments were too high. In the absence of advice, many offers would not be called up.
According to the information provided, responses from almost 54,000 VdK members were included in the study. Among them were 27,400 relatives, 6,600 in need of care and 19,700 people without care experience. The online survey ran from March 29 to May 9, 2021./sam/DP/jha