strengthening care
With the care reform, the support for those in need of care and their relatives has been improved by an additional around 5 billion euros per year. The long-term care insurance benefits were increased by more than 20 percent as a result of the long-term care strengthening laws. The offers of help can be tailored precisely to the specific care situation. People with dementia now also have equal access to all long-term care insurance benefits.
Those in need of care and their families are entitled to be cared for by a personal care adviser at your care insurance fund. For the first time, relatives have a legal right to care advice. In order to improve the compatibility of family, care and work, caring relatives now have a legal right to family care leave and paid time off of up to ten days.
Nursing staff limits in hospital areas
Good care in the hospital requires adequate staffing. Hospitals and health insurance companies should therefore be obliged to set lower limits for nursing staff in hospital areas where this is particularly necessary for reasons of patient safety – for example in intensive care units or on night duty. These limits must not be undercut. The agreement is to be concluded by June 30, 2018 and take effect on January 1, 2019. This strengthens care at the bedside, improves the working conditions of the nursing staff and thus also patient care.
In the morning, Federal Health Minister Hermann Gröhe spoke on the occasion of the German Nursing Day in the ARD morning magazine about the necessary improvements for nursing staff (Interview from 03/23/2017).