The President of the German Red Cross, Gerda Hasselfeldt, is concerned that the high costs of ambulatory services and nursing homes may lead to even more people forgoing professional care in the future. “The costs pose a significant financial challenge for many people, but it’s not just about the stationary care facilities”Hasselfeldt told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung in a recent interview.
“People in need of care and their relatives often forgo professional care altogether or significantly reduce their services, which ultimately leads to underprovision”she said. The care often ends up falling on family, friends and neighbors, even though that’s not the preferred option.
Hasselfeldt is calling for more support for care-giving relatives. She suggests that those who give up their jobs to care for a loved one might receive better retirement benefits. More than half of the approximately 5.7 million people in need of care in Germany are cared for by relatives alone. “I expect this number to increase”Hasselfeldt said in the interview.
She is also advocating for a cap on out-of-pocket expenses, so that the costs of care can be calculated more accurately. Furthermore, she is urging the federal states to take a more active role in care provision. “They have a responsibility to invest in the costs, which they are not doing adequately”Hasselfeldt said. For care-giving relatives, she is proposing an income offset.