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 this affects not only stationary care facilities”Hasselfeldt told the “New Osnabrück Times”(Sunday edition).
“Pflegebedürftige and their relatives often forgo professional care or significantly reduce their services, which ultimately leads to underprovision”Hasselfeldt said. The care often remains with family, friends and neighbors, although this is not the desired option.
Hasselfeldt is calling for more support for caregivers. She suggests that people who give up their jobs to care for relatives 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 trend to continue”Hasselfeldt said in the interview.
She is advocating for a cap on the self-payment portion, so that the costs of care can be calculated reliably. Hasselfeldt also appealed to the federal states to engage more in care. “They are obligated to invest in the costs, which they are not doing adequately”Hasselfeldt said in the interview. For caregivers, she also proposed an income offset.