Care level 1 in danger: What the abolition means for Ebersberger

Care level 1 in danger: What the abolition means for Ebersberger

In the Ebersberg district there is a lot of trouble in the healthcare system: around 5,000 people live there with a care level, 750 of whom alone have care level 1. The federal government is now planning to abolish this level of care, which would have numerous consequences for those affected and their relatives. This decision could mean a drastic change for many, as long-term care insurance provides little support for care level 1. According to merkur.de, many nursing services are already planning to discontinue their services for this group, as nursing level 1 in particular is not lucrative.

What's in the room? The abolition of care level 1 is primarily a financial concession by the government in view of the rising costs of statutory nursing care insurance. Before you know it, it could affect more than 67 people who are currently being cared for by outpatient care services in the Ebersberg district. Care level 1 includes people with minor impairments, such as those with spine or joint diseases. You can hope for individual care advice and financial subsidies for living space adjustments, but you are not entitled to outpatient benefits in kind or care allowance, as the Federal Ministry of Health confirms.

The challenges for nursing services

Petra Topolko, managing director of the nursing service Vitana Pflege, sees the situation critically: “The monthly subsidy of up to 131 euros is often not enough and patients have to pay the rest themselves.” Her service is currently looking after twelve people with care level 1 who need support with household management and personal hygiene. A similar situation is described by Marlene Springer, nursing manager at AWO, who looks after around 20 patients in a comparable situation and charges 38 euros per hour. For comparison: the hourly rate for a skilled worker is around 73 euros. In view of these figures, many nursing services in the region prefer to reject services for care level 1 because they are not doing well financially.

The problem is getting worse: many of those affected rely on help in order to be able to cope with everyday life. The classification in care level 1 plays an important role because it is often a first step to higher levels of care, awarded to people with more extensive needs. The legal framework for defining the need for care has only changed since January 1, 2017, and now many are faced with the question: What will happen to us if care level 1 is no longer required?

A call for awareness

In this delicate situation, it is more important than ever that society has a good handle on the needs of those in need of care. The possibility of early assistance, as provided by the Federal Ministry of Health, could soon only be a pious wish. If it were to be abolished, not only would the necessary individual advice requirements have to be reorganized, but subsidies for living space adaptation and other support measures could also become unstable.

The current situation leaves many questions unanswered and causes legitimate concern among those in need of care, relatives and care services. It is time for everyone involved to pull together to stop this development. The future of care must be shaped responsibly in order to meet the growing challenges.