Your doctor can prescribe home nursing care if you need support after an operation or serious illness, for example, or if it is necessary to ensure that the medical treatment objective is achieved.
If you have statutory health insurance, home nursing care must be approved in advance by your health insurance provider. You can then - with the help of your health insurance company if you wish - choose a suitable nursing service that is a contractual partner of your health insurance company.
Home nursing care can take place in your home, with your family or at another suitable location. These include, for example, assisted living facilities as well as schools and kindergartens for children and young people.
Home nursing care can include
- Basic care: this includes, for example, personal hygiene, nutrition and mobility.
- Treatment care: Treatment care helps to cure the illness or prevent it from getting worse. This includes, for example, administering medication or wound care.
- Domestic care: This is help in the household, for example shopping, washing or cleaning the home.
Supportive care
Supportive care is necessary
- if you have a serious illness,
- an illness worsens acutely
- and you need support, particularly after a stay in hospital, an outpatient operation or outpatient hospital treatment.
Supportive care usually includes basic care and housekeeping. The statutory health insurance funds cover supportive care for up to 4 weeks for each case of illness. An extension for medical reasons is possible.
Backup care
If home nursing care ensures the success of medical treatment, your statutory health insurance will pay for so-called back-up care. This covers treatment care for as long as it is medically necessary.
Some health insurance companies have stipulated in their statutes that basic care and domestic care can also be paid for in addition to treatment care.
Hospital avoidance care
You receive so-called hospital avoidance care
- if treatment in hospital is not possible,
- home nursing care allows you to return home earlier after hospital treatment,
- or hospital treatment can be avoided altogether by providing home nursing care.
Hospital avoidance care includes treatment care and - if necessary - additional basic care and housekeeping. Hospital avoidance care is covered by statutory health insurance for up to 4 weeks per case of illness. An extension for medical reasons is possible.