Will my relative get a care degree?

Are you worried about a relative because he or she obviously can no longer manage on his or her own? And you wonder whether it would make sense to apply for a care degree for him or her - but you don't really know whether you are assessing the situation correctly? In order for you to better assess whether your relative can get a care degree, it is helpful if you know the criteria that are decisive for this. As soon as your relative registers with the long-term care insurance fund, he or she is entitled to benefits from the long-term care insurance fund, for example, long-term care allowance and/or benefits in kind. You can find out how to apply for a care degree here.

The classification into a care degree is about the question of how independently your relative can still do certain things and where he or she is dependent on help.  Six areas of life (modules) are considered for this. These six modules are included in the overall assessment, but with different weightings.

The assessment in this area looks at whether your loved one can still move around independently and change their posture. This ranges from changing position in bed, sitting up, to standing up, sitting down on a chair or walking around the flat on their own. This assessment, together with the corresponding score, makes up ten percent of the overall result at the end.

Does your relative cook spaghetti in the middle of the night? Does he call you by the wrong name or wash himself in the kitchen instead of the bathroom? Cognitive and communicative abilities are put to the test in Module 2.
Here we ask to what extent your relative still recognises you and other people in his daily environment. It is also important to find out whether he or she can still orientate themselves in the home. Some people find it increasingly difficult to dress properly or to remember who is who due to mental deterioration. In the final result of the assessment, either this module or module 3, in which so-called "problematic behaviours" are included, account for 15 percent. The module with the higher score is evaluated.

If your relative reacts increasingly aggressively, insults others or even becomes indiscriminately violent, this also becomes relevant for the classification into a care degree. Sometimes inner turmoil manifests itself in aimless wandering or the total rejection of urgently needed help. Perhaps there are also fears that are absolutely unfounded - or even delusions. If you observe such behaviour in your relative, make a note of when it occurs - because an assessor cannot necessarily witness all of these behaviours live in a single home visit.

The largest percentage in the overall result, namely 40 percent, is in the area of self-care. The questions are: Can your relative wash himself? Can he or she go to the toilet alone? What about getting dressed? Can he or she eat alone - cut a schnitzel, make a sandwich? Can he drink without any problems - hold the paper, open a bottle, pour himself a refill? If he needs help with these things, then this is where the need counts.

Let's say your relative has to take tablets several times a day, administer eye drops or put on thrombosis stockings. Can he or she do this reliably on his or her own? If the tablets are sometimes forgotten or even mixed up, or the eye drops do not reliably end up where they belong, support is also needed here. 20 per cent of the result is included in the overall evaluation.

Can your loved one still pick up the phone and call you? Can he still get out of the house on his own to go to his singing group or to visit an old friend? If he is increasingly secluded and may no longer be able to use the telephone and no longer dare to leave the house, this circumstance can be assessed in this module.

So that you are not suddenly overwhelmed by the many questions during the MDK assessor's home visit, and so that you do not forget anything at this important moment, you should prepare yourself well.

• Keep a diary: It is very important to keep a diary in which you note down everything that your relative needs help with and when. You can list everything that would no longer be possible without your support. Even help with seemingly small things, such as opening a water bottle, greasing a sandwich or putting on an ordinary jumper, can later become important for the assessment.
• Have important documents ready: It is also helpful to have all medical history documents at hand. Ideally, you should make copies for the MDK. In addition to doctor's letters, this includes X-ray or MRI images, medication schedules or discharge reports from previous hospital stays.
• Get help: If you feel uncertain, you can also get help from the care support centres before an assessment. In some cases, they will even come on the day of the assessment. In case of doubt, they can also give you advice on what you should pay special attention to in your particular case for the assessment.

Do not leave your relative alone when the MDK comes for a home visit. Your father may be too proud to admit to a stranger that he can no longer find his way to the toilet on his own. Or your mother is ashamed that she can no longer dress herself appropriately. You are important in this situation - because you know about the problems in everyday life and can positively influence the situation accordingly.

But: If you have already internalised that your loved one can no longer do some things, then you may tend to automatically help him. If he is thirsty and reaches for the water bottle, you may take it from his hand without being asked to open it for him. Or you excuse him when he has to do something he can no longer do. "You don't have to do that now, it's not that important." Be clear: If the assessor does not experience live what your relative can and cannot do within an hour on site, then no realistic picture will emerge. Allow the assessor to see how well or badly some things work. Only then can he or she correctly assess where help is needed.