The new care law

Law: The new Nursing Law

25/08/2014

On 4 July, the Bundestag deliberated on the first of two nursing laws in its first reading. The aim of the law is to improve the situation in the care. It provides improvements for people in need of care, their relatives and carers as of 01/01/2015.

The need for care is high in Germany. 2.6 million people are in need of care in Germany, 64% of whom are women, and 70% of all people in need of care are cared for at home. 1 million claims for long-term care were made in 2013 alone. The benefits of nursing care insurance in 2013 amounted to 24.33 billion euros.

Dementia is a major challenge in this context. 40,000 dementias are added every year in Germany, and by 2030 there will probably be 2.2 million people with dementia in Germany.

Against this background, an adjustment of the legal situation is certainly urgently necessary. Information on the background and innovations of the law can be found on the website of the Ministry of Health. (Pm)