Dementia sufferers continue to fall through the grid

Social Association: Dementia sufferers continue to fall through the grid

03/28/2012

The President of the Social Association VdK Germany, Ulrike Mascher, describes as disappointing the bill passed today by the Federal Cabinet on the reorientation of long-term care insurance. "The measures contained therein are far from sufficient to sustainably support those in need of care and their dependents," said the VdK president.

Above all, the basic disadvantage of many people with dementia who, according to the current legal situation, are often considered not to be in need of care would hardly change as a result of the small increase in benefits planned for 2013. "Dementia sufferers continue to fall through the grid during the assessment by the Medical Service.The rapid implementation of a new need for long-term care is the only way to end the unequal treatment of dementia patients in the system of long-term care insurance," said Mascher. According to the VdK President, since 2009 there has been a new five-level concept of long-term care, which also takes account of the actual care and nursing needs of dementia patients. "Unused, already 3 years have passed and we finally need this new system of care levels, so that in addition to physical and mental-mental impairments are taken into account and the dementia patients have access to benefits from the statutory long-term care insurance," Mascher continued.

As "half-hearted" Mascher also described the plan that the care allowance should not be reduced completely, but only by half when taking short-term or preventive care. "For financial reasons, this will continue to discourage family carers from accepting relief offers," said the VdK president. "The promotion of relief offers should be much clearer, because time-outs are essential for family caregivers".

The VdK also continues to insist on better pension rights for people caring for their relatives at home. "Anyone who decides to work for a relative as a worker should not be afraid to get into old-age poverty later on," says Mascher.

The voluntary additional private long-term care insurance planned for the financing of the care rejects the VdK. "In particular, it puts older people and people with disabilities at a disadvantage, who have little money left over to provide for their private needs," says Mascher. Instead, the VdK demands a solidarity settlement between private and statutory long-term care insurance. The annual billions in private nursing care insurance could be used to fund dementia services. (Michael Pausder)