[Expert assessment for long-term care--starting point for comprehensive help in medical and social rehabilitation]

Based on the various definitions of people in need of constant care the authors describe the needs and chances of professional assessment in the process of financing care at home and in nursing homes. They stress the often neglected point of rehabilitation and plead for participation of social workers and nurses in the assessment process. The precarious situation for many relatives of people in need of care is pointed out. The authors come to the conclusion that public health offices in Germany should--as an important task in the future--concentrate more intensively on the actual problems of people in need of care and participate in local strategies to improve their living conditions.