[Need for intensive disability care. Part 3: Classification of nursing care stages--relation to time requirements]

The proviso "a requirement for constant intensive care" in almost all "care-requirement situations" is an extremely strict criterion. It may even exclude some people with an extremely urgent need of care--for example if some of these situations completely fail to apply. In practice, a less strict criterion needs to be applied if the intended sociopolitical aims are to be achieved. On the basis of our experience of the actual situation presenting, orientation to the time-requirement for the services needed in the individual case is recommended as the basis for an assessment of Schwerpflegebedürftigkeit. A minimum requirement of a daily "bodily" care need of about two hours would appear to be necessary. However, an analysis of time requirement must be supplemented by an evaluation of the overall situation.