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Determining eligibility for long-term care-lessons from Germany
Andreas Büscher1, Klaus Wingenfeld, Doris Schaeffer
1Institute of Nursing Science at the University of Bielefeld, PO Box 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld, Germany; University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück, Faculty of Business Administration and Social Sciences, PO Box 1940, D-49009 Osnabrück, Germany.
Objectives:
This paper addresses recent steps for reforming the eligibility criteria of the German long-term care insurance that have been initiated to overcome shortcomings in the current system.
Methods:
Based on findings of a survey of international long-term care systems, assessment tools and the relevant literature on care needs a new tool for determining eligibility in the German long-term care insurance was developed.
Results:
The new tool for determining long-term care eligibility broadens the understanding of what 'dependency on nursing care' implies for the person affected. The assessment results in a degree of dependency from personal help provided by formal or informal caregivers. This degree of dependency can be used for determining eligibility for and the amount of long-term care benefits.
Discussion:
The broader understanding of 'dependency on nursing care' and the new tool are important steps to adapt the German long-term care insurance to the challenges of the demographic and societal changes in the future.
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