Elderly care, geriatric care

Short-term care (the Birkenfeld district administration / social welfare office is the responsible contact)


Short-term care provides temporary, fully inpatient care and support for people in need of care who would otherwise be cared for and looked after at home. This can relieve family members and caregivers of the burden of care, allowing them to take a vacation and relax. In other cases, illness-related or other absences of relatives or caregivers can be bridged. Hospital stays can be avoided or shortened under certain circumstances. Short-term care is also conceivable for aftercare following a serious illness.
In individual cases, short-term care can also be used to explore the inpatient atmosphere in order to prepare for or facilitate necessary admission to a home.

Day care (contact person is the Birkenfeld district administration / social welfare office)


Day care is ideal for maintaining the relative independence of older people in need of care. It creates free space for relatives and helps to relieve the burden on family carers. Social counseling and care, supplemented by medical, therapeutic and nursing services, often leads to the activation and rehabilitation of older people.
Day care is a form of care and support for older people that can be conceptually classified between home care and full inpatient care. Elderly people in need of care are only in a facility during the day, on some or all days of the week. Care and support during the night, in the morning and evening and, if necessary, at weekends, is provided elsewhere in the home environment.

Full inpatient long-term care (responsible contact is the Birkenfeld district administration / social welfare office)


This institutionalized form of living and care is characterized by drastic changes in a person's life circumstances. When determining the form of housing according to the residents' need for help and care, as well as in the classification of independent and non-independent forms of housing, there are types of homes that are classified as residential homes for the elderly, homes for the elderly and nursing homes for the elderly.
On the one hand, it is problematic to differentiate between them, as they often occur in combined form and do not always differ clearly in their functions.

The only form of housing that can be legally excluded is assisted living. It does not fall under the scope of the Nursing Homes Act, but is increasingly taking on the function of a residential home for the elderly.

Residential homes for the elderly


Residential homes for the elderly offer a high level of independent living with a relatively low level of care. It is a group of self-contained apartments whose layout, equipment and furnishings take into account the special needs of older people.
The aim is to enable residents to lead an independent life for as long as possible. If necessary, it is the organizational responsibility of the provider to ensure meals, care and support. However, the care and support options offered should not restrict the independence of the resident's lifestyle.

Retirement homes


Retirement homes are designed for older people who do not run their own household. They receive accommodation, meals and care there. In contrast to a retirement home, residents of a retirement home therefore give up some of their independence by losing their own household management.
However, retirement homes offer extensive freedom of movement thanks to apartment-like individual areas and communal rooms.

Nursing homes for the elderly


Nursing homes for the elderly provide comprehensive nursing, care and support for people in need of care and the chronically ill. In terms of their facilities, equipment and staffing, nursing homes for the elderly are designed to maintain or improve physical, mental and social abilities.
In addition to its standard services, in particular basic care and general care, the nursing home for the elderly must recognize and meet individual needs with regard to the range of services covering all life requirements.

 

see also

Assisted living

Care allowance - checklist and entitlement

Care courses for relatives

Long-term care insurance