If you receive home care and your caregiver is unavailable or the care situation changes at short notice, we will provide financial support.
What is the Difference between Short-Term Care and Respite Care?
Short-term care takes place in an approved inpatient care facility if home care is not yet possible or no longer possible. Respite care is provided when the caregiver is temporarily unavailable or prevented, and the person receiving care is cared for at home.
Short-term care
If home care cannot be arranged or is not possible (e.g., in the case of a short-term discharge from the hospital), you will receive round-the-clock care at an approved short-term care facility. Half of the care allowance will continue to be paid during this time.
Prerequisites:
- A care level of 2 to 5 exists.
- The caregiver is unavailable due to vacation or illness.
Find a Care Facility:
You can find approved long-term care facilities in the BKK Care Finder.
Apply for Short-Term Care:
You can easily submit an application for short-term care in our online office.
Respite Care
If you receive home care and your caregiver is temporarily unavailable, you can utilize respite care.
If your caregiver is unavailable for less than eight hours a day (e.g., for a hairdresser or doctor’s appointment), you can claim respite care on an hourly basis. You will continue to receive the full care allowance.
If your caregiver is unavailable for eight hours or more a day (e.g., due to vacation), respite care can be claimed on a daily basis. During this period, the care allowance will continue to be paid at half the rate.
Prerequisites:
- A care level of 2 to 5 exists.
- The caregiver is unavailable due to vacation, illness, or personal appointments.
Who Can Provide Respite Care?
- Substitute caregivers such as relatives or acquaintances
- Outpatient care services
- Nursing home
You can find outpatient care services and nursing homes in the BKK Care Finder.
Apply for Respite Care:
You can easily submit an application for respite care through our online office.
Which Costs Do We Cover for You?
For short-term and respite care, there is a combined annual amount of €3,539 for up to eight weeks per year. This can be used freely and flexibly for both services.
The following table shows the extent to which we cover the costs for each type of care and how billing is carried out.
| Type of care | Cost coverage | Maximum amount* | Billing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inpatient facility | The care costs are covered. You bear the costs for accommodation and meals yourself. We recommend that you request a written offer with all costs from the inpatient facility. | €3,539 annually | The inpatient facility bills us directly for the incurred care costs. |
| Outpatient care service | The incurred costs are covered up to the maximum amount. | €3,539 annually | If you provide the care service with an assignment of claim, it can bill us directly. |
| Substitute caregiver (Relatives and in-laws up to the second degree**) | The amount paid to the substitute caregiver for the care provided. | Up to twice the amount of the care allowance for the respective care level. In addition, we cover transportation costs or lost earnings if they arise in connection with respite care. We require proof of these expenses. The total maximum amount is €3,539 per year. | After submitting the respite care billing form in the online office, we will reimburse you for the costs. |
| Substitute caregiver (Friends, neighbors) | The amount paid to the substitute caregiver for the care provided. | €3,539 annually | After submitting the respite care billing form in the online office, we will reimburse you for the costs. |
*If you have already claimed benefits this year, the maximum amount will be reduced accordingly.
**Parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, stepparents, stepchildren, step-grandchildren, parents-in-law, children-in-law, grandchildren-in-law, spouses’ grandparents, step-grandparents, brother-in-law or sister-in-law
