According to the German Association of Nursing Homes (VDEK), the cost of living in a nursing home has increased to an average of € 3.248 ($ 3.760) through the month, which represents the interests of many state insurance providers. This is a crippled amount for many Germans, given that the average pension in Germany is around € 1,100 per month.
The German Health Minister Nina Workon (CDU) believes that there is an immediate requirement for the improvement of long -term care insurance. “The gap between income and expenditure has now changed dramatically. It may not continue,” he told the newspapers of the Funche media group.
Statutory long -term care insurance has been part of the German social system for 30 years, as part of a compulsory insurance policy shared by employers and employees. Currently, 3.6% income is due to this contribution. However, long -term care insurance includes only a part of the costs. Residents of about three nursing homes depend on welfare payments to complement their income.
Beat Linz-Euser, Managing Director of EricaV Senior Citizens Center in Hilladen, Northern Rhine-Westfelia, said DW reported that his convenience was very unknown among the residents.
“Thesis constant care cost is a heavy burden for our residents,” she said. “Then there is a constant fear of knowing how long their own income or property will suffer to cover the cost.” Residents should contribute to the cost of care with their income or savings.
More old people, rising costs
The average life expectancy is growing for German men, currently 79 years for men and 84 years for women. In December 2023, according to the Federal Statistical Office, about 5.7 million people require care, a number that is expected to sunlight up to 37% by 2055 due to aging population.
Around 85% of elderly people are taken care of at home by relatives and outpatient care assistants. Nursing Care Insurance Fund pays them below € 350 and € 990 depending on the level of necessary care.
However, many people require care in the nursing home, where the costs have increased rapidly over the years.
Children only need to contribute to their parents’ care cost if their annual gross income € 100,000 €. This does not apply to most people, as the average annual income in Germany is approximately € 55,000.
Back in 2018, careful house residents had to pay only € 1.772 per month. Health care economist Hanz Rothgang stated that growth can mainly be explained by two factors: “Long, nursing was a poor payment profession. But in the last 10 years, in the last 10 years, the nursing has doubled faster than the rest of the economy,” he told DW. It has been added that there is an increase in the number of nursing staff in care homes.
Care home residents have to pay not only to care, rooms and boards, but also for maintenance and nursing training. Out of € 3.248 in nursing care costs, it is an account for € 1.488. And all thesis costs continue to increase.
Linz-ASen is particularly angry that about half of the monthly fee goes into training and maintenance. “It is unacceptable that the residents have to pay for the training of nursing staff,” he said. “And the cost of investment – in hospitals, the state or federal government is included. Our residents will also have to pay for it.”
Over the years, however, out-of-packet costs that people with care have to be paid, reduced, makes staches in a nursing home gradually makes less expensive for individual residents. But the system is on the verge of collapse.
What is the solution?
Health Minister Waraken wants to set up a reform commission to come up with a plan. This year and next, the federal government will pay € 2 billion in long -term care insurance. But taxpayers’ money will only help in short -term.
Rothgang has two proposals for a fundamental improvement: “An alternative system has to introduce tax revenue, federal subsidies that have already been found in pension and health insurance,” he said.
“Another possibility will be that people to pay more, to receive people with high income.
Federal Audit Office is feeling the alarm, predicting a financial decrease for the current system of more than € 12 billion by 2029.
This article was original in German.
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