Society - Care assessments - alternatives to home visits in demand
In view of demographic change, the Berlin-Brandenburg Medical Service is also looking at alternatives to home visits when assessing the need for care. For example, structured telephone interviews are being used and video assessments are currently being tested in a project, the Medical Service announced in response to a dpa query. "Online questionnaires for insured persons and relatives help us to obtain important information quickly." In future, further measures will have to be examined, such as streamlining care assessments, supporting assessors with assistants and the use of artificial intelligence in the preparation of assessments.
According to a forecast, Berlin is already facing a significant increase in the number of people in need of care in the coming years. With around 185,500 people in need of care in the capital at the end of 2021, this figure is expected to rise to at least around 205,000 by 2030, according to calculations by the Senate Department responsible for care at the beginning of December. For the period 2021 to 2030, this corresponds to a relative increase of a good ten percent. By 2040, a further but smaller increase is expected, to at least around 208,000 people in need of care.
Waiting times for assessments for applicants in Berlin in the first half of 2023 have approached pre-pandemic levels. This is according to statistics from the Medical Service. According to the statistics, it took an average of 29.5 days from receipt of the care application to notification of an appointment by the middle of the year - this normally includes 10 to 14 days for advance notice, it said. In 2022 as a whole, Berlin applicants had to wait around 55 days on average, and around 40 days in 2021. In 2019, it was around 29 days. "We currently have an order backlog that is assessed on time over 99 percent of the time," the Medical Service announced.
When an application for care services is submitted to the care insurance fund, the Medical Service is commissioned to draw up an expert opinion. Specially trained nursing staff or doctors check, for example, how mobile the person is, how well they can communicate and care for themselves and what they need help with. This involves classification into one of the five care categories. The decision as to whether someone is entitled to receive benefits is made by the care insurance fund.
Medical Service Berlin-Brandenburg on the subject of care assessments
Read also:
- A clan member is punished here
- Traffic lawyer warns: Don't talk to the police!
- Will he be convicted as Jutta's murderer after 37 years?
- He also wanted to kill his cousin
In the context of rising demand for care services, long-term care insurance providers might consider incorporating appraisals conducted through video assessments, as seen in ongoing projects like the one in Berlin-Brandenburg. To effectively manage the increasing need for care, nursing professions may need to explore innovations in nursing techniques and long-term care insurance policies to better address the growing number of individuals requiring care. By the turn of the year 2030, Berlin is projected to witness a 10% increase in its population in need of care, calling for timely and efficient appraisals and long-term care solutions.
Source: www.stern.de
