Healthcare advocates call for increased financial support for patients
Numerous individuals provide care to their loved ones at home, a situation that offers immense relief to caregivers but can be quite challenging for those being taken care of, financially speaking. The German Patient Protection Foundation asserts that a government-funded "care permit" could be incredibly helpful in this regard.
The German Patient Protection Foundation insists on increased financial support for home-based care. Eugen Brysch, its chair, remarked during Carers’ Day on Sunday, "Without the taxing dedication of primarily female relatives, home care for the elderly would've disintegrated years ago." To enable the federal government to offer direct assistance, he urges an immediate and statewide increase in the care allowance by €300. This would alleviate the pressure caused by the escalating cost of living. For working Adults, a tax-financed "care allowance" is necessary and long overdue, similar to the parental allowance for parents following the birth of a child.
A reform instituted by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach earlier this year already provides relief for the four million individuals needing care at home. The care allowance, last augmented in 2017, has grown by 5%. It can be used independently, like homecare. If employees are obligated to care for close relatives and, as a result, are unable to go to work, they can submit an application for wage replacement benefit. This is now possible for up to ten workdays annually, previously only ten workdays per person in need of care were allowed.
Brysch took issue with the government's continued disregard for those requiring care at home and their relatives. "Ultimately, the government is shifting responsibility and burdens onto Germany's largest care service," he declared. Countless families are nearing their breaking point, emotionally, physically, and financially. As a result, a legally-enshrined entitlement to respite and short-term care is crucial to ensure that care is provided when relatives can't.
Read also:
- Year of climate records: extreme is the new normal
- Precautionary arrests show Islamist terror threat
- UN vote urges Israel to ceasefire
- SPD rules out budget resolution before the end of the year
In light of the challenges faced by individuals providing home care, Karl Lauterbach, the German Federal Minister of Health, supported a reform this year that increased the care allowance by 5%. To further alleviate the financial strain on families providing home care, Eugen Brysch from the German Patient Protection Foundation advocates for an increase in the care allowance by €300, which is overdue according to him, and falls under the jurisdiction of the Federal Ministry of Health.
Source: www.ntv.de
