Kurzzeitpflege benefits for children with disabilities

Who is entitled to Kurzzeitpflege (short-term care) for children?

• Children with disabilities who have been assigned a care level (Pflegegrad) from 2 to 5.

• Children without a care level or with care level 1 can receive short-term care via the health insurance fund, especially after a hospital stay or in exceptional, justified situations.

What financial benefits are available?

• Maximum duration: up to 8 weeks (56 days) per year.

• Annual amount: up to EUR 1,774, covered by the nursing care fund (Pflegekasse) or the health insurance fund.

• Combination option: any unused amount from Verhinderungspflege (replacement care when the main carer is unavailable) can be transferred to Kurzzeitpflege, increasing the maximum total to EUR 3,539 per year. (pflege.de, querleben.de, lumiastiftung.de)

How do you apply?

• For children with Pflegegrad 2–5: the application is submitted to the nursing care fund (Pflegekasse).

• For children without a care level or with Pflegegrad 1: the application is submitted to the health insurance fund.

• In some federal states, such as North Rhine-Westphalia, applications can also be made via services of social participation and integration support (Eingliederungshilfe). (sozialversicherung-kompetent.de, de.wikipedia.org)

What additional costs may arise?

• Accommodation and meals: in some cases, parents may have to pay for accommodation and meals themselves, but these costs can often be covered – at least in part – through benefits from integration assistance (Eingliederungshilfe).

• Transport: some providers, such as LWL, cover transport costs to and from short-term care facilities. (serviceportal.lwl.org)

Examples of organisations offering Kurzzeitpflege:

• Querleben: provides short-term care services for children with disabilities and supports families in preparing and submitting applications.

• Caritas Zentrum: offers temporary care for children with disabilities in a supportive, protective environment.

Important tips:

• Plan ahead: due to high demand, it is strongly recommended to plan early and contact facilities well in advance.

• Seek advice: you can make use of free counselling services at care advice centres or by phone to obtain detailed information tailored to your situation.

The editorial team of this website strives to provide accurate information based on thorough research and multiple sources. Nevertheless, errors may occur or information may be incomplete or not entirely up to date. Please regard the information in this article as an initial point of reference and always contact the competent authorities or specialist counselling services for binding, up-to-date information.