Sudden need for care and assistance

An accident or illness can necessitate care or nursing of a relative irrespective of his age. Such a situation can strike out of the blue, necessitating major lifestyle adjustments.

In these cases the provision of care and/or nursing has top priority! In a worst-case scenario your relative may need to move into a care facility or hospice. Urgent and far-reaching decisions, which often call for quick action under time pressure, can cause emotional exhaustion. We thus recommend that you seek expert advice and support. It can also be helpful to consult close family members and friends on all further steps.

We recommend you consider the following criteria before making a decision:

• Your own ideas and needs
• The patient's wishes
• Care and nursing requirements, for example, which Pflegestufe (standard German care level classification) is necessary, mobilty, etc.
• Independent test criteria for care facilities, for example, from sources such as health care providers or consumer associations.

You should carefully compare and review all care options and facilities to ensure that the interests of all involved and affected persons are taken into account.

The City of Hamburg provides a large number of brochures about care options at home, stationary care, and hospices on its website.