Determining eligibility for long-term care - lessons from Germany
<strong>Objectives:</strong> This paper addresses recent steps for reforming the eligibility criteria of the German long-term care insurance that have been initiated to overcome shortcomings in the current system.<p><strong>Methods:</strong> Based on findings of a surve...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Ubiquity Press
2011-06-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Integrated Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ijic.org/index.php/ijic/article/view/584 |
| Summary: | <strong>Objectives:</strong> This paper addresses recent steps for reforming the eligibility criteria of the German long-term care insurance that have been initiated to overcome shortcomings in the current system.<p><strong>Methods:</strong> Based on findings of a survey of international long-term care systems, assessment tools and the relevant literature on care needs a new tool for determining eligibility in the German long-term care insurance was developed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The new tool for determining long-term care eligibility broadens the understanding of what ‚dependency on nursing care' implies for the person affected. The assessment results in a degree of dependency from personal help provided by formal or informal caregivers. This degree of dependency can be used for determining eligibility for and the amount of long-term care benefits.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Discussion:</strong> The broader understanding of "dependency on nursing care' and the new tool are important steps to adapt the German long-term care insurance to the challenges of the demographic and societal changes in the future</p> |
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| ISSN: | 1568-4156 |