If you care for a loved one and are temporarily absent due to vacation, illness or other reasons, you can apply for replacement care. These preventive care services are available to people in need of care at care levels 2 to 5 who are cared for at home.

Preventive care is not granted if the person in need of care – before the case of representation has occurred – was cared for exclusively by a nursing service.

Preventive care can be provided by an outpatient care service, or by a trusted person (relatives, friends, neighbors). Accommodation in an inpatient care facility is also possible.

If preventive care is taken over by persons who are not related to the person in need of care up to the second degree or in-law, and do not live with him in a home community, the nursing care fund bears the costs up to 1,612 euros per calendar year.

If close relatives who do not live in the household take over the substitute care, the amount taken over by the nursing care fund may not exceed 1.5 times the actual care allowance.

If necessary expenses of the substitute caregiver (for example, travel costs or loss of earnings) are added (proof required), the service can be increased to a total of 1,612 euros.

In addition to preventive care, up to 50 percent of the amount actually intended for short-term care (up to 806 euros in a calendar year) can be used for preventive care. This means that up to 2,418 euros per calendar year are available for preventive care.

People in need of care with care levels 2 to 5 can apply for preventive care for 6 weeks per calendar year.