Our services
Respite care
Temporary replacement care when a family caregiver is unavailable.
Who is this for?
Respite care is designed for families where relatives provide the care and are temporarily unavailable or simply need a break: for a holiday, a hospital stay of their own, regular afternoons off, or just to recharge. In the meantime, the familiar care continues at home, with no move and no disruption to daily life. Many family caregivers wait too long before allowing themselves any relief. Yet the fact is: caregivers who take regular breaks stay healthier over the long run. And the earlier the cover is planned, the calmer it feels for everyone involved.
What we take care of
Full-day cover You go on holiday and we take over the care completely, following the plan the person receiving care knows.
Relief by the hour your own doctor's appointment, a free afternoon, an evening with friends. Small, regular breaks sustain your strength over the years.
The familiar routine continues We take over the care just as it has settled in, from personal care to meals, adding companionship wherever personal attention is needed.
A thorough handover Before the first visit, we go through with you everything that matters, so none of the details that keep daily life running smoothly get lost.
Documentation for reimbursement We record each visit in exactly the format your care fund requires for reimbursement.
Works alongside existing services If we already provide your personal care or housekeeping, the team knows the household. Respite cover then slots in without lengthy explanations.
A smooth return When the cover ends, we hand everything back in good order, with a brief report on what happened and what comes next.
How it works
First conversation
Ideally, get in touch before it becomes urgent. We discuss, without obligation, what cover could look like.
Home visit & handover
We get to know your relative and the familiar routines, so the cover feels familiar too.
We take over
While you are away we provide dependable care, and hand back to you in good order afterwards.
For planned cover, it is best to get in touch early: we discuss the period, get to know the care situation and note down what the familiar daily routine needs, from getting up in the morning to the habits of the evening. The more concretely we know that routine, the calmer the cover runs. And if the caregiver is suddenly unavailable: as a rule we can also start at short notice. Just give us a call; we will tell you on the phone how quickly it can happen.
For the care fund you need the care grade decision letter and the caregiver's details; the application for respite care is made to your fund, and we help you fill it in. We document our visits exactly the way the fund needs them for reimbursement, and you receive the complete records from us. Whether hourly or full-day cover works out better for you under the offsetting rules is something we discuss before the first visit. That way the reimbursement stays transparent for you at every step.
The limits are part of the picture too: respite care is cover for a limited time, not round-the-clock care and no substitute for a care arrangement that holds up in the long run. Throughout, the long-term care insurance under SGB XI remains the responsible payer. If the joint annual budget for respite and short-term care is foreseeably not going to be enough, we say so early and think through with you which other routes the care fund opens up, before any gap appears.
Common questions about this service
From which care grade is respite care available?
As a rule, from care grade 2. With care grade 1, the relief amount can be used for hourly companionship instead. Your care fund will tell you what applies in your case; we are happy to help you sort through the options.
How quickly can you step in?
As a rule we can also step in at short notice, for example when the caregiver suddenly falls ill or after a hospital discharge. Just give us a call. For times you can plan ahead, such as holidays, the earlier you ask, the more likely we can secure your preferred dates, especially during the holiday weeks.
Does the caregiver actually have to be unavailable?
Rest explicitly counts as a valid reason. A holiday, personal appointments, illness, or simply the need to recharge: no one has to justify taking a break. Regular fixed time off, such as one free afternoon a week, can also be arranged through hourly cover.
Does the care allowance continue during respite care?
In part, yes, for a certain period; the exact rules depend on the duration and pattern of the cover. Your care fund provides binding information for your specific situation.
What is the difference between respite care and short-term care?
Respite care takes place at home, so the familiar surroundings stay the same. Short-term care is a temporary stay in a residential facility. Both draw on the same joint annual budget, which is why it pays to plan them together.
Your next step
Advice on this service
Planning some time off, or has the caregiver become unavailable? Give us a call: we will discuss how we can step in, with no obligation.
Or call us directly: 040 302 389 46