📞 Advice and contact points for family carers
In brief
As a family carer you don't have to clarify all questions alone. Every person in need of care is entitled to individual care counselling (Pflegeberatung) from the care insurance fund; care support centres (Pflegestützpunkte) bring together local information on care, social and other help services. Both services are expressly aimed at family carers too.
Step by step
- Request care counsellingRequest individual care counselling under § 7a SGB XI from your relative's care insurance fund – the entitlement exists from the time of application if a need for help is apparent.
- Visit a care support centreContact a care support centre near you for local counselling, across all providers, on care, social and rehabilitation services.
- Use the care helplineThe nationwide care helpline of the Federal Ministry of Health offers initial orientation by phone if you do not yet have a fixed contact person.
- Specialist advice on legal questionsFor employment-law questions (protection against dismissal, part-time work), turn to a trade union, the works council or a specialist employment lawyer; for maintenance-law questions, to a specialist family law lawyer.
- Involve welfare organisationsCaritas, Diakonie, AWO, DRK and the Paritätischer offer their own, often free counselling services specifically for family carers in many places.
Deadlines
- Care counselling under § 7a SGB XI is free of charge for the person in need of care and their relatives – an entitlement which, according to the available sources, is in practice not always offered actively but often granted only on request.
- Care support centres do not exist in every municipality with the same density; actual accessibility varies by region.
- This page deliberately gives no individual telephone numbers or web addresses of advice centres, as these can change – use the search of the care insurance fund or the municipal senior citizens' advice service to find the office responsible for you.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
Care counselling (§ 7a SGB XI)
Since 1 January 2009, every insured person has been entitled to individual counselling from the care insurance fund, in particular to draw up a care plan with the social benefits and health-promoting, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and other medical and care services required in the individual case. The entitlement exists as soon as an application for benefits has been made and a need for help and counselling is apparent – regardless of the outcome of the care level assessment.
Care support centres (§ 7c SGB XI)
Care support centres are local contact points, across all providers, for insured persons and their relatives. They inform, coordinate and arrange help and support services locally, regardless of the specific funding body. The establishment of care support centres is the responsibility of the federal states, which is why facilities and accessibility vary by region.
Other contact points
For employment-law questions, trade unions, works and staff councils and specialist employment lawyers are responsible. For maintenance-law questions (parental maintenance), specialist family law lawyers and the local social welfare offices are points of contact. Welfare organisations often additionally offer free or low-cost psychosocial counselling specifically for family carers.
A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.