Living with Disability

Many of those who are in need of care prefer to be cared for at home instead of moving into a nursing home or retirement residence. Living at home means you can be looked after by relatives or a nursing service (or both) and stay in your familiar environment. Caring for someone at home is called "outpatient care" ("Ambulante Pflege") or "home care" ("häusliche Pflege").

The so-called long-term care insurance ("Pflegekasse") partly bears the costs of home care, provided that you are covered by one, and they have determined your need for long-term care. You can read more about the issue in our chapter "Nursing Care System".

Here, we explain your rights as a patient who wants to be cared for at home. Furthermore, if you are a caregiver, keep reading to learn what rights you have as the provider of care for a loved one.

Many only think of people in wheelchairs when it comes to disabilities. However, disability is multifaceted and there are also invisible disabilities. Learning difficulties, chronic and mental illnesses, for example, can also be considered disabilities. It does not matter if the disability is something with which the individual is born or a condition caused by an accident or illness. On this page, you can learn more about the rights and aid possibilities for people with disabilities in Germany. 

Arriving in Germany and going through prolonged asylum procedures is difficult for all refugees, but asylum seekers with disabilities face even more challenges. Here you can learn more about your rights and opportunities as a refugee with disabilities in Germany.

You can find general information about living with a disability in Germany and available support options in our chapter "Living with disability".