Ambulant care

and Martina Feichter, medical editor and biologist

Martina Feichter studied biology with an elective subject pharmacy in Innsbruck and also immersed herself in the world of medicinal plants. From there it was not far to other medical topics that still captivate her to this day. She trained as a journalist at the Axel Springer Academy in Hamburg and has been working for since 2007 - first as an editor and since 2012 as a freelance writer.

More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.

Outpatient care (mobile care) enables many people in need of care to continue to live in their own home. For example, it provides help with dressing and undressing, washing, cleaning the apartment or organizing leisure time. Read more about the tasks of outpatient care (home care), costs and subsidies from long-term care insurance!

What is outpatient care?

Many people in need of care who live in their homes are supported by outpatient care - either because relatives cannot cope with home care at all or cannot cope on their own. The term “mobile care” is occasionally used for “outpatient care”.

Outpatient care: duties

Outpatient care provides home care help (in kind) in various areas:

• Body-related care measures (such as help with bathing or showering, combing, eating, caring for teeth and nails, using the toilet, getting up, lying down, dressing and undressing, climbing stairs, etc.)
• Nursing support measures (such as help with coping with and designing everyday life, for example walks, help with writing letters, leisure activities, games)
• Help with housekeeping (e.g. cleaning the apartment)
• Advice to those in need of care and their relatives on questions about care, help in arranging auxiliary services (such as meals on wheels), organizing transport services or ambulance services

Under certain conditions, outpatient care can also include home care. This includes, for example, administering medication, giving injections, treating wounds, checking blood sugar or measuring blood pressure.

Outpatient care: costs

“What does an outpatient care service cost?” This is a very important question for most people in need of care and their relatives. This is because long-term care insurance only pays part of the costs - how much depends on the level of care required by the person in need of care. The remaining amount must be paid privately.

How high the total costs of outpatient care are depends primarily on what services the outpatient care service provides and how often it comes to the house.

Outpatient care: choosing the provider

The care funds provide an overview of approved care services as well as service and price comparison lists free of charge. You can also find outpatient care providers in your area in the yellow pages. Many outpatient care services are operated by churches and charities, others are purely private companies.

Since not only the offer, but also the quality of outpatient care differs depending on the provider, you should carefully examine the options available before deciding on a service. In addition, outpatient care is a very intimate situation. It is therefore crucial that the person in need of care feels that they are in good hands.

You should consider the following points when choosing an outpatient care service:

• How many permanent specialists and assistants does the company employ?
• Can the nursing service provide all the help required, including, for example, medical prescriptions?
• Are the assignments of the nursing staff based on the normal daily routine of the person in need of care?
• Does the service work together with other facilities, for example with day-care facilities?
• Is an individually adapted care plan drawn up for outpatient care and discussed with the relatives?

During the initial meeting with outpatient nursing staff, make sure that you like the people and that the staff respond to questions and requests. If you have a bad feeling or if the cost estimate for outpatient care seems too high, you should look at other care services.

Prevention care

Providing outpatient care for a relative does not mean that you have to be fully operational 365 days a year. In the event of illness or when you go on your well-deserved vacation, you can apply for so-called preventive care (substitute care) for the person in need of care for up to six weeks a year.

That means: On request, the long-term care insurance grants a certain amount per calendar year for alternative outpatient care. This can be done, for example, by an outpatient nursing service, an employed carer, a neighbor or distant relative.

However, you are only entitled to preventive care if you have been providing home care for at least six months and the person in need of care is assigned at least care level 2.

food on wheels

Many people in need of care who receive outpatient care at home are no longer able to cook. Even caring relatives often do not have enough time to do an additional job. To ensure that the person in need of care regularly receives varied meals, a menu delivery service, better known as "Meals on Wheels", can be commissioned. This is a service provided by social stations, other social institutions, aid organizations or charities. Ready meals are delivered to the house - when and how often is agreed with the provider. In principle, you can choose between delivering ready-to-serve, warm-up or frozen food from many suppliers.

There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a meal service:

• Order the menus from different providers. What is on offer and how many choices do you have?
• Are special diets / preparations also offered (low-salt, gluten-free, pureed, etc.)? Can you also order drinks?
• Order a sample menu. Do you and the patient like it and does it meet your needs?
• Can you also heat the meal in the microwave in the supplied dishes?
• How does the order work? Can you cancel or reorder afterwards?
• Is there a permanent contact whom you can turn to?
• How long are ready-to-serve meals kept warm beforehand?
• Can the meals be delivered at the requested time?
• Do you also receive deliveries on weekends and public holidays? Are there any additional costs?
• What prices does the provider charge for the menus and what payment options are offered to you?

The cost of a menu is usually between 4.50 and 7 euros. Therefore, a price comparison is worthwhile. Those who cannot afford “food on wheels” or can only afford it with difficulty should ask for a subsidy from the senior citizens' or social welfare office.

By the way: "Meals on wheels" can also be useful for people who do not need outpatient care, but want to have ready-made meals temporarily delivered after an accident or illness.

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