Caregivers Need More Support, Bavaria’s Health Minister Says

Family caregivers should receive more relief, Bavarian Health Minister Judith Gerlach said ahead of the Day of Family Caregivers on Sept. 8.

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Many people want to remain in familiar surroundings despite needing care. This wish can often be fulfilled through the commitment of relatives.

“Many people want to remain in familiar surroundings despite needing care. This wish can often be fulfilled through the commitment of relatives,” Gerlach said. She added that caregiving can place a heavy burden on families, which is why Bavaria offers a range of support services.

According to ministry figures, about 83% of the roughly 630,000 people needing care in Bavaria receive care at home. The state’s “Care in the Local Social Environment” program supports the expansion of short-term, day and overnight care places. Since the program began in 2020, Bavaria has funded 10,471 places with €486.6 million.

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A positive approach, for example, is the plan to support people needing care and their relatives through stronger professional guidance.

The state also supports care centers where people can receive free information about caregiving. Bavaria now has 59 such centers. In addition, around 3,860 recognized services offer specialized help with dementia, support for home care and relief for family caregivers.

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It is also important to create better ways to bridge unforeseen situations.

Gerlach backed stronger professional guidance for people needing care and their relatives in the federal government’s current reform plans. She also called for better temporary arrangements in unexpected situations. She welcomed Health Minister Carsten Linnemann’s intention to drop planned reductions in pension entitlements for family caregivers, saying Bavaria had pushed for that correction.

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It is also good that the new federal health minister, Carsten Linnemann, intends to forgo the reductions in pension entitlements for family caregivers that had been planned so far.