DRC Insists on Recognition of Own Equity in Nursing Homes

Gerda Hasselfeldt, President of the German Red Cross (DRK), advocates for imposing a limit on individual payments due to escalating nursing home expenses.

, and Administrator

2025 September 12 . 8:29 AM

2 min read

DRC insists on inclusion of their shares in nursing homes' media coverage

DRC Insists on Recognition of Own Equity in Nursing Homes

In a recent statement to the Funke media group's Sunday editions, Gerda Hasselfeldt, President of the German Red Cross (DRK), has advocated for a system change to address the growing costs in nursing homes.

Hasselfeldt described this development as critical, stating, "Care is becoming a poverty trap." She pointed out that the monthly self-payments in the first year of home care have exceeded the 3,000 euro mark on average nationwide, according to an analysis by the Association of Health Insurers.

To address this issue, Hasselfeldt proposed a system where care-dependent people would pay a fixed, calculable co-payment for their care. The nursing care insurance and the state would cover the additional costs, using the "floor-ceiling swap" principle. However, the proposal does not specify how this principle would be implemented in practice.

Hasselfeldt also proposed to fix the rent for nursing home residents at 560 euros. This proposal aims to prevent price increases in care from being passed on to care-dependent people without restriction.

The number of care-dependent people has doubled in the past 20 years, according to Hasselfeldt. She also highlighted that the number of care professionals has remained largely stagnant, which, combined with labor shortages and financing problems, has led some nursing homes to dismantle beds, close departments, and even go bankrupt.

Despite these challenges, the proposal does not mention any potential impact on the overall healthcare budget or the funding of nursing home care. Hasselfeldt did not specify a maximum height for the proposed co-payment.

Hasselfeldt predicts that demographic change will further exacerbate the problem in nursing homes. She emphasised that the proposal suggests that the self-payment of those affected would be predictable and no longer open-ended.

The proposal is in response to growing costs in nursing homes. Hasselfeldt's statements underscore the urgent need for action to ensure affordable and accessible care for the growing number of care-dependent individuals in Germany.