Palliative care involves comprehensive care for people with incurable, progressive and advanced illnesses who also have a limited life expectancy.

Hospice and palliative care is usually associated with many questions. In addition to the choice of possible services, the selection of suitable outpatient or inpatient services is also very important in order to lead as self-determined a life as possible until the end. If you have statutory health insurance, you are entitled to individual advice and assistance on hospice and palliative care services.

Inpatient hospices

An inpatient hospice is a facility where people receive medical and nursing care until they die. In order to provide a peaceful environment, small facilities with a maximum of 16 places are required.

You can only be admitted to a hospice on the basis of a medical statement. This must include a diagnosis and the need for hospice care. You can obtain forms for the application procedure from your health insurance company.

If approved, the health insurance companies pay a subsidy for inpatient hospice stays amounting to 95 percent of the daily requirement rate agreed with the respective hospice. 5 percent of the costs are covered by donations. There is no personal contribution.

Before admission to the hospice can take place, the declaration of cost coverage by the health insurance company should already be available in writing. As time is usually of the essence here, the statutory health insurance companies endeavor to keep the processing time as short as possible so that admission to an inpatient hospice can take place quickly.

The transfer from a nursing home to a hospice can only take place if the person in need of care can no longer be adequately cared for.

Outpatient hospice services

Outpatient hospice services support and accompany people in the last phase of their lives in their own homes, in inpatient care facilities, in facilities providing integration assistance for people with disabilities and in child and youth welfare facilities. However, they do not take on any nursing or medical activities. The services are free of charge.

Outpatient hospice services are not "service providers" in the healthcare sector, such as nursing services, nursing homes or clinics. They are dependent on donations. The majority of services are provided on a voluntary basis. Health insurance funds support outpatient hospice services on application: In addition to personnel costs, funding for outpatient hospice services also covers material costs, such as travel costs for volunteers.