Have you found a suitable care home and is there even a place available in a comfortable living area? Then nothing stands in the way of signing the care home contract. It is important to check it carefully beforehand, as it is the legal basis for your stay in the facility – and you may also be worried about overlooking something important.
Fortunately, the legislator has taken precautions here: the Residential and Nursing Care Act (WBVG) regulates many consumer-friendly agreements. If clauses in the care home contract deviate from this to the detriment of the resident, they are invalid. The law also specifies what must be included in the contract. Important: the care home is obliged to provide clear information about the offer at an early stage before the contract is signed, thus ensuring transparency. According to the consumer advice center, this information must not be missing:
Art, Inhalt und Umfang von Pflege- und Betreuungsleistungen,
detaillierte Beschreibung über Lage und Ausstattung der Einrichtung (z.B. Anzahl der Zimmer,Größe des eigenen Zimmers, Gemeinschaftsräume und deren Nutzungsbedingungen),
eingebrachte Sachen (Möbel, Elektrogeräte etc.) und Haftung,
aufgeschlüsselte Kosten nach Wohnraum, Verpflegung, Pflege- und Betreuungsleistung sowie Investitionskosten,
Ergebnisse aus den Qualitätsprüfungen durch den Medizinischen Dienst der Krankenkassen (MDK),
die Kontaktdaten der zuständigen Beschwerdestelle,
Details über Abwesenheiten: Generell müssen Pflegeeinrichtungen die Kosten für Pflege, Unterkunft und Verpflegung nach WBVG ab dem vierten Tag der Abwesenheit um mindestens 25 Prozent reduzieren.The contract itself must also contain these individual services and clearly present the costs. “If the contractor deviates in one or more points from the information you received in advance, they must clearly mark this,” says the consumer advice center.
Make sure you have your care home contract checked in advance! Professional help is available for a fee of 60 euros, for example from the Federal Interest Group for the Elderly and People in Need of Care.
Price increases are only permitted if the calculation basis changes and the operator justifies the necessity in writing. They must also offer to adjust the contract if the resident needs more or different care at a later date, unless the resident agrees in writing that certain services will not be provided. If you waive extended services although the facility sees a need, this can lead to termination by the care facility.
You conclude a care home contract for an indefinite period. A time limit is only possible if it does not conflict with the interests of the resident, for example in the case of temporary
accommodation. You can terminate the contract up to the third working day of the current month; the contract then ends at the end of the month. During the first two weeks, you can terminate the contract at any time without notice and for good cause, such as inadequate care or price increases. If the resident dies, the contract ends immediately. The operator itself may only terminate the contract if, for example, it ceases operations or the resident fails to pay the full fee for more than two months.
Tip: If you are an authorized representative for the relative receiving care, you should make this clear, for example with “on behalf of”. Otherwise, you will be considered a contractual partner and the care home can claim money from you.
