Estimate a German care grade from the assessment criteria
The same questions the Medical Service asks, the same weighting as the law, and at the end not just a grade but the amount it pays.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
Estimated care grade
Care grade 3
61.25 of 100 total points
| Mobility (10%) | 5.00 |
|---|---|
| Module 2 or 3, the higher (15%): module 3 | 15.00 |
| Self-care (40%) | 20.00 |
| Illness and treatment (20%) | 10.00 |
| Daily life and contact (15%) | 11.25 |
| Total points | 61.25 |
| missing for care grade 4 | 8.75 |
| Care allowance per month | €599 |
|---|---|
| or care services up to | €1,497 |
| Relief amount | €131 |
| Respite and short-term care per year | €3,539 |
Work out all benefits for this grade
Estimate using the 2026 amounts in Book XI of the Social Code. Only the decision letter from your Pflegekasse is binding. How we calculate
This calculator reproduces the German assessment instrument of section 15 of Book XI of the Social Code in full: five criteria on mobility, eleven on cognition, thirteen on behaviour, thirteen on self-care, sixteen on coping with illness and treatment and six on daily life. Each answer gives item points under Annex 1, each module total falls into one of five bands under Annex 2, and the bands are weighted: mobility 10 percent, cognition or behaviour 15 percent (only the higher counts), self-care 40 percent, illness and treatment 20 percent, daily life 15 percent. From 12.5 total points the person has grade 1, from 27 grade 2, from 47.5 grade 3, from 70 grade 4 and from 90 grade 5. The preset example, a woman with early dementia living at home, scores 61.25 points, which is care grade 3. The 2026 benefits for the result appear next to it. Nothing is stored and no contact details are requested.
How to fill it in
Answer each question as things were on an average day in recent weeks, not on a good day. “Mostly independent” means the person manages most of the task and needs prompting or help with one step. “Mostly dependent” means they contribute only a small part. For behaviour questions, frequency counts, not severity. The example loaded on opening is a realistic case; the reset button starts from scratch.
Why self-care weighs so much
Module 4 carries 40 percent of the total. Eating counts three times, drinking and toilet use twice (Annex 1 to section 15 SGB XI). Incontinence only counts if it is mostly or fully present. Honest, complete answers here bring you closest to the report; see the Medical Service assessment.
After the result
If the result is grade 1 or higher, apply now, because benefits only start in the month of application. If a decision already came back lower, compare the modules and consider an objection. The home page works out everything the grade pays per month.