German short-term care: who pays and what is left
After a hospital stay, in a crisis, or when care at home suddenly breaks down: a few weeks in a care facility, and how they are paid for.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
How many days of short-term care the annual budget covers
Fund pays
€1,995
| Left in the annual budget | €1,544 |
| Care share you pay | €0 |
| half allowance continues | €209.65 |
The fund does not pay board, lodging or investment costs; the relief amount can cover them.
Short-term care (Kurzzeitpflege) is a temporary stay in a residential care facility when care at home is not yet or not currently possible, typically after a hospital stay or in a crisis, under section 42 of Book XI of the German Social Code. It is available from care grade 2 for up to eight weeks per calendar year. The long-term care fund pays the care costs, supervision and medical treatment care from the joint annual budget of €3,539, which it shares with respite care (section 42a). Board, lodging and investment costs are paid by the family, and the relief amount may be used for them. At a daily care rate of €95 the budget covers three weeks in full and leaves €1,544 for later replacement care; at €110 it lasts 32 days. Half the care allowance continues during the stay. Someone without grade 2 or higher, for example after an operation, can receive short-term care through their health insurer under section 39c of Book V.
When short-term care fits
The law names two situations: the transition after inpatient treatment and other crises in which care at home or day care is temporarily not enough (section 42 SGB XI). In practice: a mother leaves hospital after a hip fracture but cannot yet get to the toilet alone and the flat has not been adapted. Or the husband who cares for her needs an operation himself. Or the family needs time to arrange a care home place or care at home, perhaps while a son flies in from abroad.
The difference from respite care is the place: short-term care happens in a registered facility with board and lodging, whereas respite cover can be at home, by the hour or by relatives. Since 1 July 2025 both come from one pot of €3,539 per calendar year (section 42a SGB XI).
How many days the budget covers
| Daily care rate (care part) | Days from the budget | Three weeks cost | Left after three weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| €80 | 44 | €1,680 | €1,859 |
| €95 | 37 | €1,995 | €1,544 |
| €110 | 32 | €2,310 | €1,229 |
| €130 | 27 | €2,730 | €809 |
| €150 | 23 | €3,150 | €389 |
Daily rates differ between homes. Ask for a breakdown that separates the care part from board, lodging and investment costs before admission, because only the care part comes out of the annual budget. Six weeks at grade 5 at €110 a day use €3,539 and leave €1,081 of care costs uncovered, plus accommodation.
How many days of short-term care the annual budget covers
Fund pays
€1,995
| Left in the annual budget | €1,544 |
| Care share you pay | €0 |
| half allowance continues | €209.65 |
The fund does not pay board, lodging or investment costs; the relief amount can cover them.
Costs that stay with the family
Board and lodging in German care homes averaged €1,068 a month and investment costs €521 on 1 July 2026 (vdek). Over three weeks that is several hundred euros. The relief amount may be used explicitly for short-term care, and anyone who has not used it during the year has enough saved up (section 45b SGB XI). If that is not enough and income and savings are low, the welfare office can cover the costs.
Short-term care without a care grade
Short-term care is often needed before any care grade exists, for instance after surgery. Then the health insurer pays (section 39c SGB V) within the same limits. If a care grade application is already under way, file it from the hospital: shorter assessment deadlines apply to hospital patients. See applying for a care grade.
Allowance and services during the stay
Half the allowance continues (section 37(2) SGB XI), €210 for three weeks at grade 3. Home care services pause. To plan the whole year, the annual budget calculator shows what is left for respite cover after a short-term stay.
When a short stay becomes a permanent place
It often becomes clear during short-term care that going home is no longer realistic. The facility may then switch to long-term residential care, sometimes in the same building. From that day different rules apply: the fund pays the fixed amount under section 43 to the home, the supplement on the co-payment starts at 15 percent and the care allowance ends. The annual budget is no longer used. Confirm the switch in writing with the home and the fund so that the days are booked correctly, and ask for the co-payment that will apply from then on. The care home calculator shows the typical figure for each state.
The stay can also make the return home possible. While your parent is in the facility there is time to apply for a stairlift or a walk-in shower, for which the fund pays up to €4,180 per measure, and to have aids such as a care bed delivered before discharge. Families who live far away often use exactly this window to organise a care service and a neighbour’s support, so the first days back are covered.
Checklist for admission
- Bring the care grade decision or application, medication plan, doctors’ letters and aids.
- Ask for a cost breakdown: care part, board, lodging and investment costs separately.
- Check with the fund how much of the annual budget is already used.
- Claim board and lodging through the relief amount.
- Use the stay to prepare the return home: order aids, apply for adaptations, find a care service, and agree who will be there on the first evening back.