Many families carry care work alone for years, not knowing it is paid work. The bar is lower than expected: Pflegegrad 2 is granted for clear everyday limitations — dementia and mental impairments count as much as physical ones.
Pflegegrad: Application and Assessment
One call to the Pflegekasse starts the process and locks in the payment start date. The home visit by the MD assessor decides.
✓ Verified: 18/07/2026
WHAT TO DO
AUTHORITY
Pflegekasse
Public bodyCare level and care benefits run through the Pflegekasse attached to your health insurer — you apply to your own insurer.
› Details and tips
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Max recommends:
I kept a care diary for 2–4 weeks before the assessor visit: what does not work without help. At the visit I showed the typical bad day, no heroics — independence is scored, and faked cheerfulness cuts the level.
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Lea recommends:
The call date to the Pflegekasse fixes the payment start — call before gathering documents. The bar is lower than you think: level 2 is granted for clear everyday limits, and dementia counts as much as physical impairment.
Useful Tools
- Pflegeberatung care
Care advice: helps apply for a care level and choose services. Free for insured people by law.
- Sozialverband VdK social
Social association: supports applications and appeals on disability, pensions and care. Membership is paid, advice included.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The assessor rated too low — what to do? ▾
Object within a month: about half of care-level objections succeed. Request the report in writing and contest the specific points where independence was underrated.
We only have residence permits — does care insurance apply? ▾
Yes: everyone insured in GKV or PKV pays in from day one. Benefit entitlement arises after 2 years of prior insurance within the last 10 — the usual threshold, unrelated to citizenship.
How does the MD assessment work? ▾
The assessor scores six areas at home (mobility, cognition, self-care, coping with illness, daily life, social contacts) — about an hour. Have the care diary ready and invite a trusted person along.