Family Care and support for relatives

As part of the re-auditing of berufundfamilie, a dialogue day on the topic of “care” took place on 12 February 2026. University members who care for relatives or have been cared for were invited to join us in a discussion to find out what new measures on the topic of care should be included in the new action programme in order to improve the compatibility of work/PhD/studies and care responsibilities. The dialogue day was accompanied by planning discussions with various stakeholders to ensure the feasibility of the new measures.

My relatives need my support – what should I do?

Relatives are defined as: grandparents, parents, parents-in-law, step-parents, spouses, life partners, partners in a marriage-like or civil partnership-like relationship, siblings, spouses of siblings and siblings of spouses, life partners of siblings and siblings of life partners, children, adopted or foster children, the children, adopted or foster children of the spouse or civil partner, children-in-law and grandchildren.

Some care situations develop gradually, while others come as a complete surprise to many people. The Care Leave Act offers various models for caring for relatives in need of care on a short-term or long-term basis. These can have serious financial implications, so it is important to address them at an early stage and also to consider flexible working arrangements such as teleworking.

As employees (covered by collective agreements) and civil servants are subject to fundamentally different legal relationships, a distinction is made between the two in the following. The following information applies to both groups:

• Protection against dismissal applies during care leave and family care leave
• Care leave and family care leave can be combined (max. 24 months in total)
• Care support allowance is always applied for from the care insurance fund of the person in need of care

The type of insurance that the person in need of care has determines which point of contact is right for you as a carer. If the relative has statutory insurance, you as a carer can contact the municipal care support centre. It makes sense to always do this at the place of residence of the person being cared for, as a local care network can be established here. The care centre offers free consultations to clarify the individual's situation and, if necessary, helps to arrange and coordinate assistance.

Compass Care Advice is responsible for carers of privately insured persons. You can find your regional advisor via the service number on the homepage. They will advise you and the person in need of care free of charge and guide you through the application process.

Caring for relatives often involves a great deal of uncertainty and considerable mental and physical strain. University members with caregiving responsibilities can take an online course on home nursing to further their education. The costs are covered by the nursing care insurance fund.

Caregiving is costly. Not only in terms of financial resources and time, but also in terms of emotional energy. Pflegen-und-leben.de is a joint initiative of statutory health insurance providers offering free online psychological counselling for family caregivers. People with statutory health insurance who care for loved ones in need of care receive individual help from specially trained psychologists – whether they are spouses or partners, parents, (adult) children or grandchildren.

Parents who care for chronically ill children or children with disabilities can find support networks, parent initiatives and opportunities for exchange on the website of the City of Heidelberg's Disability Officer.

The Bethanien Hospital in Heidelberg offers ongoing awareness and empowerment courses for relatives of people with dementia.

Boundary violations and violence can also occur in home care, both on the part of the person in need of care and on the part of the person responsible for providing care. Knowledge about forms of violence, definitions and prevention tips can help to prevent and recognise violent acts and situations. Information material is also available for this purpose.

In the Pfaffengrund district of Heidelberg, the Diakonie offers consultation hours for relatives of people with dementia at the senior citizens' centre. Here you can get advice on topics such as dealing with/relationships with sick relatives, responding to aggressive/depressive behaviour and gathering strength as a carer.

There are also regular meetings for family carers in the Südstadt and Ziegelhausen districts. Information and contact details can be found on the Heidelberg Dementia Network website under Psychosocial support and exchange for family members.