Skip to content

Understand the care level and estimate it yourself

The care level decides which benefits of the long-term care insurance may apply. Here you read how it is determined. The calculator in the portal then takes you through the six areas.

Start the care level calculator
  • Self-assessment without obligation
  • Your answers stay in your browser tab only
  • Nothing stored on the server, no tracking

The result does not replace the assessment by the Medical Service (Medizinischer Dienst) or, for privately insured people, by Medicproof.

What the areas mean

What is the care level?

In the sense of the long-term care insurance, a person needs care if, because of health-related impairments of independence or abilities, they need help from others – permanently, expected for at least six months.

Five care levels describe how strongly independence is impaired: from minor impairments (care level 1) to the most severe impairments with special requirements for nursing care (care level 5). The care level decides which benefits may apply.

The six modules of the assessment

The assessment looks at six areas of life. Each module counts with a fixed share towards the total points.

Modules of the assessment instrument and their weighting under Section 15 SGB XI
ModuleWhat is looked at, for exampleShare of the total points
1 MobilityChanging position in bed, transferring, moving around the home, climbing stairs10 per cent
2 Cognitive and communicative abilitiesOrientation, remembering, everyday decisions, taking part in a conversation15 per cent, together with module 3
3 Behaviour and psychological problemsRestlessness at night, anxiety, resisting care15 per cent, together with module 2
4 Self-careWashing, dressing, eating and drinking, using the toilet40 per cent
5 Coping with illness- or therapy-related demandsMedication, changing dressings, visits to the doctor20 per cent
6 Organising everyday life and social contactsPlanning the day, resting and sleeping, keeping in touch15 per cent

For modules 2 and 3 only the higher of the two weighted values counts.

The weighted points of all modules add up to the total points, at most 100.

From the total points to the care level

Total points and care levels under Section 15 (3) SGB XI
Care levelTotal pointsImpairment of independence or abilities
Care level 1from 12.5 to under 27minor
Care level 2from 27 to under 47.5considerable
Care level 3from 47.5 to under 70severe
Care level 4from 70 to under 90most severe
Care level 5from 90 to 100most severe, with special requirements for nursing care

Below 12.5 total points there is no care level.

In a special constellation of needs, care level 5 can also apply below 90 total points.

From the application to the decision

Application to the care fund

You or an authorised person apply to the long-term care insurance fund. Benefits start at the earliest from the application – so apply early.

Assessment

The care fund commissions the Medical Service or other independent assessors. For privately insured people, Medicproof carries out the assessment.

Decision

The care fund informs you of the care level. If you disagree, you can lodge an objection; the deadline is stated in the decision.

Which benefits depend on the care level

Depending on the care level, benefits include care in kind from a home care service, care allowance when relatives provide care, day and night care, short-term care and care in a care home (Sections 36 ff. SGB XI). With care level 1 the benefits are limited.

The amounts depend on the care level and are adjusted by law; we deliberately do not state them here. Legal basis as of October 2026; values may change – your long-term care insurance fund has the current figures.

Compare types of care

Important about the self-assessment

  • The result is a self-assessment without obligation. It does not replace the assessment by the Medical Service (Medizinischer Dienst) or, for privately insured people, by Medicproof.
  • You apply for a care level to the long-term care insurance fund.
  • The calculator does not cover the assessment of children.
  • Data protection: the calculator stores nothing on the server. Your answers stay in your browser tab only, and there is no tracking. If you then start the care request, the calculator hands over only the result – the estimated care level 1 to 5 – to the care request assistant: there “Care level applied for” is preselected and the estimate is shown as a note; your individual answers are not passed on.

Professional basis and status

Show sources and status

Pflege Patienten editorial team. Modules, weighting and point ranges follow Section 15 SGB XI with annexes 1 and 2; we deliberately do not state benefit amounts.

Editorial status: 31 October 2026

Estimate the care level without obligation

The calculator takes you through the six areas and shows an estimate at the end. From there you can start a care request directly.

Start the care level calculator

Organising care for relatives