Thuringia is simplifying rules for neighborhood assistance

No more courses lasting several hours and less bureaucracy: thousands of Thuringians looking after their neighbors in need of care should have an easier time in the future. “The rules for neighborhood assistance in Thuringia were outdated,” said Social Affairs Minister Katharina Schenk (SPD) in Erfurt. That is why they have now been changed by the state government. This includes, for example, helping neighbors when shopping or going to the doctor, for which reimbursement can be requested.

“We have abolished the compulsory course,” said the minister. In addition, the circle of people who can receive compensation for helping neighbors has been expanded. There is no longer a rigid definition of who can provide neighborhood help - it doesn't necessarily have to be the people from the neighboring apartment or house.

They could now also come from the social environment, the circle of acquaintances of those in need of care - and they could also be minors, says Schenk. Why shouldn't 15, 16 or 17 year old girls and boys work as neighborhood helpers if they want to, the minister asked.

4,000 Thuringians are already neighborhood helpers

The aim of the new regulation is to ensure that people in need of care can be looked after in their familiar surroundings for as long as possible. Compensation for neighborhood assistance, the amount of which depends on the level of care of the person in need of care, can be applied for from the responsible care fund. There is a form for that. Thuringia based its new process on a tried-and-tested model in North Rhine-Westphalia, for example. The aim is uncomplicated help.

According to the minister, there are around 194,000 people in need of care in the Free State - 80 percent of them are cared for at home. There are already around 4,000 Thuringians who are involved in helping their neighbors. The Ministry of Social Affairs has published an information brochure for them.

The cabinet also decided on regulations for training as nursing assistants, which the federal government has decided will be available from January 2027. In the future, assistance should take on supporting tasks in care such as dressing or personal hygiene for people in need of care. The Thuringian State Administration Office is responsible for implementing the federal law. Responsibility for the training of nursing specialists already lies there.