Planning health care for the last phase of life

In November 2015, the Deutsche Bundestag (German Parliament) passed the so-called „Hospice and Palliative Care Law“. The law provided “Health Care Planning for the last phase of life” as a new tool for nursing homes and institutions of rehabilitation. It aims at realizing as best as possible the wishes and values of the respective people in regard to the last phase of their lives by means of a structured process of communication imbedded in the network of the providers. The offer of counselling is eligible for refinancing.

“Those concerned shall be given the possibility to develop and communicate with reference to their individual situation their ideas of medical and nursing processes, the extent, possibilities and limits of medical interventions and of palliative medical and palliative care measures in the last phase of their lives (…) By documenting the results of the counselling – e.g. in the form of an advance directive - , a legally watertight dealing with the outspoken will of those entitled to benefits shall be enabled from the side of those participating directly in the care of the people concerned. In this way, the individual wishes as to medical and nursing processes of treatment and care shall be observed even if those entitled to benefits at the time of the decision on treatment are no longer able to utter their natural will.” (www.gkv-spitzenverband.de/krankenversicherung/hospiz_und_palliativversorgung/letzte_lebensphase/gesundheitliche_versorgungsplanung.jsp, Last call 23.02.2018).

The training of counsellors according to § 132g SGB V comprises in its first part at least 48 teaching units of theoretical education and 12 units of training in health care counselling. In the second part, further practical experience shall be acquired. At the end, the counsellor will receive a certificate.