The costs to be paid by those in need of care in the home have continued to rise - and according to an evaluation, new relief grants are only partially cushioning this.

In the first year in the home, a nationwide average of 2,200 euros per month was due out of pocket on July 1st - 67 euros more than on January 1st, according to an analysis by the Association of Substitute Health Insurance Funds presented on Wednesday.

The surcharges introduced at the beginning of the year increase with longer stays at home and then also dampen cost increases more strongly.

Private geriatric care providers warn of further sharp increases in costs.

On the one hand, the co-payment amounts include the personal contribution for pure care.

Unlike health insurance, long-term care insurance only bears part of the costs.

For residents of the home, however, there are additional costs for accommodation, meals and investments in the facilities.

Since January 1st, in addition to the payments from the long-term care insurance fund, there has also been a relief surcharge that increases with the length of care.

The personal contribution only for pure care falls by 5 percent in the first year in the home, by 25 percent in the second, by 45 percent in the third, and by 70 percent from the fourth year.

However, the personal contribution for pure care has now continued to rise - without a subsidy on average to 964 euros after 912 euros on January 1st.

The surcharges only slowed down this increase.

Together with the other co-payments, there were further increases in costs from January 1st to July 1st: In the second year at the home, the shares to be paid by yourself increased on average by 56 euros to 2007 euros, in the third year by 45 euros to 1814 euros, from the fourth by 32 euros to 1573 euros.

Without any subsidies, it would now be an average of 2248 euros as an additional payment for everyone, 69 euros more than on January 1st.

The background is higher wages, living and energy costs, as explained by the Association of Substitute Funds.

CEO Ulrike Elsner said that the relief from own shares was only felt to a limited extent, especially in the first year.

You will be marginalized by the increase in care fees.

"With such high personal contributions, the need for care remains a risk of poverty." A sustainable political solution to the problem as a whole is urgently needed.

The federal states are also responsible for finally taking over the investment costs for care facilities.

This would currently relieve those in need of care by an average of 469 euros per month.

Almost a third of those in need of care (30.2 percent) have been in a nursing home for less than a year, as can be seen from data only for insured persons of the substitute funds from 2021.

According to this, 19.2 percent of the residents have been in the home for one to two years, 14.1 percent for two to three years and 36.4 percent for longer than three years.

The nursing employers' association, which represents private providers, warned of a "cost tsunami" with impending next increases of 600 to 1000 euros per month - also in view of the upcoming further wage increases from September.

If nothing happens, these costs would remain with those in need of care, their families and the municipalities, said President Thomas Greiner.

Because of the high energy and food costs, he called for an inflation subsidy of 25 percent from the federal government.

It was to be expected that many more home residents would be dependent on social assistance.

At a care summit, quick solutions should be on the table.

According to the association, it represents 955 care companies with around 80,000 employees.

There are also large regional differences in the co-payments in the home.

According to the evaluation on July 1, places in homes were the most expensive in Baden-Württemberg, with an average of 2,619 euros per month.

They cost the least in Saxony-Anhalt at 1700 euros.

In Baden-Württemberg, the personal contribution was the highest for pure care with 1286 euros without subsidies.

Nationwide, North Rhine-Westphalia paid the most for board and lodging at 1,085 euros a month.

According to the information, remuneration agreements between the long-term care insurance funds and the homes in all federal states were evaluated for the analysis.

The data refer to residents with care grades 2 to 5.