Pflegestützpunkte (care support points) advise you free of charge, neutrally and independently of your health insurance fund. You need neither a Pflegegrad (care grade) nor an appointment – everyone is welcome to come. There are 36 Pflegestützpunkte in Berlin, and at least one in every county and independent city in Brandenburg.

Details

Pflegestützpunkte are statutory points of contact for all questions about ageing, care and everyday support (§ 7c SGB XI). They are run jointly by the long-term care and health insurance funds and by the federal state, or by the districts and counties. That is exactly where their greatest advantage comes from: they are not selling anything. An adviser at a Pflegestützpunkt has no interest in your choosing a particular care service – they are obliged to be neutral.

The figures show how much this service is used: the 36 Berlin Pflegestützpunkte provided around 115,000 advice sessions in 2023 (Landespflegeplan Berlin 2025, p. 78). At the same time, the Landespflegeplan finds that they are clearly not well enough known – many people only find out late that this help exists at all (pp. 127–130). If you are reading this article, you have already taken the decisive step.

What a Pflegestützpunkt helps with

• explaining and comparing the benefits of the long-term care insurance – from Pflegegeld (cash care allowance) and the Entlastungsbetrag (monthly relief amount) to Kurzzeitpflege (short-term residential care)
• understanding and filling in applications, checking decision letters, preparing appeals
• drawing up an individual care plan and supporting you as it is put into practice (care advice under § 7a SGB XI)
• putting you in touch with local services: care services, day care, everyday help, self-help groups, voluntary visiting services
• pointing you towards other bodies: Sozialamt (social welfare office) for Hilfe zur Pflege (means-tested help with care costs), the guardianship authority, advice on adapting your home, debt advice or advice for migrants
• making home visits if you or the person in need of care cannot come in

What a Pflegestützpunkt does not do

It does not carry out any nursing tasks, it does not replace legal representation in court, and it may not recommend a particular provider. Nor does it take decisions off your hands – it sorts out the options so that you can decide.

If German is not your first language

Around 30 per cent of Berlin's population have a migration background. The Berlin Pflegestützpunkte therefore work together with intercultural bridge builders, who provide support in around twelve languages (Landespflegeplan Berlin 2025, p. 78). Ask explicitly about language support when you book an appointment – or bring someone you trust with you.

What to do?

1. Find the Pflegestützpunkt responsible for you. As a rule this is determined by the Bezirk (district) or Landkreis (county) you live in. Use our directory under Directory.
2. Book an appointment. Many Pflegestützpunkte have drop-in hours, but an appointment is better for a detailed conversation. Ask straight away whether advice is also available by telephone, by video or as a home visit.
3. Put your documents together. The following are helpful: your health insurance card, your current Pflegegrad decision letter or the date of your application, your medication plan, doctors' and hospital reports, your severe disability pass, your Vorsorgevollmacht (lasting power of attorney), current invoices from care services, and income and rent documents if Hilfe zur Pflege (means-tested help with care costs) is involved.
4. Write your questions down beforehand. Sort them by urgency: what has to be settled this week, and what can wait? Bring any unfamiliar technical terms from letters with you – our care glossary helps with the preparation.
5. Go with someone else. Four ears remember more than two. Make notes and ask for the most important points in writing.
6. Follow things up after the appointment. Agree who will submit which application and by when, and arrange a follow-up appointment. You may come back as often as you like – the advice remains free.

Where can you get help?

• Pflegestützpunkte and advice centres in Berlin and Brandenburg: Directory, using the “Beratungsstelle / Pflegestützpunkt” (advice centre / care support point) filter plus Bezirk or Landkreis; you can also filter by language and accessibility.
• Advice in your own home: anyone receiving Pflegegeld has to request a regular advisory visit (§ 37 Abs. 3 SGB XI) – every six months with Pflegegrad 2 and 3, and every three months with Pflegegrad 4 and 5. This advice is free and is provided by care services and recognised advice centres; you will find them under Directory too.
• Talks, care courses and carers' groups run by the Pflegestützpunkte and their partners are listed in the calendar under Events.
• Further reading: A sudden need for care – the first 7 steps.

As at July 2026. Figures on advice sessions and language support: Landespflegeplan Berlin 2025.