Pflegekurse für Angehörige, the care courses for relatives offered under German long-term care insurance, are training sessions that care insurers are legally required to provide. They are aimed at family members and at other people who want to volunteer in care. The courses are meant to teach skills that allow care to be carried out independently. The legal basis is section 45 of Book XI of the Social Code (SGB XI), and the training is free of charge.
Short answer: Under section 45 SGB XI, care insurers must run training courses free of charge for relatives and people interested in voluntary care. At the request of the carer and the person in need of care, the training can also take place in the home. The date, location and provider are available from your care insurer. Last updated: November 2026.
The most important points in brief
- The courses are aimed at relatives and at people who want to volunteer in care.
- The care insurer must offer the courses. It can run them itself, together with other care insurers, or through suitable institutions.
- According to the wording of the law, the courses are free of charge.
- At the request of the carer and the person in need of care, the training can take place at home.
- The aim is to teach skills for independent care and to reduce physical and mental strain.
What the law says about care courses
The wording of section 45 SGB XI is brief. Care insurers must, for relatives and other people interested in voluntary care activity, run training courses free of charge. The purpose is to encourage social commitment in care, to make care and support easier, and to reduce physical and mental strain caused by care.
The law also stresses that the courses should teach the skills needed to carry out care independently. At the request of the carer and the person in need of care, the training can take place in the home. For many families, that is the practical difference from a course held elsewhere.
Who organises the courses?
The care insurer may run the courses itself, together with other care insurers, or commission suitable other institutions to deliver them. Your point of contact is therefore your care insurer, even if an external provider delivers the course in the end.
| Question | What the law provides | Where to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Who is entitled to the training? | Relatives and other people interested in voluntary care | Care insurer of the person in need of care |
| What does the course cost? | Free of charge according to the wording of section 45 SGB XI | Care insurer or local provider |
| Where does the course take place? | Also at home, if both sides wish it | Care insurer with an offer in your area |
| Who runs it? | The care insurer itself or a commissioned provider | Care insurer |
Which questions should you clarify before signing up?
A course is only helpful if it fits your concrete situation. It is therefore worth asking before you register what the content is and whether the dates work with your studies, training or job. The law names no number of hours, no group size and no certificate. These points need to be clarified directly with the care insurer or the provider.
It also helps to write down the tasks that fall to your family. Anyone who knows where they need support can ask more precise questions during the course and plan their time better.
Why young adults should take the course seriously
Many people who support a person in need of care are under 30. They do shopping, accompany doctor visits or provide everyday help, often alongside studies, training or a job. In that situation a training course provides security, because not everything has to be learned from scratch by trial and error.
If you work or study alongside care, it is also worth checking which other benefits of the long-term care insurance may apply. The guide to care levels 1 to 5 gives an overview. The reform currently in the legislative process is covered separately in our guide to Pflegegeld 2027.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay for a care course?
According to the wording of section 45 SGB XI, the courses are free of charge. Whether incidental costs arise in individual cases, for example for travel or materials, should be clarified in advance with the care insurer.
Can I attend the course without a care level?
According to the wording of the law, the entitlement is linked to relatives and people interested in voluntary care. An existing care level of the person in need of care is not named as a requirement in the text. Ask anyway, because the care insurer decides on the assignment in each case.
Who counts as a relative?
The law speaks of relatives without defining the circle more closely here. The care insurer decides whether a particular person falls within it. The law also names other people interested in voluntary care activity.
Does the course change my entitlement to care benefits?
The course is a training session, not a benefit that replaces a care level. If the care becomes more demanding, it is worth checking the care level. The procedure is explained in our guide on applying for a care level (in German).
Is the training useful if the care situation is short term?
The wording does not tie the entitlement to the duration of care. Whether a short-term care situation affects the entitlement is decided by the care insurer in each case on request.
How to plan the training for your family
In many families, care is shared between several people. A course helps most when it is attended early, before everyday routines become fixed. Dividing tasks in advance helps avoid mistakes and makes strain easier to assess.
What to do now
- Ask the care insurer of the person in need of care which courses are offered in your region.
- Ask about content, duration and location, including whether training at home is possible.
- Register formally and keep the confirmation.
- After the course, discuss open questions with the care insurer and check whether the care situation has changed.
Related guides
- Care reform 2027: What is settled and what is still in progress
- Pflegegeld 2027: What is planned and what is still open
- Care contribution 2027: What employees and employers pay
- Care levels 1 to 5: which benefits belong to which level
Sources: Section 45 SGB XI, care courses for relatives, gesetze-im-internet.de (in German); Federal Government, care reform act, 2026 (in German).
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
