Care Responsibilities

Prevention

The Care Emergency Folder (in German) is intended as preparation for an emergency situation. When a person is suddenly in need of care, relatives often do not have the time to search extensively for important documents, authorizations, forms, and records. The emergency care folder compiled here can help with locating these documents and provide a clearer overview of essential personal paperwork. You can pass this emergency care folder on to relatives or use it yourself in case you ever need to be cared for by family members.

Consultation

If you have questions regarding the care of loved ones, please contact:

+49 7071 29-74961
carespam prevention@equity.uni-tuebingen.de

The emergency care folder contains an overview of all important telephone numbers and addresses as well as all relevant documents (e.g. passport, vaccination and allergy passports, patient and care directives, powers of attorney and wills) and provides information on where they are stored. This gives relatives direct access to all important documents in case of an emergency.

When Care Responsibilities Emerge

Care is associated with special challenges.

Care cannot be planned- neither the overall duration nor its specific course may be predicted. A care case often occurs at short notice and can last for a very long time, especially in the case of children and partners in need of care. In addition, the end of care is often associated with the loss of a loved one through death and can be an enormous emotional and psychological burden.

Basic information on the need for care (coming soon)

Legal options for organizing care

On the website of the Federal Ministry of Health you will find support services for family caregivers, such as information on care allowance and care leave.

Care Study

A family-friendly university not only means enabling studying or working with children, but also supporting the reconciliation of caregiving responsibilities and professional life or studies. As part of the "Family in Higher Education" program, the study "Lost in Responsibility? On the Social Situation and Career Prospects of University Members with Caregiving Responsibilities" was conducted.

Here is the link to the original study in German: "Verloren in Verantwortung? Zur sozialen Situation und zu beruflichen Perspektiven von Hochschulangehörigen mit Pflegeverantwortung"

Federal Care Hotline

The Caregiving Hotline of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth offers advice on the topic of care, including questions about home care, legal entitlements, and leave options.

The Caregiving Hotline is available Monday through Thursday between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. by phone at 030 20179131 and by email at info@wege-zur-pflege.de. All telephone consultations are anonymous and confidential. The advice offered through the Caregiving Hotline is complemented by their Webseite (in German).

Silbernetz – Countering Loneliness in Older Citizenry

Loneliness often affects older people, gradually taking over their lives and isolating them further. Loneliness can make you ill and the longer it lasts, the harder it can be to overcome.

Silbernetz is a unique service providing help and contact for older people in Germany and is offering conversations for older people (German-language page).

Anonymous – confidential – free

Tel.: 0800 4 70 80 90

Prevention

The emergency care folder is intended as preparation for an emergency situation. When a person is suddenly in need of care, relatives often do not have the time to search extensively for important documents, authorizations, forms, and records. The emergency care folder compiled here can help with locating these documents and provide a clearer overview of essential personal paperwork. You can pass this emergency care folder on to relatives or use it yourself in case you ever need to be cared for by family members.

The emergency care folder includes an overview of all important phone numbers and addresses, as well as all relevant documents (such as passport, vaccination and allergy records, patient and care directives, as well as powers of attorney and wills) and provides information on their storage location. This allows relatives to directly access all important documents in an emergency.

You need to log into the intranet of the University of Tübingen to view the emergency care folder.

Emergency Care Folder (German pdf)

Basic Information on the Need of Care

A sudden need for care

The need for care can arise suddenly due to illness or an accident, regardless of the age of the person affected. At that point, it becomes clear: life as it was before the hospital stay can no longer continue in the same way.

Organizing the care and support of the person in need now takes center stage—possibly including the consideration of placing them in a residential care facility. Far-reaching decisions need to be made, and they can be emotionally overwhelming. Often, there is time pressure involved. In such a situation, it is essential to seek advice and discuss the next steps with people close to you. The care support centers (Pflegestützpunkte) of the Tübingen district offer assistance in this regard.

To ensure that all interests are taken into account, it is important to carefully weigh your own ideas and capacities against the wishes of the person in need of care. The chosen option should best meet the care and support needs of the individual. It is also recommended to thoroughly compare and evaluate available services and facilities. Be sure to consider any independent assessments that may have been carried out by health insurance providers or consumer organizatio

Preparing for Care of Loved Ones

If the need for care becomes apparent gradually, you usually have time to gather information, exchange ideas, discuss options, and try things out. This allows you to find solutions that are highly individualized and take into account the habits and preferences of the person in need. In the beginning, it may be sufficient to assist the person with household tasks or to provide occasional relief.

For further planning—especially if the person's strength and physical abilities begin to decline, or if psychological changes become noticeable—you should definitely seek expert advice by contacting an appropriate counseling center. The care support centers (Pflegestützpunkte in German) of the Tübingen district offer comprehensive information and guidance. Whenever possible, the person requiring care should be involved in making decisions.

Events

Event Series 2025: Care - What Now?

All interested students and employees are invited to attend the series of events. The events can be attended during working hours and are free of charge.

Here's the official program (German version): Veranstaltungsprogramm

The Events are held online again.

Time: 10 AM-12PM

Important: the event on ‘Care at distance’ on 3 December 2025 is not an online event and will take place in the Nonnenmacherhaus at Gartenstraße 28.

Registrations are only possibly through our platform ILIAS (see Veranstaltungsprogramm)

Questions and Registration:

Zentrale Verwaltung
Abt. Personal VI 3
Wilhelmstraße 5, EG

Telephone: 29 - 7 64 24
Mail: fortbildungspam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de

Presentations and scripts of past lectures

Event Series: Dementia Network

The lecture series is organized by the Geriatric Centre, the Tübingen Family and Geriatric Aid TüFa and the Counselling Centre for Older People and their Relatives e.V. (in German: Tübinger Familien- und Altershilfe TüFa, Beratungsstelle für ältere Menschen und deren Angehörige e.V.).

Here's teh official program in German: Program