Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - In view of the sharp rise in energy costs, the residents in the nursing homes should be informed about the possibilities of housing benefit. This was announced by NRW Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) on Friday in the state parliament in Düsseldorf. "Now it's the case that people who live in a nursing home and have basic security have these costs financed by basic security," he explained. It is therefore a matter of informing residents of the nursing homes who are not in basic security about the possibilities of housing benefit.
Laumann thinks it is conceivable that further relief from the federal government could soon lead to improvements in housing benefits. "One hears that there are also considerations to do something for the rising energy costs for housing benefit recipients," said the minister. It could be that many home residents and their families are not well informed about the issue of housing benefit in nursing homes. Therefore, after clarity in Berlin, the NRW Ministry of Health will ensure that affected nursing homes and residents are informed about the possibilities of housing benefit.
"Of course we now have a cost boost due to the energy costs and higher food prices, nobody can deny that," said Laumann in a current hour of parliament at the request of the SPD. This differs from home to home and also depends, among other things, on whether gas, oil or heat pumps are used to generate heat. That's why it's important that the payers - that's the social welfare agencies and the nursing care fund - negotiate, explained Laumann. "And these negotiations are also taking place in North Rhine-Westphalia," emphasized the minister. It must be checked from house to house what financial needs are available.
