24h care explained
Everything you want to know before booking
Process, contract, employment, costs and what happens if it does not fit: honest and in plain words, so no questions are left open.
What is 24h care?
A caregiver moves in with your relative for an agreed period and supports them in daily life, so they can stay in their familiar surroundings.
Lives in the household
For the agreed period the caregiver lives with your relative and is by their side through the day.
Help in everyday life
Cooking, shopping, personal care and good company: everything that is hard to manage alone.
Clear hours and breaks
The name 24h describes the living arrangement, not constant work. Working hours and rest periods are agreed in advance.
The nursing service stays involved
Medical treatment care such as wound care stays with qualified nurses. Having both is the normal case.
24h care, live-in care and 24h nursing mean the same thing: a caregiver lives in the household for an agreed period and supports daily life.
From the first question to the start
- 1
Clarify the needs
Care level, daily life and wishes: in a conversation with us or directly in the care profile.
- 2
Choose a caregiver
Compare profiles, reviews and prices. On request we suggest suitable caregivers.
- 3
Send the request
At least 7 nights, start no earlier than 2 days after the request.
- 4
Acceptance and contract
As soon as the caregiver accepts, the contract is in place. You receive it in the app and by email.
- 5
Arrival and start
The caregiver arrives. Two days later we call you.
What a week looks like
The caregiver lives in the household but does not work around the clock. Here is a typical working day, how the day off works and the rules behind it.
One week: care on up to six days, plus one day off. Alternatively there are two half days off. You agree together which day is free.
A typical working day
There is no rigid duty roster. The work follows the rhythm of the person in care and is usually spread over several blocks between 7 am and 8 pm. In between come breaks and free time.
Morning
Getting up, personal care, dressing and breakfast, at the pace of the person being cared for.
Late morning
Housework, shopping, cooking, appointments or a walk.
Midday
A meal together, then a break. While the person being cared for rests at midday, the caregiver has free time.
Afternoon
Conversation, games, exercise in the fresh air and company.
Evening
Dinner, evening routine and getting to bed. After that the working day is over.
Night
There is no duty to work at night. Only in an unforeseeable single case, for example after a fall, does the caregiver help. That counts as working time and is compensated with time off.
The day off
The question families ask most: is the caregiver really off, and who is there then? This is how it works.
How much time off
One day off per week or two half days off. The caregiver and you agree together when.
Really off
On that day the caregiver is not on duty and not on call. Free time counts neither as working time nor as standby, even if the caregiver stays in the house. The fee stays the same.
Who covers the day
Relatives, an outpatient care service or a day care centre. Plan this in advance. If the person in care cannot be left alone, raise it in the needs conversation.
Sundays and public holidays
On Sundays and public holidays the caregiver only does the necessary care. Work on a Sunday earns a compensatory rest day.
The rules behind it
- At most 40 hours per week on average, spread over up to six days
- Usually between 7 am and 8 pm, with breaks in between
- At least 60 minutes of breaks per working day
- One day off per week or two half days off
- At least 11 hours of uninterrupted rest
If you regularly need support at night, state this before booking. It is then agreed separately.
If your relative needs more help than one caregiver can give, family members, an outpatient care service or day care join in.
What the caregiver takes over, and what not
She moves into the household and is there in everyday life. These three areas are part of it.
Household and everyday life
- Cooking and preparing meals
- Shopping and errands
- Laundry and ironing
- Keeping the home clean and tidy
- Company on appointments and outings
Basic care
- Help with washing and personal hygiene
- Support with dressing and undressing
- Company on the way to the toilet
- Help getting up, lying down and moving about
- Reminders to take medication
Company and daily structure
- Conversation and a listening ear
- Walks in the fresh air
- Games, reading aloud and shared hobbies
- A steady rhythm to the day
- Patient support with dementia
And what a nursing service takes on
Medical treatment care such as wound care, injections or preparing medication stays with qualified nurses. An outpatient nursing service handles that. The two together are the normal case for 24-hour care, and if you do not have a nursing service yet, your Pflegekasse will help you find one.
What has to be in place
24h care only works if these points are met. They are also part of the contract.
Own room
A free, lockable and clean room just for the caregiver.
Kitchen and bathroom
Access to a kitchen and sanitary facilities.
Meals
Adequate meals for the caregiver during the stay.
A safe home
A safe and hygienic working environment.
Good information
All relevant details about the person in care, such as care level, state of health and risks.
Respectful treatment
Respectful treatment without discrimination, with no direct instructions and no own duty rosters.
Enough lead time
Your request goes out at least 2 days before the start, and the booking lasts at least 7 nights.
If one of these points is not possible for you, please talk to us before booking.
Who is the caregiver, and who is your contract partner?
There are three ways. Before booking you always see exactly who you sign the contract with. CAIR itself is never the employer and never the contract partner for the care.
Self-employed caregiver
- Your contract partner
- The caregiver personally
- Responsible for taxes and social insurance
- The caregiver personally. They work on their own account and have a registered business.
Employed by an agency or organisation
- Your contract partner
- The agency or organisation
- Responsible for taxes and social insurance
- The agency or organisation as employer. It is also responsible for occupational safety.
Posted by an agency from another EU country
- Your contract partner
- The posting agency
- Responsible for taxes and social insurance
- The agency. The caregiver is employed there and stays socially insured in their home country during the assignment.
You do not give instructions like an employer
The caregiver organises their work independently. You share habits and wishes, but you do not draw up duty or leisure schedules and you do not give instructions. This keeps the care legally clean.
Health insurance, A1 and other papers
These proofs are part of legally secure care. Your contract partner is responsible for them, not you.
Health insurance
Self-employed caregivers arrange their own health, pension and accident insurance and prove their health cover with the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Agencies confirm that their caregivers are properly covered by social and health insurance.
A1 certificate
For posted caregivers, the A1 certificate shows that they remain socially insured in their home country and not additionally in Germany. The agency takes care of it.
Business registration
Self-employed caregivers prove a registered business in the EU. Without this proof their profile is not approved.
Liability insurance
Our partner ERGO provides liability insurance. It covers personal injury, property damage and financial loss up to €3 million per insured event.
Invoice and VAT
CAIR issues the invoice on behalf of your contract partner. How VAT is shown depends on where your contract partner is based.
The contract step by step
You see the contract before booking. Here are the most important points in plain words.
- 1
You send a binding request
On the last page you see the contract partner, period, scope of services and total price. With "book with obligation to pay" you make an offer. This does not create a contract yet.
- 2
The caregiver says yes
The contract only comes into being when the caregiver accepts within the period shown. If there is no acceptance, your request lapses and nothing is charged.
- 3
14 days to withdraw
As a consumer you can withdraw within 14 days. If care starts earlier at your request, you pay for the days provided until then.
- 4
Care starts
There is no automatic renewal. You book exactly the period you chose.
- 5
Ending it after the start
Both sides can terminate with 14 days' notice, in text form, for example by email. There is no fee for this.
- 6
Billing
Billing is monthly. You can find the contract and the invoices in the app at any time.
Special cases families often ask about
Cancelling before the start
More than 7 days before the start it is free. With 7 days or less, seven daily rates apply, at most the fee for the whole period. Travel costs are refunded as long as the trip has not started.
Hospital stay
Up to 14 days of absence change nothing about the contract and the fee. For a longer absence, care can be paused by agreement.
Taking a break
A pause of up to 6 weeks per year is possible by agreement in text form. You bear the additional travel costs.
The caregiver falls ill
For up to 3 days the fee is suspended. After that an agency provides a replacement within 5 working days. With a self-employed caregiver the fee is suspended for the absence. You can always book someone else yourself. If care is interrupted for more than 14 days, you can terminate extraordinarily. You organise the interim cover yourself.
Death of the person cared for
We know this is a hard moment. The contract then ends automatically, no notice is needed. The fee runs until the seventh day afterwards, plus the caregiver's journey home.
Room not in order
If the room does not meet the minimum requirements, the caregiver can report this through CAIR. You then have 48 hours to fix it. If that does not work, the contract can be terminated for good cause and you bear the caregiver's journey home.
What does it cost, and for what?
You see the total price before you book. It is fixed at booking and does not change afterwards.
The care
The caregiver or agency sets the price, depending on qualification and experience. 40 hours per week are used for the calculation.
Travel costs
Each caregiver sets their own travel costs. You see the amount before booking, and it does not change afterwards.
No fee to CAIR
You pay CAIR nothing. The provider you book with owes a service fee.
Public holidays
Single public holidays such as Christmas Eve carry surcharges. You see them with the date before booking, and they are included in the total price.
Room and meals
You additionally provide a private, lockable room with access to a kitchen and bathroom, plus adequate meals. They are not part of the fee.
Care starts at 2.450 € per month, depending on the caregiver.
Depending on the care level, the care insurance pays care allowance, and costs can be claimed for tax. Your personal share is shown in the calculator.
If it does not fit
This happens in every care arrangement from time to time and is no drama. This is how it works, explained openly.
How to let us know
Write or call us and name the reason. We make sure your contract partner hears about it and guide you through the next steps. Where a replacement is possible, we of course agree it with you and suggest an equivalent caregiver.
If an agency is your contract partner
On your justified request the agency provides a suitable replacement within up to 14 days. If the caregiver falls ill, it is 5 working days.
If a self-employed caregiver is your contract partner
There is no obligation to provide a replacement here. We help you find a new caregiver, whom you then book yourself. We cannot promise a replacement, but we do our best.
The transition period
Until a replacement arrives, you organise the care yourself. The caregiver or the agency does not owe interim cover. If the caregiver is off sick, the fee is suspended during that time.
Travel costs when changing
A planned change runs at the travel costs agreed at booking, which you bear. If an unplanned change comes from the caregiver or the agency, they bear the additional travel costs. If you ask for the change yourself, for personal reasons or because of the language level, you bear the costs. This too can often be clarified before arrival, for example by phone. If details in the profile were wrong, for example about smoking, the caregiver or the agency bears the costs.
You can always book anew yourself
Independently of this you can book another caregiver through CAIR at any time. During the transition you keep paying your previous contract partner.
We are at your side
You are not alone with us, not even after booking.
Free needs consultation
Before booking we go through care level, daily life and wishes with you. The conversation is free and non-binding, by phone or in a callback appointment.
A call 2 days after arrival
Two days after the caregiver arrives we call you and ask whether everything fits.
Then once a month
We get in touch once a month and stay in direct contact with you.
Coordination with care service, GP and clinic
Where it helps, we coordinate with your care service, your GP or the clinic. We have already done this in individual cases and are glad to keep working together, for example on discharge management.
Any questions left? We will clear them up with you.
In the free needs consultation we go through your situation, without obligation.
As of October 2026. This page gives general explanations and does not replace legal, tax or care advice. The care contract is what is binding.