Mental health care at home: Caring for relatives with mental illnesses

Mental health care at home goes far beyond classic personal care. It includes:

• Daily structuring: Ensuring a regular daily routine that provides orientation and security
• Monitoring: Constant personal supervision for wandering tendency, self-endangerment or confusion
• Medication management: Ensuring that psychotropic medications are taken correctly and regularly
• Crisis intervention: De-escalation during agitation, anxiety or aggressive behaviour
• Basic care: For advanced illnesses such as dementia, also help with personal hygiene, eating and dressing

Mental health care often burdens relatives more than physical care. The reasons:

• Emotional burden: The personality changes of the ill relative (e.g. in dementia) are emotionally particularly difficult to process
• Unpredictability: Mental states can fluctuate greatly, making planning difficult
• Isolation: Many relatives withdraw because they cannot interrupt caregiving
• Own health: Family caregivers have an increased risk of burnout and depression

All the more important is it to seek support and not provide care without compensation. Find out about your rights as a family caregiver and the options for work-life-care balance.

Care for mentally ill relatives can also be compensated through health insurance. The prerequisite is that the person receives a recognised helplessness allowance. In dementia, helplessness is often justified through constant personal supervision, even if physical independence is still partially maintained.

Basic care and treatment care (e.g. medication administration) are billed according to KLV. For mental illnesses, psychiatric Spitex services are often added, provided by specialised professionals.

As a family caregiver, you can receive a salary of up to CHF 51,900 per year for the care services you provide. The exact amount depends on care needs and the canton. Calculate your entitlement with the Salary calculator.

In addition to compensation through Spitex, there are other contact points:

• Alzheimer Switzerland: Counselling and respite services for relatives of dementia patients
• Pro Mente Sana: Counselling for relatives of people with mental illnesses
• Psychiatric Spitex: Specialised outpatient psychiatric care at home
• Respite services: Hourly care so that you as a relative can take breaks

pfleg.ch ag supports you with the organisation and connects you with a suitable Spitex organisation. Contact us for a free initial consultation or find out about family care.