University of Hamburg - to research, to teach, to educate and form, to homepage
Family Office
Family Office

Photo: luxuz/Photocase

Aged and nursing care for relatives

When a family member requires care, striking a work-family balance can be hard for working caregivers. A need of care often confronts families with a host of difficult questions and uncertainties. Typically, there are 2 different scenarios at the onset:

Scenario 1: The situation slowly worsens and the need for support gradually increases. Find important information and first steps under foreseeable care needs.
Scenario 2: A sudden worsening of the condition requires immediate action, including radical and serious measures. Find important information and first steps under sudden-onset care needs.

The website of Hamburg’s Ministry of Social Affairs provides ample information on springing power of attorney (Vorsorgevollmacht), custodianship and advance health care directive (Betreungs- und Patientenverfügung), and home care (in German only).

For information on the act on family caregiving leave (Gesetz über die Familienpflegezeit, FPfZG) and University procedures, go to Legal Regulations on Care Leave and Family Caregiving Leave.

The Angehörigenschule DAnS (family caregiving school)  offers independent advice for free. Services include individual advice and courses on provisional measures, caregiving, and reconciling care and work.

Theme day on caregiving—22 February 2022

Every year, the Family Offices of Universität Hamburg and the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW) organize cross-university theme days on caregiving together with University Sports. The theme days provide information and various events related to preventive care, dementia, grief, and mindfulness.

Our next theme days take place on 23., 25. und 26. Februar 2026. Find more information on the theme days web page.

“Don't forget to exercise!” - Brochure for people with dementia and their relatives

The brochure “Don't forget to exercise!”, published by the University of Hamburg in collaboration with the Schleswig-Holstein Dementia Competence Center, contains an exercise program for people with dementia and their relatives.

Targeted exercise can help people with dementia improve their concentration and maintain their everyday skills. The brochure presents an exercise program with an everyday approach for people with dementia, which uses pictures to explain various exercises that can be done with a partner or alone. There are five main areas of focus: warm-up, coordination, walking, strength, and balance.

You can download the brochure (PDF, in german) here or order a printed version for €4.95 from the Dementia Competence Center in Schleswig-Holstein.

Detailed information (in german) about the brochure and the project is available in the University of Hamburg newsroom.

Office for Health and Consumer Protection (BGV)

The Office for Health and Consumer Protection (BGV) provides comprehensive information about taking care of family members!