Preparing for the MDK assessment — what matters

What happens at the appointment

The assessor comes to your home. The appointment lasts 1-2 hours. What is rated is how independently the person manages across six modules:

• Mobility (10 % weighting) — getting up, walking, climbing stairs.
• Cognitive and communication abilities (15 % or 7.5%) — recognising, orienting, making oneself understood.
• Behaviour and psychological problems (together with module 2: 15 %) — aggression, anxiety, delusions.
• Self-care (40 %) — personal hygiene, eating, dressing.
• Coping with, and independently managing, the demands of illness and treatment (20 %) — medication, changing dressings.
• Organising everyday life and social contacts (15 %) — planning, occupation, keeping in touch.

Each module is given a score; together the modules add up to a total that is mapped to a care level.

Four common mistakes at the assessment

Mistake 1: putting on a brave face:

Many people needing care play down their difficulties in front of a stranger — out of pride, out of politeness. The assessor notes that down, and the care level comes out too low. Say honestly what no longer works.

Mistake 2: relatives taking over the answers:

The assessor needs to be able to judge the person themselves. If you as a relative keep stepping in, that is recorded as good communication ability.

Mistake 3: preparing no documentation:

A care diary covering at least a week shows concretely where the need lies. Findings, doctors’ reports, the medication list — all of it within reach on the table.

Mistake 4: booking the appointment for a good time of day:

Many people with dementia are more oriented in the morning than in the afternoon. If you arrange a morning appointment, the assessor may see your relative at their very best — and underestimate the need.

Checklist for the MDK appointment

If possible: have someone present who takes notes — not who answers.

• A care diary covering 1-2 weeks (what is done, when, for how long).
• A list of all medication (name, dose, frequency).
• All current doctors’ reports and findings.
• An overview of aids and equipment (walking frame, care bed, incontinence supplies).
• A list of all care help already being provided.
• The severe disability card (Schwerbehindertenausweis), if there is one.
• The insurance card and the care level application.

If you are unsure

We accompany families to MDK appointments. One of our staff attends, asks informed questions, adds observations and guards against an under-assessment. We discuss the terms in the initial consultation.

Frequently asked questions

• May someone be present at the MDK appointment?

  Yes. It is actively recommended — both a relative and an external companion such as ourselves.
• What happens if I disagree with the decision?

  You can lodge an informal objection within 4 weeks.
• How often can a care level be reassessed?

  Any time the condition worsens. As a routine review, generally every 1-2 years.
• Who ultimately decides the care level?

  The Pflegekasse — on the basis of the MDK report. It can in theory depart from it, but rarely does.
• What does the preparation cost?

  The initial consultation is free. Deeper advice and attendance at the MDK appointment are costed according to the effort and the setting — you will hear the relevant order of magnitude directly in the initial consultation.