Hospital companions in Berlin — when family cannot be there every moment

What we actually do

Being there when the staff cannot be:

Nurses often care for 18 or more patients at once across a shift. We are there one-to-one — continuously, awake, observing.

Preventing falls after an operation:

Especially at night after an anaesthetic, in confusion, in unfamiliar surroundings. We stay by the bed and help with getting up, before anything happens.

Dementia support in hospital:

We know how to handle attempts to leave the bed, loss of orientation, post-operative delirium. A calm presence markedly reduces stress and the need for restraint or sedation.

Helping with food, offering drinks:

What hospital staff often cannot do unhurried for lack of time — particularly with people with dementia, who simply “forget” to eat.

An eye on the call button, a point of contact for nurses and doctors:

Passing on observations, mediating on the ward round, remembering the questions that are so easily lost in hospital routine.

Company to examinations and transfers:

The patient is not left alone in the corridor or while waiting — we stay with them.

Relief for the family:

You do not have to rush over every evening after work. You know that someone is there.

When does this make sense?

Four typical situations in which families call us:

After a planned operation:

The first two to five nights for safety — the phase with the highest risk of delirium and of falls.

With dementia or confusion:

Continuous company for the whole stay, because the hospital environment often makes dementia markedly worse.

During longer stays (more than a week):

By the day or by the hour, where family cannot be there continuously themselves.

In the emergency department:

Support at short notice, when no one in the family can get there quickly enough.

What sets us apart

Experienced nurses, not auxiliary staff:

Company in hospital is demanding. These assignments are taken on here only by staff with the relevant professional experience — powers of observation, a calm manner, the ability to deal with confusion and with relatives, and the professional judgement to pass observations on to hospital staff.

A working relationship with nurses and doctors:

We know how to move within hospital routine without getting in the way. We report to admissions and to the nurse in charge, agree our hours of presence, and fit into the routine of the ward.

Discreet and dignified:

We do not talk about other patients, we complement the ward team respectfully, and we step back when the family is there.

Frequently asked questions

• What does a private hospital companion cost in Berlin?

  The cost depends on the number of hours, the proportion of day and night, and the qualification required. We do not quote flat rates, because the situations differ so much. In the free first talk we listen first — then we make a specific, transparent proposal.
• Will health insurance cover a hospital companion from a care service?

  In most cases, no. Statutory health insurance pays for medical treatment in hospital, but not for additional one-to-one care by an external care service. There are exceptions for parents rooming in with children, and in rare special cases. For adults with dementia, a risk of falling or particular care needs, private company in hospital is as a rule a private-pay service. Some private supplementary policies reimburse part of the cost — please clarify this in advance.
• What can a private companion in hospital actually do?

  Be present, keep an eye on the call button and on the patient, help with food and drink, assist with changes of position, provide reassurance in confusion, inform nurses and doctors of observations, accompany the patient to examinations. We do not replace the hospital staff — we add a constantly present, familiar person. Medical tasks (medication, wound care, changing dressings) remain with the hospital staff.
• My father is confused after his operation (delirium) — what can we do?

  Post-operative delirium affects older people above all and often appears in the first nights after an operation. The most effective measure is a calm, familiar presence — studies show that bedside companions can markedly reduce the need for restraint and sedation. If you cannot be there continuously yourself, we take that on. Particularly during the night hours, when confusion often becomes more pronounced.
• My mother has dementia and has to go into hospital — how can we help?

  Hospital stays are especially difficult for people with dementia: unfamiliar surroundings, missing routines, many unknown faces. A constant companion markedly reduces anxiety, attempts to leave the bed and the risk of falling. If the family cannot be there continuously, we take that on — we know how to work with dementia and coordinate closely with the hospital staff. That includes helping with food, which with dementia is so often “forgotten”.
• How quickly can you come?

  For planned stays (an operation, rehabilitation) a few days of notice is best. In acute situations (the emergency department, a sudden need) we try to arrange a first period of company within 24 hours — depending on the day and the time, sometimes sooner. Call us and we will discuss what is possible.
• Is a hospital allowed to admit a private companion at all?

  Yes. Relatives, and companions engaged by relatives, have access to the patient as a matter of course. We of course report to admissions and to the nursing staff and agree our hours of presence. Most Berlin hospitals know the arrangement and cooperate well. In shared rooms we discuss consideration for the other patients.
• Can you take on just a single night?

  Yes. Many of our assignments are exactly that: one, two or three nights straight after an operation, when the risk of a fall or of confusion is highest. We provide longer company over several weeks just as readily.
• Which hospitals do you work in?

  We accompany patients in every Berlin hospital — Charité, Helios, Vivantes, DRK, Park-Klinik Weissensee, St. Joseph, Schlosspark-Klinik, St. Gertrauden and all the others. The focus of our area is the west of Berlin (Zehlendorf, Grunewald, Charlottenburg, Wilmersdorf, Dahlem, Schmargendorf, Westend), but we also work in Mitte, Moabit, Tiergarten and the surrounding area.
• Who actually carries out the work — trainees or experienced staff?

  Experienced nurses with the relevant qualification. Company in hospital is demanding: powers of observation, a calm manner, the ability to deal with confusion and with relatives, and the professional judgement to pass observations on to hospital staff. These assignments are taken on here only by staff with the relevant experience.
• What if my mother does not take to your carer?

  As a rule we become a familiar face within a short time — most patients settle after the first hour. If in an individual case it does not fit, we change the member of staff. Personal chemistry matters a great deal in these situations.
• How do we book this?

  A first telephone call is enough. We establish the situation (a planned operation, acute, ongoing), what is needed (dementia, risk of falling, general insecurity), the extent (day, night, continuous) and the hospital. Within 24 hours you receive a specific proposal.