Calculating care allowance hours: Correctly documenting care needs in Austria
Does it sometimes feel like you are stuck in the jungle of care allowance? These bureaucratic hurdles, the complicated calculation of hours – it can quickly overwhelm you. But whether you are caring wholeheartedly for a loved one or are yourself seeking urgently needed support: you are entitled to financial assistance! We show you how to make the best use of it to make your everyday life easier."
Because every extra euro in care allowance means more quality of life for the person in need of care and the opportunity to afford the best possible care. And for you as a dedicated caregiver, it means fairer, higher pay for your invaluably valuable work! We know how challenging everyday care is, and that is why we show you how everyone can receive the financial support they are entitled to.
Susanne is a caregiver and lovingly looks after an elderly woman in need of care in her neighborhood. Because of physical impairment, the woman has difficulty managing everyday life, so Susanne helps her with daily tasks such as household chores, shopping, and doctor’s visits to enable her to live a self-determined life. But no matter how much Susanne tries to keep her financial expenses within limits, there is usually not enough money left at the end of the month. We show people like Susanne how they can actively help their clients receive more care allowance – which directly makes fairer pay for Susanne’s tireless commitment possible.
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Case example: Care allowance for people with dementia
Mr. Mair, 80 years old, suffers from dementia. His daughter felt the increasing burden and the growing need for more intensive care. She knew: every hour counts. That is why she applied for an increase in the care allowance after the need for care had risen so sharply due to the illness. With new medical documents and the right argumentation, Mr. Mair was upgraded from level 3 to level 5 – an important step for his quality of life and the relief of the family.
The care levels serve to determine what help and care a person needs in daily life. In Austria, there are a total of seven care levels that record the individual care needs in hours and support them with a corresponding amount of money. These guideline values or hours are defined for the individual care needs, such as personal hygiene, support with mobility, or meal preparation.
Increase care level: How you as a caregiver can actively help
Care is not only about daily support – often you are also the most important anchor in bureaucratic matters. You are the expert on site who knows the actual care needs best! An appropriate care level is crucial for many affected people. This is where you come in: your knowledge and your observations are crucial to increasing the care level and thereby not only relieving the person in need of care financially, but also improving your own salary."
Many people in need of care and their relatives are unsure how to apply for a higher care level or what to pay attention to. As a caregiver, you have experience and know what matters. You can support them in increasing the care allowance.
Austrian Ministry of Social Affairs - Care allowance
Pension Insurance Institution (PVA)
Austrian Disability Council - Care allowance
- Help with the application at the respective social insurance and pension insurance institution
- Fill out the application (online or on paper)
- Submission including medical records to prove the increased care needs. The more detailed the records document the deterioration of the condition (e.g. medical findings, medication plans, fall logs), the better!
Your application was rejected or the care level is too low? Do not let it discourage you! Unfortunately, this happens often. You have the right to appeal.
- Observe the deadline: The appeal period is generally 3 months from delivery of the decision.
- New evidence: During this time, collect even more detailed proof of the care needs (continued care diary, current medical findings, confirmations from therapists).
- Seek advice: Use care counseling centers (e.g. Red Cross, Caritas, Chamber of Labor) for support in formulating the appeal.
- Your role as a caregiver: Your detailed records and your assessment are extremely valuable here in supporting the appeal."
Preparation for the assessment appointment by the PVA Medical Service
A doctor from the health insurance funds decides on the classification of the care level. Therefore, it is important to prepare well for the visit of an expert from the social insurance:
- The expert’s visit is crucial! As a caregiver, you are the most important witness here.
- Draw attention to limitations that are important for the care allowance classification, e.g. nighttime restlessness in dementia, which does not directly count as personal care but requires constant supervision and increases the overall effort.
Checklist for the expert appointment:
The expert appointment is your chance to present the actual care needs precisely. So that you do not forget anything and have all important information at hand, use our practical checklist:
- All current medical findings (doctor’s reports, diagnoses, medication plan).
- Your completed care diary (see above!).
- List of required aids (walker, care bed, etc.).
- Short list of the biggest challenges in everyday life that are not immediately visible.
- Any questions you have for the expert.
How does the care level calculation work?
The bureaucratic processes surrounding care allowance can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to calculating the number of care hours. The calculation of the care allowance is based on the number of care hours required for daily tasks such as personal hygiene, meal preparation, and mobility assistance."
The PVA expert can only assess what they see or what you describe to them. Your observations are worth gold! Keep a detailed care diary. Here you record every day:
- Which activities were carried out and for how long (e.g. personal hygiene 30 min., mobilization 15 min., medication administration 5 min.).
- What difficulties occurred (e.g. risk of falling when getting up, refusal to eat, nighttime restlessness).
- Special features or “hidden” effort (e.g. frequent changing of incontinence materials, complex wound care).
- Need for supervision (e.g. in dementia, to avoid self-endangerment).
Nora's additional tip
In addition to the classic paper care diary, there are also helpful care documentation apps that can make it easier for you to record times and observations. They help you document everything in a structured and clear way – so in an emergency you always have the necessary proof at hand.
Check the care allowance level table (2026).
Which tasks count toward the care allowance?
The following care tasks are taken into account when calculating the care allowance:
- Daily personal care and hygiene (help with bathing and showering)
- Help with getting dressed and undressed
- Cleaning the home
- Preparing meals and providing support while eating
- Help with walking and lying down, transferring from bed to armchair
- Support with taking medication
- Household tasks (e.g. cleaning, laundry)
- Extraordinary care effort for wounds, catheters or dementia care
The calculation of care allowance is based on the number of care hours required for daily tasks such as personal hygiene, meal preparation, and mobility assistance.
Calculate care level: How to determine the hourly effort for classification!
The bureaucratic procedures surrounding care allowance can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to accurately determining the hourly effort that is crucial for classification into a care level. To calculate care allowance, the actual care hours required for tasks such as personal hygiene, meal preparation, mobility assistance, and support services for special needs are taken into account. The result of this hourly calculation forms the basis for assigning a care level, which then entails a fixed monthly care allowance amount.
Important in cases of dementia and mental impairments: The care effort for people with dementia is often underestimated. What counts here is not only physical assistance, but also the effort involved in supervision, orientation support, motivation, and coping with behavioral issues. Such 'non-delegable' tasks (which you as a caregiver cannot simply hand off to others) can significantly increase the hourly effort and lead to a higher care level. Document these hours meticulously in your care diary as well!"
Calculation of monthly care times (hours/month)
Depending on the employment model, there are major differences in earnings and flexibility.
Agency model:
Caregivers who work through an agency are firmly integrated into a system. The agency handles placement between caregivers and families and takes care of contracts, billing, and in some cases accommodation and travel as well.
- The caregiver has little say in the choice of families or in working conditions.
- Caregivers are integrated into a fixed system.
- The agency handles contracts, billing, and in some cases accommodation and travel as well.
Placement through noracares:
In contrast, noracares relies on direct placement between caregivers and families, without high placement fees or fixed requirements.
- Caregivers work independently and manage their income on their own.
- Direct negotiations with families allow for flexible pricing.
- Income can be significantly higher depending on experience and qualifications.
- Caregivers have full control over their working hours and flexibility.
- No placement fees – direct agreements with families are possible.
If you prefer security and a fixed structure, an agency may make sense – although often with lower earnings and less flexibility. However, if you want more control over your working hours and income, noracares offers a flexible alternative where you can work independently as a caregiver – without agency fees and with greater freedom.
Care placement agencies put to the test
Stiftung Warentest examined 13 nationwide placement agencies for caregivers. The result? At best "satisfactory".
Care allowance plays a crucial role in paying caregivers, as many families use it to finance care services. Therefore, the higher the care level, the more care allowance the person in need of care receives – and the more budget is potentially available to pay a caregiver. Self-employed caregivers can adjust their rates to the level of care effort and thus achieve fair compensation for their services. By having a good understanding of care allowance classification, caregivers can agree on appropriate remuneration with families.
As in any other job, the same applies in care work: the more qualifications a caregiver can demonstrate, the higher the pay.
Yes, it is absolutely worth it – especially if you have control over your working conditions! Through noracares you will not only find flexible assignments, but you can also negotiate your fee directly with families. No hidden agency deductions! For you, that means: more net from gross, more freedom, and fair appreciation for your important work. Become part of the noracares community and shape your professional daily life yourself!" Register now
What subsidies are available for caregivers?
Caregivers in Austria can claim various government grants and subsidies under certain conditions. Below you will find specific examples and the corresponding funding bodies:
1. Subsidy for 24-hour care
According to the current status in 2026, nothing has changed in the basic subsidy amounts (grant provided by the Social Ministry Service), but the income limits are important for readers:
- Amount of subsidy: Remains at €800 (for two self-employed caregivers) or €1,600 (for two employed caregivers). Your text still partly states "€400 / €800" for one caregiver – that is correct, but most families use the model with two caregivers in rotation.
- Important: The income limit for the full subsidy remains at €2,500 net per month (assets are not taken into account).
Funding body. You can submit the corresponding applications to the Social Ministry Service .
2. Family Caregiver Bonus 2026
You should definitely include this point, as it was also valorized in 2026:
- The family caregiver bonus amounts to €134.30 per month in 2026 (instead of €130.80 in 2025).
- Requirement: care at home from level 4 and the caregiver's net income below €1,710.90.
3. Your new start: the care scholarship
Are you thinking about starting nursing training or advancing your career? Then 2026 is the perfect year for it! The care scholarship from the Public Employment Service (AMS) is a real powerhouse for your professional future.
It secures you a stable income throughout your entire training period (up to a maximum of four years), so that you can fully concentrate on learning.
The hard facts for 2026:
- Financial security: The minimum amount was adjusted for 2026 and now stands at a proud €1,650 per month. This gives you the freedom to complete your training without financial worries.
- Who is eligible? The scholarship is aimed at job seekers, but also at employees or self-employed people who take educational leave for the training or temporarily suspend their business license.
- Responsibility: Allocation and advice are provided directly by the Public Employment Service (AMS).
4. Grant for care training in Upper Austria
In Upper Austria, since September 2022 there has been a grant for people completing care training, provided that the school location is in Upper Austria.
Funding body : Province of Upper Austria
The year 2026 brings a lot of movement to care financing in Austria. We have seen that care allowance is not charity, but hard-earned support that is based on your precise documentation. Whether through the valorization of care levels, the increased family caregiver bonus, or the attractive care scholarship – the financial resources are there, you just have to access them correctly.
As a caregiver, you are far more than just a helping hand; you are the strategic partner for families. With your care diary, you lay the foundation for fair classification and therefore also for your own well-deserved fee. At noracares we support exactly this independence: we connect you directly with families so that the money goes where the work is done – to you.
- Valorization: The annual adjustment of social benefits (such as care allowance) to inflation. In 2026, the amounts were increased by 2.7%.
- PVA (Pension Insurance Institution): The responsible authority in Austria that decides on care allowance classification and sends the assessors.
- Delegable vs. non-delegable tasks: Delegable tasks are simple forms of help (e.g. cleaning) that anyone can do. Non-delegable tasks require your specific professional presence or supervision (important for the hourly calculation).
- Hardship supplement: An additional time value (usually 25 hours per month) that is added to the basic need in cases of severe mental or psychological disabilities (such as advanced dementia).
- Nostrification: The official recognition in Austria of your nursing qualification obtained abroad – an important step to increase your fee on noracares.
- Care scholarship: Financial support from the AMS during training to become a caregiver, amounting to at least €1,650 per month in 2026.
