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Moving into our homes: costs, care insurance and steps

Maybe you have noticed that living alone at home is no longer working well. Maybe you are worried about your mother or father. And maybe you are wondering whether you can afford a place at all. Here you will find everything you need to decide: who can move in, what a place in our senior shared home in Dortmund costs, what the care insurance covers and how moving in works, step by step.

Your life in our shared home with care

Together instead of alone. Here is what to expect, for example, in our shared home “Glück auf” in Dortmund:

  • Privacy and community: Your own room, plus a generous living kitchen, two modern shower rooms, a garden and a shared living room.
  • Everyday life with heart: Shared meals, activities, celebrations and small outings. Everything is possible, nothing is mandatory.
  • Help where you need it: Our team supports you with the housework, everyday life and care coordination. Our cooperation partners provide the nursing care, in agreement with you and with us.
  • Safety: An emergency call system around the clock by arrangement, Wi-Fi and senior-friendly furnishings.
  • Clear costs: Only the all-in rent of €570 is mandatory. Housekeeping and personal support are an optional service contract.

Who can move in

Our shared home “Glück auf” suits you if you

  • have care grade 2 or higher (Pflegegrad 2; exceptions are possible by arrangement),
  • manage during the day on your own or with light support,
  • are open to living in a shared home.

Couples are welcome, and a pet is also possible by arrangement. In the end, our residents decide on new housemates and on pets. You can see what life with us feels like under senior living in Dortmund. How we differ from a care home, for example, is explained in our concept.

What a place with us costs

You will find the price on the page for that accommodation.

Rent, the only mandatory amount: €570 all-inclusive for electricity, gas, cold utilities, internet and the TV licence if applicable. If needed, the social welfare office can cover the rent.

Optional service contract for housekeeping and personal support: prices depend on what you need, hourly billing is possible, and they follow state guidelines. More information at heykumpel.com. With a care grade, billing through the care insurance (Pflegekasse) is possible.

What the care insurance and the social welfare office can cover

From care grade 2, care-insurance benefits can cover everyday support: the residential group supplement under § 38a SGB XI (Wohngruppenzuschlag) from 3 people, and the relief amount (Entlastungsbetrag). In addition, 40% of in-kind care benefits (Pflegesachleistungen) can be converted, and the respite-care budget (Verhinderungspflege) of €3,539 can be used for our services. From 2027 the new PNOG is due to take effect. The budgets will then change. We will say more if the law comes into force in that form. The rent of €570 is within the limits for basic income support (Grundsicherung) in Dortmund. If your pension is not enough, we check with you whether the social welfare office (Sozialamt) can step in. We work out together what applies in your case before you move in. You do not have to deal with the paperwork alone.

Required documents

After a successful viewing, and if you intend to move in:

  • Fully completed registration form. You receive it on request via our contact form or by phone.
  • Care grade notice (if available)
  • Insurance card and medication list
  • Powers of attorney or care directives (optional)
  • Contact details of relatives or legal guardians

Something missing? No problem. We will tell you exactly what we need.

Process in 6 steps

  1. Get in touch: Call or write to us. We listen and answer your first questions.
  2. Viewing: Take your time to look around the house, ideally together with your family.
  3. Getting to know each other: Meet the people who already live here, for example over coffee and cake. People who are going to live together should know each other first.
  4. Application and documents: Submit the registration form and the other documents.
  5. Clarify costs: Together we sort out the care insurance, the social welfare office and any additional services.
  6. Move-in and welcome week: Arrive, settle in, get to know your new housemates better and start your new everyday life.

We are happy to help with every step.

Required documents

  • Fully completed registration form
  • Care grade notice (if available)
  • Insurance card and medication list
  • Powers of attorney or care directives (optional)
  • Contact details of relatives or legal guardians

Something missing? No problem. We will tell you exactly what we need.

Frequently asked questions

Living in the senior shared home

What is a senior shared home (Senioren-WG)?
In a senior shared home, older people share one household. Everyone has their own room to retreat to, while the kitchen, living room and garden are shared. Our team provides housekeeping, personal support and nursing care itself, or together with service partners.
Who is the senior shared home in Dortmund for?
For people who need support in everyday life and/or feel lonely or isolated, and for whom a care home is not an option. Our shared home “Glück auf” suits people with care grade 2 or higher (Pflegegrad 2). They manage the day on their own or with a little help and are open to living in a shared home. Exceptions on the care grade are possible by arrangement. Family carers looking for a warm alternative are in the right place with us too.
How much independence do residents keep?
As much as possible. You shape your own day and decide when and with what you would like support. You furnish your room with your own things, or we furnish it for you by arrangement.
What activities are there?
Throughout the year there are barbecue evenings, birthday parties, trips to the cinema and theatre and small outings, in winter for example to cut a Christmas tree. Everything is an offer: everyone can join in, nobody has to.
Can couples or pets move in?
Couples are welcome. A pet is also possible by arrangement. In the end, the residents decide on new housemates and on pets.
Can I meet the other residents before moving in?
Yes, getting to know each other is a fixed part of moving in. People who are going to live together should have met properly first. So before you move in, you meet the people who already live here, ideally over coffee and cake.

Costs and care insurance

How much does a place in the senior shared home cost?
The only mandatory amount is the rent: €570 all-inclusive for electricity, gas, cold utilities, internet and the TV licence if applicable. Housekeeping and personal support are an optional service contract. Prices depend on what you need, hourly billing is possible, and they follow state guidelines. There is more on heykumpel.com. With a care grade, the care insurance can cover these services.
Does the care insurance (Pflegekasse) pay?
From care grade 2, care-insurance benefits can cover everyday support: the residential group supplement under § 38a SGB XI (Wohngruppenzuschlag) from 3 people, and the relief amount (Entlastungsbetrag). In addition, 40% of in-kind care benefits can be converted, and the respite-care budget (Verhinderungspflege) of €3,539 can be used for our services. From 2027 the PNOG is due to change the budgets, if the law comes into force in that form. We work out together with you and your Pflegekasse what applies in your case.
Is a small pension enough?
Good housing in old age should not depend on the size of your pension. The rent of €570 is within the limits for basic income support (Grundsicherung) in Dortmund. If your pension is not enough, we check with you whether the social welfare office (Sozialamt) can cover part of it, and we help with the application.
Can I live with you long term?
Yes, we offer long-term places. Kumpel & Hütte is not a temporary offer, but a real home.

Care, safety and family

Who provides the nursing care?
Our cooperation partners provide the nursing care, in agreement with you and with us. Our team, or a partner as well, provides housekeeping and personal support. The shared home has the right of the house: you decide who provides care and help, how much, how often and for how long.
Is the home barrier-free?
Not always fully. It depends on the shared home, and we say so openly. The rooms are practical for everyday life though, with a floor-level shower, handrails and well-planned lighting. When you visit, you can see for yourself whether it suits you.
How safe is living with you?
During the day our team is on site, and your housemates are not far away. By arrangement we also set up an emergency call system that can be reached around the clock. Anyone who has fallen at home with nobody there knows how much that is worth.
Can family members get involved?
Very much so. We work closely with families, and keeping in touch with relatives is a fixed part of our support. You get clear information about all services and routines, and visitors are welcome.
Where in Dortmund is the senior shared home?
Our address is Im Heidewinkel 30, 44267 Dortmund, Germany. Call us on +49 160 90889269 and we will arrange a time for you to look around in peace.

Shared home, care home or assisted living?

How is this different from a care home or an old-age home?
Above all, it feels like home. Instead of a large building with fixed routines, you have your own room in a family-like household, a shared kitchen and people who know you by name. You shape your own day. If you are looking for an alternative to a care home in Dortmund, for yourself or for your parents, you are welcome to come and take a look.
Is a senior shared home the same as assisted living?
Not quite. In assisted living you usually live alone in your own flat and book help on top. In our senior shared home you have your own room plus company: you share the kitchen, living room and garden with others. Housekeeping, personal support and nursing care can come from our team or from partners, if that is what you want. If you are looking for assisted living in Dortmund but do not want to be alone, you are in the right place.

Get to know us in person

Whether it is for yourself, your parents, or an acquaintance, relative or neighbour. The best way to understand our concept in Dortmund is to sit with us at the kitchen table. Call us or write to us. We take time for your questions, even if you are only just starting to look.

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