ABSTRACT
All citizens have the right to dignified and respectful social care and assistance. The state and society as a whole have the responsibility to guarantee the realization of these rights. However, the question arises what is dignified and respectful long-term care and assistance for the individual? One possible answer is given by the German Charter of Rights for people in need of long-term care and assistance. The charter summarizes existing books of law such as the German Federal Constitution or the European Social Charter and translates them into a specific context of long-term care. It is written in a language easily understood by everyone and reflects the central situation of people in need of long-term care and assistance. It sets an explicit benchmark for health and social care in Germany. The Charter was developed in 2005 at the round table for long-term care, hosted by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Security. The round table consisted of representatives of users, consumer groups and other stakeholders, but also of care providers and health and care insurance funds in Germany.Many institutions, such as residential homes and health care services have now successfully applied the Charter in their daily work and it has found its way into several books of law at national and regional levels. The following article gives an overview of the structure, content and intention of the Charter and also highlights examples of implementation and its effects on the care structure and daily work with people in need of long-term care.