1990年代前期，德國之失智照顧型態可概分為機構式照顧與居家照顧兩大類。90年代中期之後，德國興起一種新的失智患者居住與照顧安排模式失智者之合租公寓。德文全名為：ambulant betreute Wohngemeinschaft für Menschen mit Demenz；簡稱：Demenz WG。其原文全名囊括此新式失智照顧型態之兩大特點，亦即「ambulant」（非住院的、非機構的）以及「betreut」（被照顧的）。此針對失智長者所提供之居住與照顧安排型式與日本失智照顧體系中之「團體家屋」(Group Home)型式有所差異，亦即與台灣近年來所發展之失智團體家屋不盡相同。本文將簡介德國之團體家屋模式。為凸顯其模式與特質，乃沿用德文原文「失智（長）者之合租公寓」一詞加以描述。

Till the middle 90s, the German dementia care was basically divided into 2 categories: institutional and home care. After the Mid-90s, a new form of housing and caring arrangement for elderly people with dementia has been developed. It is similar with the so-called 'Group home' in Japan. The German full name of this new form of housing for the special target groups is "ambulant betreute Wohngemeinschaft für Menschen mit Demenz", often abbreviated by: "Demenz WG". The original German term indicates two major characteristics of this housing model: "ambulant" (ambulant, not institutional), as well as "betreut" (be cared, be looked after). The German group home model is in some way differed from the Japanese group homes, as well as from the Taiwan model, which has been developed recently. This assay is intended to give a brief introduction of the German group home model. In order to indicate the characteristics of the new housing form in Germany, the Chinese translation derived from original name has been used.