Elderly care: over 1,200 care facilities insolvent or closed

In Germany, more and more nursing homes and services are in financial need. Since the beginning of last year after a survey by the employers’ association care at 1,264 nursing facilities, bankruptcies or closures have been known, as association manager Isabell Halste of the German Press Agency said in Berlin. “This is very worried because despite growing needs, a number of nursing places break away.”

The case of the nursing group recently made headlines. Its four holding companies had applied for bankruptcy at the Bad Homburg District Court on April 1, as several media reported.

“Home death goes on”

In fact, the Nursing Employers’ Association already documented how strongly the industry is under pressure at the beginning of last year in a specially created “Germany map”. The association counted over 800 bankruptcies or closures in geriatric care in 2023. Association President Thomas Greiner said at the time: “And the homight continues, whether family -run nursing home, church social center or powerful nursing company.”

Argentialism refers to the challenges of the entire industry with the problems with which one is confronted – “such as a shortage of skilled workers, increasing operating costs, bureaucratic hurdles and inadequate financing”. In view of the growing problems and the increasing need for care in the aging society, the still incumbent health minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) announced a nursing reform in autumn. However, improvements before breaking the traffic light coalition were no longer on the way.

A lack of payment standards of the health insurers

Association Managing Director Halstletz, as the main cause, blames a lack of payment behavior of the health insurance companies as the main cause of financial imbalance. The benefits of the homes and services would usually not be paid promptly. “This tiles up to six- to seven-digit sums for the nursing companies,” said Halletz. Clams of health insurers were renovated at the expense of care providers. “The nursing companies are misused as the bank of the health insurance companies,” said Halstletz.

For a long time it also takes social offices that step in for needy people for their own shares – but often only after months of waiting, as Halstletz criticized. “So the providers provide services that are initially not financed – this also affects larger companies.”

Industry is hoping for a new government

The parties who are currently negotiating on the next government in Germany are now asked. “The breakdown of structures should be a large warning sign to politics,” warned Halster. The nursing companies would have to be strengthened. The association manager demanded that they should no longer appear “how supplicants”. According to the Federal Statistical Office, there were recently 11,250 nursing homes with full stationary long -term care and 15,549 outpatient care services in Germany.

Interview with IW researcher Pimpertz on the situation of maintaining official care statistics Spiegel report on Argentum Pay for care in Germany Report on insolvency argent “map of Germany”