Personnel shortages and the provision of long-term care: an empirical analysis of German nursing homes

Dörte Heger (), Annika Herr (), Maximilian Lückemann (), Arndt Reichert () and Leonie Tycher ()
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Dörte Heger: RWI- Leibniz Institute for Economic Research
Annika Herr: Leibniz University Hannover
Maximilian Lückemann: Leibniz University Hannover
Arndt Reichert: Leibniz University Hannover
Leonie Tycher: Leibniz University Hannover

The European Journal of Health Economics, 2025, vol. 26, issue 9, No 2, 1539-1555

Abstract: Abstract Amidst demographic shifts, advanced economies are facing critical nursing shortages. This study analyzes how long-term care in German nursing homes relate to these shortages using administrative data for the period 2007 to 2017. Our analysis reveals that higher nursing shortages correlate with decreased nurse-to-resident ratios, changes in the qualification mix of nurse personnel, and reduced occupancy rates. These findings suggest that nurse shortages might be a threat to the quality of care and the financial sustainability of nursing homes at the margin of being profitable.

Keywords: Nursing homes; Personnel shortage; Capacity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C90 I10 I11 I18 J01 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s10198-025-01782-7

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