Overview

• The proportion of hospital patients aged 80+ in Germany has risen from 10–13% in 2005 to over 20% by 2023, with further increases projected as the population ages.
• Elderly inpatients have significantly higher medical costs, averaging €3,350 per stay—seven times the cost of patients under 60—and longer hospital stays averaging 8.1 days.
• An estimated 48,000 hospitalizations of elderly patients in Brandenburg in 2022 could have been avoided through better outpatient or nursing-home care.
• Germany's hospitals face systemic challenges, including staffing shortages and inadequate preparation for the complex needs of elderly patients, leading to higher risks of complications.
• Pilot programs like Stay@Home and legislative proposals are exploring telemedicine, preventive care, and streamlined outpatient pathways to reduce avoidable hospitalizations and ease healthcare pressures.