Why Do Some German Regions Have More Nursing Homes?

In Germany, about one in three people over 64 who need care live in nursing homes. But this number isn't the same everywhere. Some areas have less than 15% of elderly folks in nursing homes, while others have more than 50%. A recent study set out to find out why these differences exist. Researchers used lots of data from across the country, focusing on people who need care and all nursing homes. They used special math models to look at this data. They found that how much care someone needs, if they have family to help, and how many professional care workers are around make a big difference. Also, some places seem to influence each other a bit, but not a lot. Surprisingly, how rich or rural a place is doesn't matter much in a country where everyone gets care, even if they don't have much money.