[Health status of older people in long-term inpatient care-a narrative review]

The risk of health impairments and the need for care increases with age. Approximately 14 % of people in need of care in Germany are cared for in nursing homes; among nursing home residents, the proportion of very old people is around 70 %. Nursing home residents are particularly vulnerable due to a variety of issues, but the data available on the health status of this target group are insufficient. This narrative review summarizes the empirical findings from Germany over the past decade on the health status of very old people in nursing homes. Furthermore, it presents intervention approaches and current reports on the quality of care.A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE via PubMed in November 2025 and supplemented by a free search for quality reports. The search yielded a total of 1597 hits, and 76 publications were ultimately included. The studies were very heterogeneous in terms of topics and reporting. The main topics were skin health, medication, and challenging behavior in people with dementia, with some marked differences in reported frequencies. Relevant aspects such as pain, nutrition, oral health, and quality of life were not addressed or only rarely. Only a few reports were available on the quality of care.Overall, the health situation of very old people in nursing homes has not been adequately described to date. There is a need for methodologically robust studies with appropriate data collection methods and outcome measures in order to comprehensively assess and report on the specific needs of this target group.