[Regional disparities in accessibility of inpatient treatment for elderly patients]

This article analyzes the supply of residential care facilities for old people in Germany with the aim to discover regional disparities. The analysis is based on the directory of residential institutions for old people (Altenheimadressbuch). On a national level the supply of residential care facilities in this data base is comparable with the results of the national statistic (Heimplatzstatistik). The results show considerable disparities that only to a minor extent coincide with the regional distribution of older people. Although there is no definite coherence between the supply of residential care facilities and the family care potential, there is a significant negative correlation between both.