Health insurance company AOK sounds the alarm: More and more elderly patients in Berlin's hospitals

Berlin is aging: Within a decade, the number of residents over the age of 80 has increased by approximately 66 percent . This demographic trend is clearly evident in inpatient treatments at the city's 59 general care hospitals. The proportion of very elderly patients rose from 14 to 22 percent between 2005 and 2023. This is according to the hospital report recently published by the Scientific Institute of theAOK health insurance company (WIdO).

According to studies, the very elderly very frequently suffer from two or more illnesses: For women over 80, the figure is approximately 82 percent, for men just under 80. Their need for medical care and nursing is correspondingly high. Berlin hospitals are often inadequately prepared for this, write the authors of the hospital report .

"Overall, we see a high risk of complications in these patients. Therefore, we urgently need to improve outpatient care for the very elderly," says Dagmar Schmidt, hospital expert at AOK Nordost. "This will prevent unnecessary hospital stays, protect hospitals from overload, and prevent massive cost increases."

From a financial perspective, the situation is as follows, according to WIdO: Per hospital stay, a very elderly person incurs treatment costs of approximately €3,350. "This is almost seven times higher than for those under 60," a press release from Wednesday reads. Looking ahead, the authors paint a bleak picture, albeit one that has been predictable for decades: "As the baby boomers enter retirement, the pressure on the care of the very elderly will continue to increase."

The researchers found that approximately 44,000 hospital stays for very elderly Berliners could have been avoided in 2022. This corresponds to almost one in three admissions in this age group. This primarily affects patients with conditions such as heart failure or diabetes. Ideally, they should receive continuous care from a primary care physician or in a nursing setting. "We must ensure that only those people whose inpatient treatment cannot be avoided are treated in hospital," says Dr. David Scheller-Kreinsen, Deputy Managing Director of WIdO and co-editor of the report.

"One key to preventing hospital admissions is better medical care for chronically ill elderly people in their own homes," the AOK statement continues. Since April of last year, a pilot project in Berlin supported by AOK Nordost has been investigating how this could work. "ErwiN" is the name, which stands for "Extended Transfer of Physician-Relieving Activities in Physician Networks."

87 percent of people in need of care are cared for at home

Specially trained nurses carry out home visits and certain treatments themselves. "Doctors can be consulted via video consultations," the AOK reports. "Such a transfer of medical tasks to nurses has so far only been possible in model projects in Germany. In other European countries, this practice is already commonplace."

Approximately 87 percent of people in need of care are cared for in their own homes. Family members can receive free advice at one of Berlin's 36 care centers. Key questions that will become increasingly important in the future are: Which types of housing are suitable for the specific situation of the person in need of care? What support options are available? Alternative models to nursing homes and home care are increasingly coming into focus.

Shared care communities are becoming increasingly important. With approximately 800 such shared living communities, Berlin leads the field by a wide margin. However, hospital stays can only be avoided by shifting care more to outpatient settings. However, Berlin currently lacks the necessary structures—and the financial resources—to create them.