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Nursing home shortage and hospital bed-blocking

Author

Listed:
  • Bergmann, Lea
  • Heger, Dörte
  • Wuckel, Christiane

Abstract

A hospital stay dramatically increases the risk that an elderly person will require long-term care. Due to increasing staff shortages in German nursing homes, patients who require nursing home care directly after a hospital stay often struggle to find a nursing home bed. This paper studies how hospital length of stay differs between care dependent individuals requiring and not requiring a nursing home bed, controlling for potential health differences between these groups. We find that the need for a nursing home bed is associated with approximately a 40% increase in length of stay. Since hospital care is much more expensive than nursing home care, bed-blocking is not only a concern for the patients but also for public policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Bergmann, Lea & Heger, Dörte & Wuckel, Christiane, 2024. "Nursing home shortage and hospital bed-blocking," Ruhr Economic Papers 1108, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:rwirep:306838
    DOI: 10.4419/96973286
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hainmueller, Jens, 2012. "Entropy Balancing for Causal Effects: A Multivariate Reweighting Method to Produce Balanced Samples in Observational Studies," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(1), pages 25-46, January.
    2. Heger, Dörte & Herr, Annika & Lückemann, Maximilian & Reichert, Arndt R. & Tycher, Leonie, 2023. "Strategies and implications of mitigating personnel shortages in nursing homes," Ruhr Economic Papers 1056, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    3. Heger, Dörte & Korfhage, Thorben, 2018. "Care choices in Europe: To Each According to His or Her Needs?," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 55, pages 1-16.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Capacity; personnel shortage; long-term care; nursing and care homes; bed-blocking;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs

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