| Length of stay in the nursing home | Performance supplement |
|---|---|
| up to and including 12 months | 15% of the institution’s own share (EEE) to be paid |
| more than 12 months | 30% of the EEE to be paid |
| more than 24 months | 50% of the EEE to be paid |
| more than 36 months | 75% of the EEE to be paid |
Accommodation and meals
The monthly home costs also include the costs for accommodation and food. These have to be paid entirely by the insured persons themselves and have also increased noticeably in recent years. The reasons for this are the often massive increases in costs for electricity, heating and water. From the point of view of home operators, savings can only be made to a limited extent: heating cannot be easily switched off in winter, and running the laundry and kitchen also uses up a lot of energy.
The higher food costs are also passed on to the residents, as are the higher wages for employees in the kitchen, laundry and cleaning staff. All of this results in rising costs: According to figures from the Association of Substitute Insurance Funds, expenses for accommodation and meals rose to an average of 1,046 euros as of January 1, 2026 – that was 56 euros more than a year earlier.
Investment costs
In addition to the care costs and the expenses for accommodation and meals, the so-called investment costs form another cost item on the home operator’s bill.
The term investment costs covers all expenses that are directly related to the property and the inventory of the nursing home. This primarily includes the building costs, i.e. the rent or lease for the nursing home. This also includes possible financing costs (interest on loans).
The maintenance of the building and modernization measures are also passed on to the residents. The same applies to the furnishings of the building: If the home operator buys new nursing beds, furniture for the patient rooms or the common areas, these expenses are included in the investment costs.
There are big regional differences, as the Cologne Institute for the German Economy (IW) determined in 2025. This is not just due to the amount of the respective rent. It is also crucial, for example, whether the building is in a metropolitan area. The more densely populated a region is, the higher the investment costs generally are, according to the IW. The reason: Craftsmen in metropolitan areas often charge more money for their work.
