[Probability and duration of inpatient care in the aged].

The utilization of geriatric homes by the elderly population of Mannheim was investigated by means of a retrospective longitudinal study. The findings give information with respect to the cumulative probability of geriatric-home admission, the mean duration of stay in the homes, the proportion of persons in the elderly population resident in geriatric homes, and the distribution of home-care provision according to age, sex and marital status.