[Health promotion and prevention in nursing homes in the context of the German Prevention Act].

The German Prevention Act obliges the nursing care insurance funds to provide health-promoting interventions and preventive offers in nursing homes. These interventions should clearly differ from activating nursing care and be of proven effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.The present opinion article critically appraises the evidence base of the interventions belonging to the pre-defined preventive areas "nutrition," "physical activity," "cognitive resources," "psychosocial health," and "prevention of elder abuse." The interventions' underlying evidence is weak or even missing. It is unclear whether the interventions contribute to the intended strengthening of the health-promoting potential of care facilities and meet the goal of improving the health situation and resources of the care-dependent people. On the other hand, there are areas of prevention, which are not covered, but have great potential for improving the life situation of those in need of care, for example, in the context of person-centered care and a caring nursing culture.