Bochum in Focus: Health Policy and Care Planning 2026

Care Planning and Demographic Change: Bochum Shapes the Future

Bochum is facing a central challenge: demographic change is rapidly altering the population structure. With 7.2 percent of the total population, 26,850 people in Bochum are currently in need of care, and this number is expected to rise by about 13 percent to around 30,300 by 2049. Particularly affected are people aged 80 and over, among whom the care dependency rate is already at 53.3 percent. This development requires both the expansion of inpatient and outpatient care capacities and an urgent need to retain qualified staff.

Expansion of Care Capacities: Where Bochum is Already Taking Action

The city has taken initial steps in recent months to concretize its care planning. The report on municipal care planning was approved after revisions, and the recommendations remain in place. The city has defined clear target figures to ensure adequate care by 2049. For example, 632 additional inpatient care places are to be created by 2049 – primarily in districts such as Wattenscheid, Südwest, Ost, and Süd, which are currently undersupplied.

A concrete project in implementation is the planned new building with 80 places in the district of Südwest. In addition, the share of short-term and day care places is to increase to target values by 2049. The city has also defined clear personnel targets: a total of 960 additional staff members are to be employed in care by 2049, 640 in inpatient and 320 in outpatient care.

Care Staff Retention: Challenges and Initiatives

A central problem remains the shortage of skilled workers in the care sector. The personnel ratio dropped from 25.4 to 12.8 employees per 100 care recipients between 2015 and 2023. In many institutions, staff have to work overtime, and temporary staff are used. To strengthen staff retention, Bochum relies on networks such as the "Bochumer Bündnis für Pflege" and cooperates with the Bochumer Ehrenamtsagentur (bea) and the BegleiterNetzwerk Bochum.

The city is also considering flexible working time models, bonus programs, and image promotion of long-term care. In addition, the project "#WEGEweisend" is attempting to win voluntary helpers to ease the care burden.

Age-Friendly Urban Development: Bochum as a Model Municipality

Parallel to the care planning, Bochum has adopted the action plan "Leben im Alter 2025–2030," which provides for 29 measures in the areas of health, housing, mobility, and participation. The goal is to create an inclusive urban society in which older people can actively participate. 22 of these measures have already been implemented in 2025, and seven are planned for 2027.

Another central project is the city's membership in the WHO networks "Age-Friendly Cities and Communities," positioning Bochum as a model municipality for age-appropriate urban development. In 2026, the development of a heat action plan to protect older people during heatwaves will be carried out. In addition, a senior portal is being developed to bundle age-appropriate information and offers.

Integration and Diversity in Care

The city is also dealing with diversity-oriented care. 34.9 percent of the population have a migration background, and this proportion will continue to rise in the coming years. The city has therefore introduced measures for culturally sensitive care and cooperates with migrant and senior organizations (MSOs) to better understand the needs of older people with a migration background.

A concrete project is the model project "Guter Lebensabend NRW," in which Bochum is participating as a model municipality in breaking down access barriers for older people. Multilingual offers and awareness-raising measures against age discrimination are part of the strategy.

Challenges and Open Questions

Despite these activities, challenges remain. The long-term care planning is not yet fully completed, and the care action plan will only be adopted by the Council in 2026. In addition, some projects, such as the assessment of the needs of family caregivers, depend on funding decisions. Financial constraints and staff shortages hinder the implementation of measures in the area of age-appropriate housing.

There are also hurdles in the integration of international care workers. Although the Welcome Office Bochum opened in 2025 and has completed over 4,000 appointments by May 2026, questions remain regarding the long-term security of language and integration courses.

Development So Far

In February 2026, the challenges of care planning were in focus in Bochum, including staff shortages, structural changes, and financial aspects, with a need for 390 additional outpatient care workers by 2049.

The number of care-dependent people in Bochum is growing rapidly, forcing the city to re-plan and expand its care structures, especially in day and short-term care and the care of people with dementia (the renovation of the Freibad Hangeweiher). At the same time, Bochum is struggling with staff shortages and a strained training situation in the care sector.

Outlook

Bochum has set important course for the future of health and care policy in the last few months. The city has defined clear target values, launched projects, and established networks. Yet the implementation of these plans still requires political strength and financial resources. The upcoming measures until 2027 and the evaluation of the action plan from 2029 will show whether Bochum can successfully cope with the challenges of demographic change.