Final conference: Inpatient long-term care - leadership makes the difference
Management makes the difference - internal and external tensions in long-term inpatient care
Long-term inpatient care is facing a variety of challenges: Staff shortages, increasing regulatory requirements and the question of viable management strategies. As part of a nationwide DFG project, a total of 120 interviews, group interviews and participant observations were conducted with managers in 15 care facilities. The results show impressively how differently organisations react to internal tensions and what forms of practical "wisdom" they develop in dealing with external demands.
The conference brings together research and practice and offers you the opportunity to learn about and reflect on key findings and relate them to your own organisation. In particular, managers in inpatient long-term care are invited to attend, especially management, facility, nursing service and residential area managers, as well as multipliers from training and further education.
We attach particular importance to an intensive working atmosphere and dialogue in a small group: two days for exchange, debate and reflection - supplemented by deliberately designed breaks and an evening together, which offers the opportunity for personal discussions in a relaxed environment. We want to create a certain "exclusivity" and provide an alternative to conventional specialist conferences.
Programme preview
The first day (28 September 2026) will focus on the results of the research project. The findings will be presented and discussed in lectures and workshops - including with the Fraunhofer IAO. One focus will be on five different management types that were reconstructed from the interviews:
- a style characterised by controlling, which is organised top-down;
- an integrative style that is strongly orientated towards collective decisions;
- a dialogue- and security-oriented style that focuses on the financial stability of the company as a whole;
- a non-conceptual, "chaotic" style characterised by a "limbo" of decisions;
- and a person-centred style that assigns management responsibility primarily to the facility management is
The second day (29 September 2026) is dedicated to theory-practice transfer. Under the guidance of an experienced educationalist and gerontologist, the participants will work out what practical consequences the empirical results can have for their own management work. The aim is to critically reflect on scientific findings and make them usable for everyday life in the facilities.
In addition, results of a student research project on the websites of care facilities will be presented.
Finally, a panel discussion with experts from research and practice management will bring the discussion to the point.
Download the programme: Programme
The programme will be available here approximately four weeks before the conference.
Registration
Note on participation
The number of participants is limited in order to enable an intensive exchange.
Conference costs
There are no participation fees for the conference. Participants are responsible for their own accommodation and travel expenses. (Evening event not included, additional costs may be incurred if you register voluntarily for the evening event)
Register now and secure your place!