Altenpflege

elderly care, geriatric care

noun AL-ten-pfle-ge Rare

Usage Note

Altenpflege is the professional care of elderly people in homes or residential facilities. Altenpfleger/-in is the job title. Germany is facing a severe shortage of Altenpflegekräfte (care workers).

Examples

"Der Fachkräftemangel in der Altenpflege ist ein dringendes gesellschaftliches Problem."

Natural Translation

The shortage of skilled workers in elderly care is an urgent social problem.

Literal Translation

The skilled-worker shortage in elderly care is an urgent social problem.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

How to Tell Time in German Without Mistakes

Halb sieben means 6:30, not 7:30. Master telling time in German — Viertel nach, halb, vor, the 24-hour clock, and the prepositions that trip up beginners.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German False Friends: 25 Words That Trick You

German false friends like Gift (poison) and bekommen (to receive) trick English speakers daily. Here are 25 words that mean the opposite of what you'd guess.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German Umlauts & ß: Sounds and Typing

Pronounce ä, ö, ü with the front-tongue, rounded-lips rule, master the ß vs ss spelling, and type every German umlaut on Mac, Windows, and phone.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Order Food in German: Restaurant Phrases

Order food in German with confidence: use ich hätte gern, read the Speisekarte, ask die Rechnung bitte, and handle zusammen oder getrennt like a local.

June 5, 2026 5 min read