retirement home
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retirement home
A facility where older people live who need care and support. Alternative German terms are 'Seniorenheim' or 'Pflegeheim'.
Meine Großmutter lebt seit zwei Jahren in einem Altersheim.
My grandmother has been living in a retirement home for two years.
The word 'Altersheim' (retirement home) is made up of three parts: 'Alter' (age), the linking -s, and 'Heim' (home). So it literally means a 'home for old age' or for old people.
Viele Menschen möchten so lange wie möglich zu Hause wohnen, bevor sie in ein Altersheim ziehen.
Many people want to live at home for as long as possible before they move into a retirement home.
The preposition 'in' is used with a different case depending on the situation. Movement toward the place is expressed with the accusative ('ins Altersheim' — into the retirement home), while staying at the place is described with the dative ('im Altersheim' — in the retirement home).
Er bringt seine Tante jeden Sonntag ins Altersheim.
He takes his aunt to the retirement home every Sunday.
Common verbs used with 'Altersheim' (retirement home) are 'in einem Altersheim leben' (to live in a retirement home), 'in ein Altersheim ziehen' (to move into a retirement home), or 'jemanden im Altersheim besuchen' (to visit someone in a retirement home).
Nach dem Tod ihres Mannes ist sie in ein Altersheim gezogen.
After her husband's death, she moved into a retirement home.
nursing home
'das Pflegeheim' and 'das Altersheim' are very close in meaning. Both refer to a facility where older people live and receive support or care. 'Pflegeheim' clearly focuses on the need for care. 'Altersheim' emphasizes more that the residents are old; in everyday language, it sounds a little more general and is often used similarly to 'Seniorenheim'. The words are easy to confuse because many facilities are both: a home for old people and a place with care. When medical or daily care is important, 'Pflegeheim' is usually more precise.
Das Altersheim am Park hat helle Zimmer und einen großen Garten.
The retirement home by the park has bright rooms and a large garden.
Zur besseren Betreuung ist Marie mit ihrer Mutter in ein Pflegeheim gegangen.
For better care, Marie and her mother went to a nursing home.