Care homes in Hungary

In Hungary, there is a substantial difference between a care home (idősek otthona) and a retirement home (nyugdíjasház). Care homes are strictly regulated, while retirement homes are free from any state control.

The difference between the two types is that only those people who need health care are entitled to a place in a care home, as confirmed by the relevant authority), while a retirement home can be used by any elderly person who uses the apartments under a lease or use right.

Establishing and operating retirement homes can be a profitable business, while the strictly controlled care homes rarely operate profitably, even if they have a state subsidy.

Therefore, in this analysis we focus on retirement homes. The lease of apartments in a retirement home is governed by the Act on Leases (LXXVII of 1993).

No, there no special rules for operators of retirement houses.

Not for retirement houses.

(For care homes, it must comply with the conditions of a ‘social institution’.)

There are no special rules for retirement houses.

No. It is typical that certain medical services are provided within the retirement house, which are subject to a license, but the retirement house itself is not.

(For care homes, operation permit is obligatory.)

There are no restrictions on retirement houses.

The owner/operator of a retirement home is not restricted using the profit.

The customers of retirement homes are not subsidised by the state.

State subsidies can only be given to care homes on a social basis.

No, retirement houses have no supervisory authority, only certain medical services which might be offered in it.

(Care homes are strictly regulated and inspected annually.)

~9.773m (source: World Bank)

19.15% (source: World Bank)

There are no reliable statistics.

There are no reliable statistics; waiting time varies subject to the size and location of the retirement home.

In Hungary, professional supervision of health care providers and services is carried out by the national chief medical officer (in Hungarian: országos tisztifőorvos) and the metropolitan and county government offices, as well as the district offices of the government office, acting in their public health functions, with the assistance of the professional supervisors. The above-mentioned authorities are directed by the Minister responsible for health, who belongs to the Ministry of the Interior in Hungary. 

The national chief medical officer is heading the National Public Health Centre (in Hungarian: Nemzeti Népegészségügyi Központ or NNK), which is a Hungarian central body. The NNK performs management, coordination and supervisory tasks over public health, epidemiology, health promotion, health administration activities and supervises health care. The priority tasks of the NNK within its activities in the field of public health are environmental and urban health, food and nutrition, child and youth health, radiation health and chemical safety. 

With regard to the supervision of senior houses, it is important to note that the supervision of municipal or state-run institutions is carried out by the public health and social affairs departments of the competent regional government offices, while there is no other supervisory body or institution with explicit responsibilities of this kind.

It is also important to mention the Integrated Legal Protection Service (in Hungarian: Integrált Jogvédelmi Szolgálat), set up in 2017 that ensures the integrated implementation of citizens' rights in relation to patients', carers' and children's rights. During the performance of its main tasks, it ensures the enforcement and protection of the legally defined rights of patients, carers and children, operates the network of legal protection representatives, manages, organizes and controls the professional work of legal protection representatives.