The number of elderly people requiring residential care in Switzerland is expected to surge from around 86,000 in 2023 to between 118,000 and 121,000 after 2030, as the baby boomer generation reaches advanced old age, according to an analysis by ageing sociologist François Höpflinger. People are entering care homes later — at an average age of 85 in 2023, a figure projected to rise to 86 or 87 by 2030 — meaning residents arrive with greater care needs, shorter average stays of around 2.6 years, and a higher likelihood of dying in the facility, which now accounts for 51 percent of all deaths compared to just 6 percent in 1969. Höpflinger warns that the shift will strain an already stretched care workforce and highlights growing loneliness as a key driver of admissions, noting that more people are spending long periods living alone before entering care — making the transition harder and support from family members increasingly essential.