What hidden arrangements and rules prevail in the care of the elderly? And why are pressures and shortcomings in elderly care so persistent? The author examines these questions by means of a habitus and milieu analysis on the basis of the theories of Pierre Bourdieu. She shows that the habitus, nurtured by historical experience, develops a predisposition for readiness to help and apparent selflessness. This habitus arises in certain social milieus and mediates between economic logic and the field of elderly care, which can only be further economised at the price of disregard for human dignity. From the findings of the study the author draws well-founded conclusions for the debate on the care professions in terms of training and employment policy and educational theory.