Background: Short-term residential Care (STRC) is a recent, bed-based care concept for older adults aimed to avoid nursing home admission in the Netherlands. Objective: To describe characteristics of patients admitted to STRC and the main organizational differences between facilities. Methods: Patient characteristics were identified using a national STRC database (2018 and 2019). Organizational comparisons of STRC facilities were collected through an cross-sectional email survey sent to all facilities. Results: Of the 68,682 older adults admitted to STRC, patients were mostly female (35%), living alone (64%), with at least 10 medications prescribed (60%). Of the 36660 patients admitted in 2018, 43.4% died within 24 months and 25.5% is living in a nursing home. Of the 176 STRC facilities that responded, 30.1% delivered care at an independent ward, 27.3% was within a geriatric rehabilitation care ward, and 33.5% at a ward in long-term care. The median number of beds was 8, with a range from 1 to 40. Most facilities admitted patients in evenings, nights, or weekends. Almost all wards employed registered nurses and paramedics. Conclusions: Patients admitted to STRC have multiple medical problems, suggested by the high number of medication, and often have palliative care needs. Facilities providing STRC differ by the location of the ward, the number of beds, and frequency of medical rounds and multidisciplinary consultations. There is a pressing need to develop standards for STRC to effectively deliver care.