The American Health Care Association’s (AHCA) 2026 Quality Update released Tuesday finds that nursing homes are making measurable progress in quality, outcomes and workforce stability in the post-COVID era.
From 2023 to 2025, facilities across the country improved on key post-acute care metrics, helping patients recover and return home, the report states. Its findings are based on publicly reported federal data on a set of complex quality measures (QMs) for nursing homes posted on Medicare’s Care Compare website.
For short-stay residents, the report notes that during this period, emergency department visits fell by 3.8%, with more than 14,000 emergency room visits avoided. Moreover, discharge function scores rose by 7.2%, with nearly 95,000 more patients improving their functional abilities. In addition, almost 30,000 more residents were successfully discharged home as community discharges increased by 1.8%.
“The progress we are seeing is indicative of the never-ending commitment of nursing home caregivers to improve the lives of their residents, seek out the latest best practices, and continuously innovate,” said Clif Porter, president and CEO of AHCA. “The data is confirmation of the inspiring efforts that we have witnessed in recent years. We’re not just recovering but reinvigorating efforts to deliver high-quality nursing home care.”
Among long-stay residents with more complex needs, outcomes also improved significantly, with tens of thousands more residents avoiding adverse conditions. Catheter use and pressure ulcers each declined by 37.1%, urinary tract infections fell by 25% and weight loss decreased by 11.8%.
Meanwhile, resident and family satisfaction remained strong, with 84.3% of residents and 75.9% of families reporting positive experiences.
Workforce stability also improved, with nursing and registered nurse (RN) turnover declining by 45% and temporary staff usage dropping by 45%, signaling a more consistent care environment.
Overall, AHCA officials conclude that nursing homes continue to advance across clinical care, staffing and resident experience, supported by a renewed focus on continuous quality improvement.
“Sensible, supportive policies will be key to building on this momentum. We look forward to working with policymakers on implementing better ways to advance quality improvement in the years to come, so that patients and residents can enjoy life to the fullest,” said Holly Harmon, senior vice president of Quality, Regulatory, and Clinical Services at AHCA.
