In times past, the advice for improving census at skilled nursing facilities could generally be distilled to a data strategy. That data might range from statistics on difficult-to-place hospital patients to hard numbers around key outcomes such as readmissions to the acute setting. But always the watchword was “data,” even if it wasn’t always clear […]
Even before the pandemic, American Health Partners saw growth potential by expanding beyond a core of skilled nursing facilities. The Franklin, Tenn.-based firm operates 29 SNFs through its American Health Care arm, but it also provides a wide range of other services, from home health and hospice to psychiatric care to a nurse practitioner organization. […]
Abri Health Care, the company that emerged from the bankruptcy of skilled nursing operator Senior Care Centers, itself filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on April 16, according to landlord LTC Properties (NYSE: LTC) and court filings. Senior Care Centers LLC, now an Abri subsidiary, is owned 100% by Abri Health Services, LLC, which in […]
Prior to the pandemic, any discussion of investment in skilled nursing facilities usually came with a mention of the “stroke of the pen” risk — the concern that any action by the government around reimbursement could have a substantial impact on the value of properties, given that the majority of revenue in the sector comes […]
The federal government has made it clear that it wants to adjust how nursing homes receive Medicare reimbursement due to an estimated 5% increase in fiscal 2020 — a gain that runs counter to the goal of keeping Medicare spending level from year to year. Specifically, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) determined […]
The shift to home was already a long-simmering trend in post-acute and long-term care, but the coronavirus pandemic kicked those prevailing patterns into a higher gear. In the short term, that took the form of increased diversions from skilled nursing facilities on the acute-to-post-acute pipeline, with patients discharged directly from the hospital to the home […]
To improve the quality issues in nursing homes — many of which pre-dated COVID-19 but were brought into a harsh spotlight because of the pandemic — the entire system of skilled nursing care needs to be completely overhauled, according to one physician in the space. “I believe that our consistent failures in nursing home quality […]
Even prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team at Vi at Bentley Village knew that a skilled nursing facility with all single rooms was a necessity for the future. Leaders at the full-continuum senior living campus in Naples, Fla. set their sights on the conversion of their existing SNF about 18 months […]
As the federal government’s approach toward nursing homes and COVID-19 continues to shift from emergency support to reflection and reform, analysts are increasingly warning that the coronavirus-era gravy train could soon come to an abrupt stop. In particular, the past week has brought three pieces of news that may signal trouble ahead for operators and […]
The federal government is mulling several options to recalibrate the Medicare payment structure for skilled nursing facilities as it seeks to achieve its intended goal of budget neutrality — with the aim of shutting off excess payments sooner rather than later. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this week determined that the Patient-Driven […]
The federal government on Thursday announced a proposed 1.3% boost to nursing home Medicare reimbursements for fiscal 2022, while also raising the specter of a potential adjustment to the new Patient-Driven Payment Model. That increase from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) works out to a total gain of $444 million, according to […]
For skilled nursing facilities, the ability to treat patients in place has far-reaching implications, perhaps most prominently in reducing unnecessary hospitalizations. Usually that reduction is framed in terms of cost, with penalties for hospitals and SNFs alike if a patient returns to the acute care setting too soon. SNFs that perform well in preventing resident […]
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed structural issues from top to bottom in the infrastructure of long-term care in the U.S., from infection control to staffing levels to SNFs’ role in the health care system. But one solution would address, if not eliminate, a multitude of those problems, according to a range of operators, consultants, and frontline […]
Despite the near-term upheaval of COVID-19, an asset management firm was able to raise nearly half a billion dollars as institutional investors look to play the long game in post-acute, long-term care, and senior housing. Locust Point Capital this week announced the closure of a $428 million debt fund to support its direct lending efforts […]
A range of people involved in the skilled nursing profession on many different levels — from hospitalists to reimbursement experts — have over the years consistently preached a key of success for skilled nursing facilities: Identify the needs of hospitals, and try to meet those needs. This is typically understood to mean taking on older […]
In the days before the full onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. in 2020, the federal government announced that it was reorienting all nursing home inspections to focus on infection control. The announcement on March 4 directed all inspections of skilled nursing facilities to focus on compliance with the Centers for Medicare & […]
Despite a historically devastating year for post-acute and long-term care, a major tech player in the behavioral health space sees incredible opportunity in expanding its reach into the sector — particularly as the pandemic continues to illustrate the yawning gaps in the overall health care continuum. The Louisville, Ky.-based Appriss last month made a major […]
When the Medicare payment system for skilled nursing facilities was overhauled in 2019, one of the most anticipated provisions was the option to provide therapy to residents in group or concurrent settings — allowing for more socialization and cost savings. That provision got about four months of practice before the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world […]
The COVID-19 emergency overturned nursing home operations overnight in almost every respect, notably with regard to the provision of clinical care. And according to a panel of physicians who work in the nursing home setting, some of those changes should stick around, even after the public health emergency finally comes to a close. Namely, they […]
Like many senior living and care executives, Jill Wilson’s first reaction to the “small home” model of nursing homes was a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. The year was 2004, and Wilson was the chief financial officer of Otterbein SeniorLife, a Lebanon, Ohio-based non-profit that runs senior living communities and standalone nursing campuses. The CEO […]