While unionization in nursing homes drastically changed staffing patterns in the sector, it didn’t measurably affect overall care quality. In reality, the union effect on care quality is more nuanced – unions don’t appear to harm care quality but they’re not improving it either, mostly due to cost-cutting responses from management. Following unionization, nursing homes […]
Category: Staffing
Nursing home operators, as always, are juggling many moving parts to stay ahead, but some initiatives are taking precedence this year – particularly stabilizing the workforce via career ladders, policy changes tied to Medicaid and managing technology. Executives are discussing policy and reimbursement hurdles, with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) spurring talks with […]
Larry H. Miller Senior Health is entering 2026 from a position of operational momentum having acquired a six-facility portfolio recently. However, COO Andy Frasure remains clear eyed about the growing challenges facing nursing home providers. The Kissito Healthcare portfolio’s acquisition and successful integration was his company’s biggest milestone in 2025, Frasure told Skilled Nursing News. […]
Coaching in nursing home education just got a makeover: When paired with Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) and leadership training focused on communication, deeply involved coaches were able to support staff to move the needle on quality in a pilot project overseen by the Moving Forward Coalition. The good news is that the model […]
Missouri lawmakers are considering legislation aimed at increasing accountability and transparency around resident abuse and neglect in nursing homes. The bill would increase penalties for such offenses and require facilities to carry at least $1 million in liability insurance. Republican State Senator Adam Schnelting, who sponsored the bill, said the measure would help families obtain […]
Health care workers and lawmakers in New York are warning that looming federal health care funding cuts could worsen staffing shortages and speed nursing home closures in the region. Ongoing funding shortfalls could force more nursing homes and hospitals to close, leaders from across the health care sector said. They gathered together on Friday to […]
Long-term care (LTC) corporate executives saw salary increases of 3.36% in 2025, continuing a gradual slowdown in pay growth compared with 3.52% in 2024 and 3.69% in 2023, according to compensation data released Thursday. The findings come from the 2025–2026 Multi-Facility Corporate Compensation Report published by Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service (HCS). For top financial […]
A national study of state-level nursing home staffing mandates, which found that higher direct care staffing requirements did not hurt finances or increase facility closures, is receiving pushback from advocates. The lead researcher, however, says federal or expanded state mandates would likely not harm nursing homes. Rachel Werner, lead researcher of the study, acknowledged limitations […]
Long-term care cost growth slowed in 2025 after several years of sharp increases, according to data released Monday by CareScout, showing that nursing homes recorded some of the smallest increases, though costs remain historically high. The Cost of Care Survey conducted by CareScout, a subsidiary of Genworth Financial, suggests that after several years of double-digit […]
Seven Democratic senators introduced a bill Thursday to reinstate nursing home staffing standards similar to the now-repealed staffing mandate. Led by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, the Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act aims to strengthen nursing home staffing standards similar to the staffing rule pushed by the […]
Following the repeal of the federal nursing home staffing mandate, attorneys general from 18 states along with resident advocate associations are asking the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reconsider – and recast a rule aimed at for-profit nursing home operators. The states proposed a new rule for CMS to consider, one that […]
As nursing home operators seek wraparound services to help with staff burnout, turnover and retention, leaders in the sector say it’s unwise to overlook the use of robotics, while others consider it to be too big of a technological leap. Robotics that help with cleaning, dietary and menu selection in particular seem to be more […]
Skilled Nursing Outlook 2026: Nearly 40% of SNF Leaders Plan Acquisitions, With PE Seen as Top Buyer
The nursing home industry may see more of a buyer’s market in 2026, with expectations for private equity to be a primary source of financing and the largest buyer of skilled nursing assets. But despite transaction optimism, staffing remains the dominant challenge this year with recruitment, retention, labor costs and inflation topping operator concerns. Most […]
Nursing homes made noticeable workforce gains in 2025, with 40,700 jobs added, or an increase of 3,400 workers each month, while also continuing to reduce staff turnover and reliance on temporary agency workers, according to a report published by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). About 62% of providers […]
Nursing home leaders pushed – with donations to the Trump campaign – to have the federal nursing home staffing mandate repealed permanently, arguing the rule would raise costs and force facilities to close. According to a report in the New York Times, about 40 corporate entities associated with nursing homes across the country donated nearly […]
Saber Healthcare Group’s joint venture (JV) with Omega Healthcare Investors (NYSE: OHI) was driven by strategic choice rather than financial need, creating “one of the biggest powerhouses in our sector,” Saber CEO Bill Weisberg said, while also preserving operational control and aligning with a trusted capital partner. The JV combines “one of the best operating […]
A Medicaid policy that incentivized greater staffing, with bonus reimbursements up to $38.68 per resident day and based on acuity-adjusted staffing levels, resulted in a 12.2% increase in nurse staffing compared to the baseline level. There’s evidence to suggest the Illinois reform impacted patient health, with 90-day hospitalization rates decreasing by 0.51 percentage points compared […]
U.S. skilled nursing facilities are operating with significantly less usable capacity since 2019, with steep declines in rural counties despite relatively modest reductions in licensed beds due to staffing shortages as late as 2024. According to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine on Monday, from 2019 to 2024, licensed skilled nursing facility beds declined […]
The nursing home sector in 2026 will be defined by rapid change, leaders said, as payment constraints, workforce shortages and rising expectations from the public and government entities converge. All the while, operators brace for Medicaid uncertainty and Medicare Advantage growth. Shortened retroactive eligibility periods and potential state-level cuts to Medicaid programs may further contribute […]
Significant reductions in depressive and anxiety symptoms were seen among nursing home residents who interacted with an AI-driven, voice-based telephone companion. This was especially true among residents whose anxiety and depression baseline was higher than the average resident. The companion, Meela, was designed to reduce loneliness, depression and anxiety among older adults in post-acute and […]
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