‘We’re Not Prepared to Replace Them’: Immigration Changes Hit Nursing Homes Hard, Undermining Workforce Stability
Recent U.S. immigration policy shifts—most notably a $100,000 fee for new H‑1B petitions and tighter temporary protected status rules—are threatening the nursing‑home labor pipeline. Immigrants already represent roughly 40% of staff at Georgia‑based A.G. Rhodes and 21‑25% nationwide, especially in direct‑care and housekeeping roles. The added costs and visa caps make it difficult for facilities to recruit or retain foreign‑trained nurses, LPNs, and aides, forcing providers to scramble for replacements. Industry groups such as LeadingAge warn that these disruptions could erode continuity of care for vulnerable seniors.
Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Oversight in Medicare Advantage, Ensuring Nursing Home Residents’ Care ‘Without Delay, Without Denial’
Lawmakers introduced the bipartisan Medicare Advantage Improvement Act of 2026 to tighten oversight of Medicare Advantage plans. The bill seeks to eliminate prior‑authorization delays, increase transparency, penalize non‑compliant insurers, and ban retroactive clawbacks. It also mandates automated administrative systems, prompt...
Voices: Freda Mowad, M.S., CCC-SLP, Chief Strategy Officer, Focal Point Care
Focal Point Care, launched a year ago, consolidates three specialized firms—Guided Care (managed‑care contracting), QRM (in‑house rehab management) and Future Care Consultants (billing and back‑office services)—to offer skilled‑nursing operators a single source for clinical, operational and financial support. The integrated...
Raise a Glass: ‘Grandparents Happy Hour’ Law Passed In Minnesota
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed the “Grandparents’ Happy Hour” law, removing the requirement that nursing homes and assisted‑living facilities hold a liquor license to serve alcohol. The change permits organized happy‑hour events for residents, with safeguards that staff serving drinks...
Optum CEO: Value-Based Care Drives Sharp Drop in Nursing Home Admissions
Optum’s value‑based care (VBC) program is driving a steep decline in skilled nursing facility (SNF) admissions, with a reported 35% drop in the first month compared to a year earlier. The company attributes the reduction to more data‑driven clinical management,...
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[UPDATED] NHI Agrees to $560M Sale of Nursing Home Portfolio to NHC
National Health Investors (NHI) agreed to sell a portfolio of 35 senior‑care properties, including 32 skilled nursing facilities and three independent living sites, to its operator National HealthCare Corp (NHC) for $560 million. The deal, slated to close on July 1, will...
On-Site ‘Dialysis Dens’ at Nursing Homes Boost Care Continuity, a Boon for VBC and Hospital Partnerships
On‑site dialysis “dens” are being introduced in nursing homes, with Eduro Healthcare piloting the model at one of its 40 facilities through a partnership with Rendevor Dialysis. The on‑site setup eliminates transport‑related delays, improves care coordination, and gives residents additional...
QAPI Is the Best Way to Make ‘Person-Centered Care’ Actionable in Nursing Homes, But Hurdles Remain
Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) programs are emerging as the most practical way to translate person‑centered care into actionable steps in nursing homes, but the lack of a federal definition hampers consistent adoption. Researchers from NYU Rory Meyers College of...
Class-Action Suit Over Alleged Understaffing at Alden Group Nursing Homes Moves Forward
A Cook County judge has allowed a proposed class‑action lawsuit against Alden Group, an Illinois nursing‑home operator, to move into the discovery phase. The suit, filed by the AARP Foundation and disability‑rights advocates, alleges Alden chronically operated with staffing levels...
‘Pressure Test’: How Surveyors Zero In on System Failures, Patterns and IJs in Nursing Home Oversight
CMS and state surveyors are moving away from blaming single errors and instead scrutinize systemic patterns, communication breakdowns, and repeatable risks during nursing‑home inspections. Experts Linzie Bugg and Amanda Odom explained that reviewers reconstruct timelines to spot missed escalations, misaligned...
State Bill Targets 9.11% Cut to Nursing Home Medicaid Payments Linked to Outdated Methodology
New Hampshire nursing homes are confronting a 9.11% Medicaid reimbursement cut, roughly $26.43 per resident per day, after a legacy case‑mix index formula produced outdated payment rates. A Senate‑passed bill would establish a MedPAC‑style working group to overhaul the state’s...
Inside Nursing Homes’ Smarter Infection Control, Efforts to Curb Antibiotic Overuse
Nursing homes are confronting a critical overlap between infection control and antimicrobial stewardship, as roughly 70% of residents receive antibiotics annually and 40% of those prescriptions are inappropriate. Federal regulations now tag both functions together, prompting facilities to adopt integrated,...
Nursing Home Report Shows Workforce Stability and Improved Quality Metrics, With 3.8% Drop in ER Visits
The American Health Care Association’s 2026 Quality Update shows nursing homes have made measurable gains in clinical outcomes and staffing stability since 2023. Emergency department visits for short‑stay residents fell 3.8%, avoiding more than 14,000 trips, while functional scores rose...
New CMS Grant Could Reward Nursing Homes with Clinical Integration and Lifestyle Care
CMS has launched the Enhancing Lifestyle and Evaluating Value‑based Approaches Through Evidence (ELEVATE) grant, allocating $100 million to up to 30 organizations that can demonstrate proven dementia, nutrition, exercise, sleep or social‑connection programs. The competitive cooperative‑agreement model opens to nursing homes,...
Skilled Nursing Dealbook: 4-Facility Portfolio Sold in Oklahoma; Deals Also Close in New York, Nevada and Iowa
Plains Commercial Real Estate brokered the off‑market sale of a five‑building, 506‑bed skilled nursing portfolio in Oklahoma to a Northeast private‑equity firm expanding its geographic footprint. Additional transactions closed in Iowa, New York and Nevada, including a 60‑bed Cedar Rapids...