All news
97 stories, newest first. Each day lists the news published that day.
October 2026
October 21, 2026
Home careUpdated
About 650,000 people are on waiting lists for Medicaid home and community services
Waits for Medicaid-funded in-home help can stretch for years in some states, KCUR reports. Getting on a waitlist early — even before you need care — can make a real difference, including in New York.
Senior living
Owners of Discovery Senior Living, the largest U.S. operator, are reportedly exploring a sale
Discovery just agreed to take over 33 Sunshine Retirement Living communities, and now its owners are reportedly exploring a sale. If your parent lives in a large-operator community, a sale usually means new management — not a move.
Medicaid
CMS gives New York 90 days to fix Medicaid oversight as Staten Island adult day operators are charged
Federal officials want a corrective plan within 30 days covering how New York polices Medicaid billing, including long-term care plans. Families using adult day care or managed long-term care should expect more paperwork and slower approvals.
Medicaid
CMS holds back another $1.2 billion in California Medicaid home care payments
Federal officials are expanding a fraud review of personal care services — the same kind of in-home help many families depend on. Payments held back in California don't change New York care today, but the same review approach could spread.
New York
CMS says audits of 15 New York City adult day centers found billing for people who weren't there. Here's how to check your parent's program
Federal officials say audits of 15 social adult day centers found Medicaid claims for people who weren't there. A viral post went further than the record. Here is what was said, and what records to ask for.
Assisted living
CDC study: about half of assisted living communities had residents with all four tracked chronic conditions
New federal data show assisted living residents are arriving with more complex health needs than before. That matters when you're comparing communities — staffing and medical support need to match the residents actually living there.
October 20, 2026
Adult day care
New York orders a full review of Medicaid social adult day care after a state and federal investigation
About 45,000 New York Medicaid members use social adult day care, and the state is now reviewing the whole benefit — including phasing it out. Families who rely on a program should watch for notices and ask the program what its plan is.
Nursing homes
Aging buildings and repair costs are slowing nursing home expansion even as demand rises
Demand for nursing home care is rising, but investors say aging buildings and repair costs are making them cautious about expanding. Fewer new beds can mean tighter choices and longer waits for families in the years ahead.
Nursing homes
Massachusetts moves to revoke all licenses of a 12-home nursing home chain
The state is moving to revoke every license in a 12-home chain. The homes stay open during an appeal, with inspectors on site at least weekly — a reminder to ask any facility about its latest inspection results before you choose.
Assisted living
Massachusetts orders corrective action at an assisted living residence after weeks of heating problems
Town officials recorded dangerously high indoor temperatures after the building switched from cooling to heat. If a parent is in assisted living, this is the season to ask how temperature problems get reported — and how fast they get fixed.
October 19, 2026
Home care
Senate Democrats seek input on a universal home care benefit and nursing home reforms
Senate Finance Committee Democrats released an 81-page request for feedback on long-term care reform, including a universal home care benefit, nursing home ownership transparency and staffing standards, with comments due December 18.
Home care
New York's home care waiver for seniors hit its enrollment cap, and a bill to create regional waiting lists awaits the Governor
New York raised the cap on its Nursing Home Transition and Diversion waiver to 14,079 slots and has already filled it, so new applicants who want care at home instead of a nursing home can be turned away.
Home care
Downstate CDPAP aides paid through PPL could share a $162 million wage settlement
About 200,000 personal assistants in New York City, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester would get roughly $680 each on average, with no claim form, if a federal judge approves the deal on November 10.
October 16, 2026
New York
Records show leaks, mold and a gas leak at closed Delmar assisted living facility
Town inspection records obtained by the Times Union describe leaks, mold, pests, a kitchen gas leak and a broken elevator at the Delmar assisted living facility ordered closed in September, as owners say they want to reopen.
October 15, 2026
New York
Rochester's Waterview Heights nursing home closes as final residents move out
The last five residents of Waterview Heights in Rochester moved to Lilac Manor, ending a closure that began August 20 with a state-approved plan to relocate more than 160 residents.
Medicare
Most older adults spend under an hour choosing Medicare coverage, and few switch plans, poll finds
A University of Michigan poll found 80% of older adults kept the same plan and only 15% knew about a Plan Finder tool that checks doctor networks, even as 92% said they felt confident.
Medicare
More than 3 million Medicare Advantage members must pick new plans for 2027 as insurers pull back
Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna and some Blue Cross plans are dropping coverage for about 11% of enrollees, many in PPOs, so affected seniors must choose new coverage before December 7.
Caregiving
More than 32 million Americans help pay for an older relative's care, study finds
A new Edward Jones, Age Wave and Harris Poll study finds more than 32 million adults are financial caregivers for someone 65 or older, most spending their own savings, and only a third planned for the role ahead of time.
October 14, 2026
Medicare
Social Security checks will rise 3.6% in 2027, about $75 a month for the average retiree
About 72 million beneficiaries get the increase in January, and SSI recipients see it December 31; the Medicare Part B premium change will take part of the raise for many retirees.
Nursing homes
Court approves Genesis HealthCare's sale of 175 nursing homes; all to stay open
A bankruptcy court approved Genesis HealthCare's nearly $1 billion sale of its nursing home business to an affiliate of New Generation Health, and the company says all 175 facilities stay open with care continuing as usual.
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