Nursing homes news
Nursing home news for families: state licensing actions, oversight, ownership and industry trends, with links to original sources.
October 30, 2026
Nursing homes
Senate Democrats' report calls for nursing home ownership transparency and stronger oversight
A Senate Finance Committee minority report released October 29 links complex ownership deals and understaffing to resident harm. Industry groups are divided over its proposals.
Nursing homesNew
Nursing homes have cut use of agency staff by 44% since 2022, research firm says
Nursing homes added nearly 41,000 workers last year and rely far less on temporary agency staff than in 2022, a staffing research firm says, but nursing assistant jobs remain the hardest to fill.
October 29, 2026
Medicare
Medicare confirms daily therapy alone can qualify a nursing facility stay
After a lawsuit by a Medicare advocacy group, federal officials told Medicare's appeals board that patients needing daily physical or occupational therapy can get skilled nursing facility coverage without daily nursing care.
Nursing homes
Study links low Medicaid pay to gaps in nursing home staffing and care
Researchers studying nearly a million long-stay residents found that homes serving more residents of color had fewer registered nurses and more serious bedsores, and that the gaps narrowed where Medicaid paid more.
October 28, 2026
Nursing homes
Virginia nursing homes rank near the bottom nationally for staffing, state study finds
A Virginia legislative study ranked the state 42nd for total nursing home staffing and 50th for nurse aides, and proposed the state's first minimum staffing standard, phased in starting in 2029.
Nursing homes
Federal watchdog looks at how New York and three other states make nursing homes spend money on care
Four states, including New York, require nursing homes to put a set share of their money into resident care. A new federal review says the rules work differently in each state and are hard to track.
October 27, 2026
Nursing homes
Senators press Medicare on shorter inspections for top-rated nursing homes
Four Democratic senators, including New York's Kirsten Gillibrand, want Medicare to explain a new process that gives about 1,700 high-rated nursing homes shorter inspections with fewer surveyors. Here is how to read the new Care Compare icon.
Nursing homes
Workers reach settlement three years after St. Louis nursing home closed overnight
Former staff of Northview Village, which shut abruptly in December 2023, would share about $365,000, a fraction of a $1.9 million judgment. The case shows why closure notice rules matter for residents too.
October 26, 2026
Nursing homes
Kentucky health system and nursing home operator plan a $35 million, 105-bed skilled nursing facility
The joint venture aims to give hospital patients a place to recover after discharge in Lexington, with first patients targeted for early 2029, a model other hospitals are using to ease backups.
Nursing homes
Massachusetts health chief calls conditions at RegalCare nursing homes 'unacceptable'
The state is moving to revoke licenses for 12 homes and has stepped up inspections to once or twice a week; residents do not have to move now, and the owner can request a hearing.
October 25, 2026
Nursing homes
More than a third of nursing homes are shut out of the new federal nurse recruitment campaign
About 9,300 homes, or 63%, can apply to Nurses for Nursing Homes, which uses geography and shortage data rather than a home's own staffing; some low-staffed homes are left out.
October 23, 2026
Nursing homes
CMS and all 50 states put more than $275 million toward getting nurses into short-staffed nursing homes
Nurses who commit to three years at a rural or hard-to-staff nursing home can get up to $40,000 toward student loans and a $10,000 stipend. For families, the goal is more nurses at the bedside.
October 22, 2026
Nursing homes
Rural New York nursing home will be rebuilt with fewer beds because of staffing
Good Shepherd Communities plans a roughly $30 million replacement for Chase Memorial in New Berlin, shrinking from 80 to 60 beds, with residents moving in within 24 to 36 months.
October 20, 2026
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.
October 14, 2026
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.
October 13, 2026
Nursing homes
$2 million national study will examine how nursing homes use agency staff
Researchers with a $2 million National Institute on Aging grant will study how nursing homes use temporary agency workers today, including on weekends, holidays and particular shifts, and how that affects care.
October 8, 2026
Nursing homes
Iowa family sues Des Moines nursing home, alleging a resident was dropped from a lift
The estate of a Des Moines nursing home resident is suing, alleging staff dropped her from a mechanical lift in April after years of documented falls and improper transfers, Iowa Capital Dispatch reports.
October 6, 2026
Nursing homes
Massachusetts raises Medicaid penalties for the most understaffed nursing homes to 8%
New MassHealth rules cut Medicaid payments by 8% for nursing homes staffed below 3.00 nursing hours per resident per day, up from a 3% maximum, though only a handful of homes are expected to be affected.
Nursing homes
Workers at six Chicago-area nursing homes set an October 16 strike date
SEIU Healthcare Illinois says workers at six Landmark nursing homes in Chicago and the suburbs will strike October 16 if no contract is reached, citing below-industry-standard wages and staffing instability.
September 30, 2026
Nursing homes
KFF Health News finds 100 nursing homes at serious flood risk after Minnesota evacuation
A KFF Health News analysis identified 100 U.S. nursing homes where a big storm could bring 2 feet of water or more, after a Minnesota home had to wheel 36 residents through floodwater in September.
September 23, 2026
Nursing homes
Wisconsin nursing homes say immigration changes upended years of hiring plans
Wisconsin nursing homes and home health agencies had to scrap long-planned overseas hiring after refugee programs were suspended and Temporary Protected Status ended for immigrants from 13 countries, adding to staff turnover.
September 11, 2026
Nursing homes
Medicare starts shorter, focused inspections for nursing homes with strong records
CMS began a new risk-based survey process nationwide this week, giving about 12% of nursing homes with strong records shorter, more focused inspections, while complaint investigations continue as before.
September 4, 2026
Nursing homes
Nursing home jobs barely grew in August while home health care added 11,000 jobs
Federal jobs data released September 4 show nursing home employment almost unchanged in August, with health care hiring slowing overall and most new jobs going to home health services and hospitals.
August 26, 2026
Nursing homes
Study links more registered nurse time in nursing homes to fewer resident hospital trips
An August study of nearly 15,000 nursing homes found that homes with more registered nurse hours per resident had fewer unplanned hospital stays and emergency visits among long-stay residents, giving families a useful question to ask.
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