With today's medical advancements, people are living longer than ever, making assisted living facilities increasingly common. Nursing homes are providing attention and medical care for seniors that don't require hospitalization, but need help with daily activities and continuous medical assistance.
As the assisted living field expands, many societal and economic trends are affecting the industry. Among the key assisted living news and trends affecting assisted living corporations are the following:
1. Long term care facilities are being used to care for seniors whose families are unable to do so.
2. The right ratio of nursing home or assisted living facility staff to residents is a debated issue.
3. Funding and costs for nursing homes is a growing concern.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Stay on top of the latest skilled nursing facilities industry news
Many people are unable to provide caregivers for the seniors in their families. This is due to the fact that many families have both spouses working full time jobs, leaving no one available to act as a caregiver at home. Adults are relying on assisted living facilities to provide the care their aging parents need instead.
I recommend: As a provider in the assisted living business, learn about how the demand for assisted living care is increasing while the need for nursing home care is declining with the information provided by the
NCAL. You can also keep track of assisted living news and trends with nursing home news from
Fierce Health Care.
Keep up with industry trends concerning retirement home staffing
The level of staff needed for an assisted living facility or nursing home depends on the services it offers. Often, assisted living facilities operate with smaller staffs because they do not offer the intensive medical treatment nursing homes do. The question of how many staff members is the right number is a debated issue in health care.
I recommend: Read what some states are doing to ensure adequate and competent staff for nursing facilities according to
Better Jobs Better Care.
McKnight's is a great online resource that can be used to track assisted living industry news and staffing trends in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
Remain aware of changes in long term care facility funding and regulations
Costs and funding is a growing concern in the assisted living business. Many people rely on Medicare or Medicaid to provide funding for the care of their loved ones, but some feel that these organizations still don't provide adequate funding for proper care.
I recommend: Lifecare Funding is a site dedicated to the financial and funding aspects and issues of the life insurance and assisted living industries. Use the Legislative Alert page, among other great resources, to help you stay abreast of new funding legislation and regulations at the
Assisted Living Federation of America's site.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Another way to make sure that you are running a top notch long term care facility is to read news sites devoted to the concerns facing seniors and long term care residents. Seniorjournal.com is a great place to start.
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