Diane Eastabrook, reporter for Modern Healthcare, said that nursing homes are emerging from a years-long financial funk as more beds are filled, but that can make things tougher for health systems eager to discharge patients.
Occupancy at skilled nursing facilities is ramping up to pre-pandemic levels as staffing stabilizes and growth in the number of people over age 65 ratchets up demand. That, in turn, is leading to higher margins for some nursing homes. But facilities are being cautious about how they add beds — and how they fill them — in the face of rising costs, leaving some hospitals in a tough spot.
Lifespark’s Katie Lundmark, VP, Senior Living Operations, weighed in crediting more staff for helping it boost occupancy above 90% at its three skilled nursing facilities in Minnesota, said Katie Lundmark, vice president of operations for senior living. The industry has added back about 217,000 of the 247,000 jobs it lost during the pandemic, according to the Labor Department.
With Lifespark’s nursing homes operating at near full capacity, Lundmark said Lifespark is making sure it balances the number of lower-paying long-term care Medicaid patients with higher-paying Medicare and private-pay patients needing rehabilitation services.
“We have the right staffing levels and the right mix of payer sources. During COVID, there were a lot of ups and downs, so we are finding that operational balance again,” Lundmark said.
