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.
Some providers are adding capacity. Good Samaritan’s senior living campus, Founders Crossing will include a 120-bed skilled nursing facility when it opens in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in about two years, said Good Samaritan President and CEO Nate Schema.
The nonprofit unit of Sanford Health operates 94 nursing homes across seven states. Schema said Good Samaritan facilities in urban settings are nearly at capacity, while those in rural communities are just over 80% full.
