Category: Data & Research

GREENVILLE, SC—Rolling Green Village has been recognized as a best nursing home for its short-term rehabilitation for 2022-2023 by U.S. News & World Report.

The annual best nursing homes rating, now in its 13th year, assists prospective residents and their families in making informed decisions—in consultation with their medical professionals—about where to receive short-term or long-term nursing home care. Only 16% of U.S. skilled nursing facilities earned the best nursing home designation this year.

Rolling Green Village’s short-term rehabilitation received a high-performing rating, with more than 66% of residents able to return home after being discharged. This rating is over 12% higher than the average of other communities in South Carolina. The community also reports lower fall and major injury rates, compared to other communities in the state.

“Our team is truly honored to receive this distinction,” said Bob Benson, executive director of Rolling Green Village. “We have watched one another put in long hours, especially during the pandemic. It is truly wonderful to see this hard work pay off, both in the smiling faces of our residents and through this industry accolade.”

PHOENIX, AZ—Acacia Health Center, the on-site health center for Sagewood Senior Living, was recently recognized as one of the best nursing homes for both short-term rehabilitation and long-term care in the 2022-2023 U.S. News & World Report.

The annual best nursing homes rating assists prospective residents and their families in making informed decisions—in consultation with their medical professionals—about where to receive short-term or long-term care. Only 16% of U.S. skilled nursing facilities earned the best nursing homes designation this year.

“We pride ourselves on Acacia’s top-of-the-line care, outstanding staff and comprehensive services,” said Natalie Miko, Acacia Health Center administrator. “It is an honor to be nationally recognized as one of the best care facilities in the nation. At the end of the day, it is about making sure our residents are well cared for, and I am proud to say we go above and beyond.”

For 2022-2023, U.S. News rated more than 15,000 nursing homes on care, safety, infection rates, staffing and health inspections. For the first time, the best nursing homes rating featured new measures on weekend staffing and infection rates that led to hospitalizations.

“Choosing the right nursing home based on care needs and comfort is a critical decision for prospective residents and their families,” said Zach Adams, health data engineer at U.S. News. “The best nursing homes rating highlights nursing homes that excel in short-term rehabilitation and long-term care needs.”

The best nursing homes methodology factors data such as resident care, safety and outcomes. To calculate the best nursing homes rating, U.S. News evaluated each nursing home’s performance using a variety of data obtained from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Both short- and long-term ratings include data on consistency of registered nurse staffing, use of antipsychotic drugs and success in preventing ER and hospital visits. The short-term rehabilitation rating also includes measures of a home’s success in preventing falls, preventing serious infections and making sure residents are able to return home; the long-term care rating also includes measures of whether a home changed ownership and how well they were staffed on weekends.

The senior housing occupancy rate increased 0.9 percentage points from 82.1% in the third quarter of 2022 to 83.0% in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to data from NIC MAP Vision. The occupancy rate has increased 5.2 percentage points from a pandemic low of 77.8% in the second quarter of 2021.

The senior housing occupancy rate increased for the sixth consecutive quarter due to continued strong demand that outpaced inventory growth. Because new inventory has been added during the pandemic, however, the occupancy rate has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels. On the inventory side, about 3,300 units were added within the 31 NIC MAP Primary Markets during this quarter, while more than 8,600 units were absorbed on a net basis. This robust demand led to a new record high total number of occupied units: Within the NIC MAP Primary Markets, the total number of occupied units exceeded 574,900, surpassing its pre-pandemic first quarter 2020 level by nearly 7,000 units.

“More older adults than ever before are now residents in senior housing properties, which speaks to the tremendous need for senior housing and care services,” said Chuck Harry, NIC’s chief operating officer. “The demand from aging adults seeking senior housing and care is on the rise, and the industry continues to meet that need.”

This trend of high demand and slow inventory growth was consistent throughout 2022. Fewer than 11,000 units were added within the NIC MAP Primary Markets this year, which is the weakest inventory growth since 2014. This contrasted with a robust demand, with net absorption for the year registering a record 27,845 units. Combined, these conditions allowed the occupancy rate to rise 2.8 percentage points since the beginning of 2022.

Construction starts were relatively weak at 3,013 units in the fourth quarter, continuing the slower pace seen in the third quarter. Total units under construction equaled 35,719 units, which is the fewest units under construction since 2015. For 2022, starts totaled 14,665 units, which is weaker than in 2021, but stronger than in 2020.

“Development activity slowed sharply in the second half of 2022, as the rise in interest rates and a more stringent lending environment slowed loan issuance,” said Beth Burnham Mace, NIC’s chief economist. “With higher interest rates expected in the early months of 2023, slower development pipelines are likely to continue, which could continue to impact inventory growth and therefore positively affect occupancy rates.”

Occupancy improved across all property types. Assisted living had the largest quarterly gain, with robust demand pushing the total number of occupied assisted living units to their highest level ever. More specifically:

• Assisted living occupancy increased 1.1 percentage points to 80.7%, up 6.8 percentage points from its pandemic low of 73.9% in the second quarter of 2021, but still below the pre-pandemic level of 84.6%.
• Independent living occupancy increased 0.6 percentage points to 85.2%, up 3.6 percentage points from its pandemic low of 81.6% in the second quarter of 2021, but still below the pre-pandemic level of 89.6%.
• Nursing care occupancy increased 0.7 percentage points to 80.0%, up 6.0 percentage points from its pandemic low of 74.0% in the first quarter of 2021, but still below the pre-pandemic level of 86.6%.

Twenty-eight of the 31 NIC MAP Primary Markets saw occupancy increases in the fourth quarter of 2022. Boston (88.9%), Baltimore (86.7%) and Portland, OR (86.2%) had the highest senior housing occupancy rates within NIC MAP’s Primary Markets, and Houston (77.9%), Atlanta (79.0%) and Cleveland (79.4%) had the lowest rates.

Asking rental rates for senior housing across the NIC MAP Primary Markets saw their largest increase since NIC MAP Vision began reporting the data in 2006, having increased by 4.9% on a year-over-year basis in the fourth quarter.

HATTIESBURG, MS—Claiborne Senior Living has announced that it has been awarded a WELL Certification at the Health-Safety level for its family of senior living communities by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). This prestigious distinction was awarded through IWBI’s WELL v2—the latest version of the WELL Building Standard. WELL is the premier building standard that focuses on enhancing people’s health and well-being through the buildings where we live, work and play.

Claiborne Senior Living consists of 10 communities across Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina. Their boutique senior living communities provide independent living, assisted living and memory care services to older adults. Claiborne is committed to enhancing the lives of their employees, their residents and the families they serve by crafting meaningful relationships within their communities and delivering excellence.

Created through seven years of rigorous research and development and working with leading physicians, scientists and industry professionals, the WELL Building Standard is a performance-based certification system that marries best practices in design and construction with evidence-based scientific research. Claiborne earned the distinction based on 10 categories of building performance—air, water, nourishment, light, movement, thermal comfort, sound, materials, mind and community—and achieved a Health-Safety level rating. IWBI is the leading authority for transforming health and well-being with its people-first approach to buildings, organizations and communities.

“We decided to pursue our WELL certification as it perfectly coincides with our desire and passion to create the best possible environment for our residents and team members,” commented Justin Wray, chief operating officer of Claiborne Senior Living. “Learning and understanding that we spend approximately 90% of our time indoors, regardless of age, was even more of a driving factor to focus on environmental changes that promote well-being.”

Project features that helped Claiborne communities achieve its WELL Certified Health-Safety level rating include:

• Smoke-free environment
• Ventilation effectiveness
• Moisture management
• Humidity control
• Promoting movement, physical activity and active living
• Waste management
• Mental health support and education
• Restorative spaces, support and programs
• Emergency preparedness
• Community access and engagement

WELL is grounded in evidence-based research that explores the connection between the buildings where we spend approximately 90% of our time, and the health and well-being impacts on the people inside these buildings. To be awarded a WELL Certification by IWBI, all Claiborne communities underwent rigorous testing and a final evaluation carried out by third parties to ensure it met all WELL Certified Health-Safety performance requirements.

FAIRFAX, VA—The Virginian has been recognized as a Best Nursing Home for Short-Term Rehabilitation for 2022-2023 by U.S. News & World Report. The rating evaluates post-acute short-term care for residents or patients recovering from a hospital stay, such as after a stroke, heart attack, infection or accidental injury. Only 16% of U.S skilled nursing facilities earned the Best Nursing Home designation this year.

The Virginian offers short-term rehabilitation services as part of The Virginian Senior Living Community, which is undergoing a $61 million multi-phase renovation through next year. Three areas where The Virginian surpassed both state and national outcomes include:

• Residents able to return home: 64.1% of residents were able to return home after being discharged, compared to 54.9% (Virginia) and 53.8% (U.S.) averages.
• Nurse staffing: 5 hours and 1 minute of nurse staffing per resident per day, compared with 3 hours and 29 minutes (Virginia) and 3 hours and 45 minutes (U.S.) averages.
• Physical therapist staffing: 10 minutes of physical rehabilitation per person per day, compared with 5 minutes (Virginia and U.S) averages.

“This recognition is a true acknowledgement of the work of The Virginian’s 65 member health care team,” said Jasmine Montgomery, the new health care administrator at The Virginian. “Our nursing staff nurtures every dimension of wellness—physical, emotional, social and spiritual—which combines with high-level skill and ability to offer a comprehensive approach to resident care.”

The Virginian also recently took first place in the Environments for Aging design award for Shenandoah Memory Care at The Virginian for its best-in-class memory care design. The Virginian offers a full continuum of care, with the option for additional services when and if residents need them. The community renovations will be completed in mid-2023, adding new high-end amenities and programs, multiple dining venues, a wine cellar, sports bar, indoor golf simulator, state-of-the-art theater, entertainment venues, three full-service salons, spa and swimming pool. In addition to a large beautiful outdoor courtyard, activity areas include pickleball, bocce ball, a putting green, ‘Central Bark’ dog park and fire pit area.

ELLICOTT CITY, MD—Lorien Health Services, a family-owned and operated assisted living/nursing home company and industry innovator, is among the 16% of facilities nationwide that were recently recognized as Best Nursing Homes for 2022-23 by U.S. News & World Report.

Five Lorien Health Services locations earned Best Nursing Homes status by achieving the highest possible rating of “High Performing” for short-term rehabilitation and/or long-term care, including Bel Air, Bulle Rock, Columbia, Mays Chapel and Mt. Airy.

As nursing homes and facilities across the country continue to rebound from the effects of the pandemic, the U.S. News Best Nursing Homes ratings offer individuals and families a starting point in their search for a nursing home—whether they are in need of short-term rehabilitation or long-term care, or they’re interested in knowing the quality of a home’s overall care.

U.S. News gives the designation of Best Nursing Home only to those homes that satisfy U.S. News’ assessment of the appropriate use of key services and consistent performance in quality measures.

“Since Lorien’s founding over 45 years ago, we’ve been guided by our founders’ pride of ownership and their principal value that ‘we are family taking care of families, friends and neighbors,’” said Lou Grimmel, CEO of Lorien Health Services. “Being recognized by this prestigious ranking is a testament to Lorien’s team taking this approach to heart, while tackling unprecedented challenges throughout this pandemic. Our team also embodies a care-forward perspective that can be seen every day through their dedication to our residents and communities.”

Now in its 13th year, the U.S. News Best Nursing Homes ratings and profiles offer comprehensive information about quality of care, COVID vaccination requirements for residents and staff, flu and pneumonia vaccination rates and infection control violations listed on the resident safety summary. Individuals can easily conduct customized research for a highly rated nursing home by location, size and Medicare and Medicaid coverage.

This year’s methodology included an emphasis on nursing homes meeting certain standards of patient safety, which could limit a home’s ability to achieve a “High-Performing” rating. These standards included a minimum threshold for the staff COVID vaccination rate, overuse of antipsychotic drugs and frequent visits to the emergency department, among other criteria.

Nursing homes that have below a 75% COVID staff vaccination rate are not considered a leading facility. A significant percentage of short-term rehabilitation and long-term care programs that would otherwise have qualified as “High-Performing” were downgraded for failing to meet that vaccination rate.

The ratings include data on staffing, success in preventing ER visits and pneumonia vaccination rates, among other metrics. Among the 15,178 nursing homes evaluated by U.S. News, 1,658 were “High Performing” in short-term rehabilitation, 1,103 were “High Performing” in long-term care and 335 were “High Performing” in both.

The short-term care rating incorporates measures of quality, including consistency of registered nurse staffing, use of antipsychotic drugs and success in preventing falls.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, revealed earlier this week the 2022-2023 Best Nursing Homes ratings to assist prospective residents and their families in making informed decisions (in consultation with their medical professionals) about where to receive short-term or long-term nursing home care.

Now in its 13th year, Best Nursing Homes evaluates more than 15,000 nursing homes on care, safety, infection rates, staffing and health inspections. For the first time, the Best Nursing Homes ratings feature measurements on weekend staffing and infection rates that led to hospitalizations.

The 2022-2023 ratings highlight nursing homes that earned a high-performing rating in short-term and long-term care. California has the most nursing homes rated as high-performing, with 206 receiving a high-performing rating in short-term care and 148 ranked as high-performing in long-term care. Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas follow California among the states with the highest number of nursing homes earning high-performing ratings.

“Choosing the right nursing home based on care needs and comfort is a critical decision for prospective residents and their families,” said Zach Adams, senior health data engineer at U.S. News. “The Best Nursing Homes ratings highlight nursing homes that excel in short-term rehabilitation and long-term care needs. This year, newly available data on weekend staffing and infection rates that led to hospitalizations provides even more information about how nursing homes rate when it comes to the safety of their residents.”

The Best Nursing Homes methodology factors in data such as resident care, safety and outcomes. To calculate the Best Nursing Homes ratings, U.S. News evaluated each nursing home’s performance using a variety of data obtained from CMS. Both short- and long-term ratings include data on consistency of registered nurse staffing, use of antipsychotic drugs and success in preventing emergency room and hospital visits. The long-term care rating also includes measures of whether a nursing home changed ownership and how well they are staffed on weekends. The short-term rehabilitation rating also includes measures of a nursing home’s success in preventing falls, preventing serious infections and making sure residents are able to return home.