Harrisburg, Pennsylvania — Nursing homes in Pennsylvania could soon face a major new hurdle when changing hands. State lawmakers are pushing legislation that would require operators to post a $10,000 surety bond for every licensed bed before taking control of a facility.House Bill 2754, introduced in late August with bipartisan support, targets what legislators call one of the highest-risk moments for resident safety: the transfer of operations from one owner to another.Closing the Gap on Unvetted TransfersUnder current regulations, the Pennsylvania Department of Health only learns about a change of operator after it has already happened. The bill would flip…
Author: Ahuva S
Columbus, Ohio — Cybercriminals have targeted nursing homes and senior care facilities across four states in a recent wave of attacks, compromising sensitive patient and employee data in breaches that highlight the growing vulnerability of long-term care providers to digital threats. Atrium Centers Inc., a Columbus-based skilled nursing and rehabilitation care provider operating multiple facilities, disclosed that unauthorized actors accessed its computer systems between October 8 and October 12, 2025. The company, which is employee-owned and serves communities across Ohio, said files containing patient and employee data were viewed or copied during the incident. The compromised information includes names, contact…
A new study — A rehabilitation-driven approach to dementia care is producing measurable results in skilled nursing facilities, with new research showing significant drops in both antipsychotic prescriptions and emergency department visits among residents. The findings, published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, tracked outcomes across facilities that adopted an interdisciplinary care model built around the Allen Cognitive Scale. According to industry reports, the study linked this therapy-forward approach to marked reductions in medication use and hospital transfers. The Allen Cognitive Scale, developed decades ago by occupational therapy researcher Claudia K. Allen, assesses functional cognitive…
Spokane, Washington — Nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in Washington state are getting federal breathing room as wildfires continue to tear through the region. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a sweeping set of blanket waivers and flexibilities retroactive to August 1, designed to keep care running for thousands of displaced residents. The Fairview, Autumn Lane, and Old Trails fires near Spokane County have forced evacuations across the area, leaving facilities scrambling to maintain operations while managing resident transfers and staff shortages. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared a public health emergency on August 7,…
Washington, D.C. — Nursing homes are staring down a much faster clock for Minimum Data Set submissions. Under CMS’s newly finalized FY 2027 payment rule, the window for submitting MDS assessments is shrinking from roughly four and a half months to about 45 days after each quarter ends. Facilities will start collecting data under the tighter timeline in January 2027, though the change will not affect payment determinations until fiscal 2029. The message from regulators is blunt: data needs to be accurate, complete, and on time. A tighter deadline with real money on the line CMS released the final rule…
CMS is rolling out a new “high-performing” icon on Care Compare — a small gold trophy meant to steer families toward top-rated nursing homes. But operators warn the symbol could create more confusion than clarity. Only about 12% of the nation’s nursing homes are expected to qualify for the new risk-based survey model, according to federal criteria. Facilities that make the cut will face shorter inspections with fewer surveyors. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services plans to flip the switch for internal use on Sept. 8 and display the icon publicly on Care Compare by Sept. 30. To earn…
Health officials are raising alarms about a dangerous fungal infection spreading through American healthcare facilities, with nursing homes emerging as particularly vulnerable hotspots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified more than 3,400 clinical cases of Candida auris across 27 states this year, marking one of the most significant infectious disease threats facing long-term care operators. The fungus poses a unique challenge for nursing homes. Unlike many hospital-acquired infections that primarily threaten immunocompromised patients, C. auris can colonize skin and surfaces for extended periods, making it especially difficult to control in communal living environments. Industry reports indicate the…
Des Moines, Iowa — Iowa nursing homes are finally getting inspected on schedule after years of falling behind federal requirements, according to a new state audit that shows dramatic improvement in oversight timelines. The report, released August 3 by State Auditor Rob Sand, found that Iowa facilities are now being inspected on average every 12 months — down from 17.1 months in 2024. That brings the state into compliance with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements for the first time in years. The Numbers Behind the Turnaround Federal rules require states to conduct nursing home surveys on a…
Tallahassee, Florida — The state’s nursing home industry is staring down a potential staffing catastrophe after a federal judge confirmed that Temporary Protected Status for Haitian workers has officially ended. The decision affects roughly 35,000 Haitian nationals working in Florida’s long-term care sector, many of whom have spent years caring for the state’s elderly residents. The TPS program, which has allowed immigrants from countries experiencing armed conflict or natural disasters to live and work legally in the United States, was terminated for Haitians following a Supreme Court decision in June. The ruling cleared the way for the Trump administration to…
San Juan Capistrano, California — The Ensign Group isn’t slowing down. The skilled nursing giant posted second-quarter revenue of $1.44 billion on Monday, a 17.3% jump from the same period last year, while lifting its full-year guidance for the second time this year. The California-based operator, which runs facilities across 15 states, reported GAAP diluted earnings per share of $1.68, up 16.7% year-over-year. Adjusted earnings came in at $1.92 per share, a 20.8% increase that beat analyst expectations. CEO Barry Port pointed to a simple formula: “Exceptional outcomes ultimately create their own form of accountability.” The company’s same-facility occupancy hit…
