New research identifies influenza A, human metapneumovirus, and RSV as the primary drivers of acute respiratory infections in nursing home residents, highlighting the need for robust vaccination and testing protocols.
Author: Chaya S
Nursing home residents who received an RSV vaccine were 73% less likely to be hospitalized with the virus and 56% less likely to die from it, according to a study of nearly 600,000 Medicare beneficiaries published this week in JAMA Internal Medicine. The finding arrives weeks before respiratory virus season, and it addresses a population that has been largely missing from the evidence base. Clinical trials of RSV vaccines enrolled community-dwelling older adults. Residents of long-term care facilities are frailer, carry more chronic conditions and take more medications, and families have had reason to ask whether trial results transfer to…
Chicago, Illinois — After years of pandemic burnout, staffing shortages, and regulatory headaches, long-term care leaders are finally showing signs of optimism. A new industry survey reveals that nurse managers and administrators are more satisfied with their jobs than they have been in years, and the reasons stretch from paycheck improvements to something unexpected: artificial intelligence. According to industry reports, the share of nurse managers and administrators who report being very satisfied or somewhat satisfied climbed from 77.6% in 2025 to 80.8% this year. That might sound like a modest bump, but it continues a slow climb from the sector’s…
Silver Spring, Maryland — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a first-of-its-kind treatment for pancreatic cancer, delivering a new option for patients facing one of the deadliest forms of the disease. The drug, called Rasonque (daraxonrasib), could have particular relevance for older adults in skilled nursing settings who are battling advanced cancer. The approval, announced Wednesday, marks a significant milestone in oncology. Rasonque is a daily tablet that targets a protein called RAS, which drives tumor growth in roughly 90% to 95% of pancreatic adenocarcinoma cases. For decades, this mutation has been considered undruggable. “Today’s approval provides a critical…
Amherst, Massachusetts — Nursing home closures are often blamed on simple market forces — too little money, too few residents, too much regulation. But a sweeping new study spanning four decades suggests the reality is far more complicated, and policy makers may have been looking at the problem all wrong. Research published in JAMA Health Forum tracked 33,110 nursing home locations across the United States from 1985 to 2025. The findings challenge the assumption that closures represent a straightforward market exit. Instead, they reveal a sector in constant flux, where ownership changes have become the dominant pathway for survival. The…
New York — When Attorney General Letitia James sued Centers Health Care in 2023, she accused the nursing home chain of siphoning more than $83 million from four facilities while residents suffered through severe abuse and neglect. The case seemed destined to become another example of enforcement actions that extract penalties but leave underlying problems untouched. Two years later, an independent monitor is reporting something unexpected: the settlement is actually working. Real Changes on the Ground According to the monitor’s August 2026 report, the four Centers facilities have implemented what the report calls “real and sustained care improvements” affecting more…
Washington, D.C. — In a surprising twist to the nursing home compensation landscape, MDS coordinators have emerged as the top earners of 2026 salary increases, outpacing even executive directors and CEOs. According to industry reports, MDS coordinators saw their average pay jump by 4.25% in facilities reporting data for both 2025 and 2026. That marks the largest increase among any position tracked in the annual Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Services survey, which covers more than 111,000 employees across 917 nursing homes nationwide. The raise pushes the national average salary for MDS coordinators to approximately $92,666, with some sources citing figures…
American Healthcare REIT, Inc. (NYSE: AHR) delivered robust second quarter 2026 results this month, reporting GAAP net income of $30.6 million while raising full-year guidance across key performance metrics. The Irvine, California-based healthcare real estate investment trust has now completed $1.4 billion in new investments since the start of 2026. The company’s total portfolio achieved Same-Store Net Operating Income (NOI) growth of 13.2% for the three months ended June 30, 2026, compared to the same period last year. This marks the tenth consecutive quarter of double-digit Same-Store NOI growth for the REIT. Breaking down performance by segment, the Senior Housing…
Washington, D.C. — Nursing homes nationwide are preparing for a major systems transition that will change how they submit critical staffing data to federal regulators. Beginning August 17, 2026, all Payroll-Based Journal submissions must go through iQIES, marking the end of the legacy QIES platform for PBJ reporting. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has been warning providers about the switch for months, but with the deadline now just over a week away, the agency is ramping up its outreach to ensure facilities do not get caught off guard. What Is Changing The PBJ system tracks daily staffing hours…
Senior housing delivers 3.9% total return in Q2 2026, marking seventh consecutive quarter of outperformance. Occupancy nears 90% as demographic tailwinds and limited supply drive sector strength.
