How to Hire for your Senior Living Community

Independent living is a common goal for older people and often they need care and comfort to lead healthy and happier lives. They need help with activities of daily living, like personal hygiene, safety supervision, ambulation, housekeeping, meal preparation, shopping, and medication reminder. In fact, this is part of the reason they join assisted living homes in the first place. Having the right care team is the best way to ensure these adults get the most out of their stay in your facility. But the right team doesn’t just happen. It starts from the people you hire to be part of your senior living community. And as you may already know, hiring caregivers is one of the biggest challenges many senior homes face.

Representatives from most facilities across the US cite caregiver shortage as their top concern, far ahead of other threats like increasing minimum wage and unrelenting competition. Add that to the high nurse turnover rates, and you start understanding how tricky the situation is.

And the current industry growth isn’t making the situation any better. Today, caregivers have options when it comes to where to work. Meaning, you’re competing for employees against retail companies, fast food chains, and giants like Walmart and Amazon. Unless you have a well-thought out onboarding and retention program, your business might take a huge hit.

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In today's job market, signs like these are all too common.

What’s driving high turnover rates?

Currently, the US has the highest number of people age 65. Projections show that the baby boomer population will increase from 49 to 95 million between 2016 and 2050. During the same time, the labor force will only increase by 14%. According to PHI, labor-intensive work, few growth opportunities and irregular hours are some of the reasons senior care facilities continue to experience huge turnover rates.

How to hire for assisted living facilities

That said, the goal is not to onboard caregivers for your senior care services but to find those who can stay with you for a long time. This article will break down the hiring process to help you make the most out of it.

Determine the task at hand to pick the right caregiver

So, are you looking for a nurse to help residents take their medicines on time, or a physical therapist to keep the seniors in good physical shape? Your needs will influence the type of professional you’re looking for, as well as the approach you take. Here are some health care professionals for senior homes:

Physical therapists: Physical therapists help residents maintain their physical function and reduce the risk of falling. They take care of strength training, pain management, and fall prevention.

Registered nurses: Registered Nurses initiate treatment plans and administer medicine. They prepare IVs, give injections, draw blood and take vital signs. These nurse practitioners monitor patient health and ensure they’re getting proper care. They also report any changes in the residents’ health or living situation.

Licensed Nursing Assistances: LNAs work under the supervision of RN. They take vital signs, give enemas, and may initiate medicine, apply dressing, bandages, insert catheters, and monitor IVs. They may also feed residents and note down any changes in their health.

Occupational therapists: Occupational therapists identify the causes of difficulties that limit participation in activities of daily living, leisure engagement, and educational and vocational pursuits.

Social workers: Social workers help seniors adjust to life in their new residence, advocate for their clients; needs and rights, provide supportive counseling and make a psychosocial assessment.

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Define the job before hiring

Perform a job analysis to gather information about necessary skills, responsibilities, duties, work environment, and outcomes for a given job. For example, an elder who needs help with light housekeeping or hygiene will have different needs than one with Alzheimer’s. A job analysis guides you in creating a job description for the new employee. It also helps you plan your recruiting strategy.

Here are some common items that you can include in your job description:

Know what to look for

In addition to certification, you want to find a caregiver who’ll treat the residents with care and respect. The caregiver should also have a good disposition, ability to deal with stress, non-argumentative temperament, and overall compassionate nature.

Personality: Find a caregiver with a good personality. Their qualifications alone won’t change their attitude. Avoid a caregiver who comes with a list of things they won’t do. Instead, work with one who’s open to most assignments.

Experience: Your ideal caregiver should have the necessary experience to handle senior-specific needs. For example, if the seniors have Alzheimer’s, the caregiver should have experience dealing with Alzheimer’s patients and so on.

Training: A good caregiver should have some form of training, whether formal or informal. But depending on the task at hand, the caregiver may need certification and licensing.

Honesty and reliability: Check references to ensure the caregiver passes the honesty and reliability test to ensure they won’t steal from the residents or fake the hours worked. Also, check to confirm that they always show up on time every time.

Accountability: Ask interview questions that help you gauge whether the applicant shifts blame or takes responsibility for their actions. Then use your best judgment to determine if they are a good fit.

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Find and interview a caregiver

There are many ways to find a potential caregiver. You can ask for referrals, advertise on job boards like Craigslist or place an ad in the classified section of your local newspaper.

If you have a website, you can publish the job posting on your site and share it on your company’s social media pages. You can even share them through Google or Bing Ads. The goal is to spread the word about the job opening, to get as many applicants as possible.

Once the applications start coming in, you can interview the prospects over the phone and narrow down your options before interviewing in person. Use your job description to screen applicants – but also take it a notch higher to find out about things like:

Perform a background check before you hire

Background checks help you identify the right applicant to care for the residents and minimize the risk of hiring a person convicted of elder abuse. Think of it as a way to protect your residents against theft and violence. Background checks are essential, seeing 1 in 6 people 60+ years experienced elder abuse in 2020. In addition to checking criminal records, a background check can:

Depending on your preference, you can run checks through a private investigator or law office.

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Work with an agency

If all these seem overwhelming, you can work closely with an agency to find the right caregivers. Senior home recruitment agencies work with both professionals who seek job opportunities and employers looking to hire employees. They remove the hard work from the process, taking care of identifying talent, advertising roles, negotiating pay, and interviewing candidates, so you don’t have to. The only downsides of working with an agency are you’ll pay more for a caregiver and that you’ll also have limited negotiation.

What Can you Do to Help People in A Senior Living Community?

Many older adults prefer to age in place, even in cases where cognitive or physical decline makes it hard to live independently. According to one AARP survey, about 90% of US seniors wish to stay in their homes for as long as they can. Yet, the US Census data shows that most homes may not be designed to accommodate the needs of the seniors. The survey further adds that older homes have stepped entries, multi-story living, second-story bedrooms, hallways, etc., which make daily living a challenge. So, what can you do to help people in a senior living community?

Even though home care is ideal for many senior citizens, it is not always the best option for them or the family members who look after their health and wellbeing. This is especially true for seniors with medical needs or those in homes that aren’t equipped for it. 

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Senior living communities are a great alternative to home care. Some even offer additional care services while still allowing independent living. These facilities are excellent for the senior’s social life and make the transition easier down the road.

That said, it all boils down to what the seniors want or prefer. In this article, we will discuss some of the many ways you can help a senior citizen aging in place or living in a nursing home.

How to help people in a senior living community

As seniors grow older, they go through changes that affect every part of life. Many times, these changes prompt the need for extra care and assistance for seniors. So the seniors tend to become more dependent on other people to survive even against their wishes. They’ll depend on people for comfort, care, and support for survival and better quality of life.

Whether you are a professional nurse or caregiver, here is what you can do to help people in a senior living community.

Offer to get them around – at home and in town

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For many seniors, quality of life involves maintaining independence, taking part in hobbies, and getting out into the world. But mobility problems can prevent them from all these and cause depression, isolation, and declining health. If the senior has severe mobility issues, you may want to:

Organize and manage their medication

Safely managing medication is critical for older adults. Most seniors take multiple drugs throughout the day. According to studies, 87% take one prescription medicine, while 36% take five or more.

Helping the seniors manage their medication prevents mix-ups and ensures they take medications correctly as prescribed by their healthcare professional. Here’s how to do it:

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Prepare proper nutrition

Many people struggle with getting one well-balanced meal on the table each day. But it’s even tougher for older adults since they can hardly move around. Adding to the problem is that many seniors deal with a range of chronic illnesses that can contribute to or be worsened by poor nutrition. Assistance programs like Meals on Wheels offer great help, but you can also do a few things to help them get proper nutrition.

Encourage them to socialize

Elder care also involves helping the seniors find friends and fun activities to break the boredom. If you are offering home care assistance, this means driving them to their friends or loved ones or taking them to fun places.

If it’s in a facility, then you can encourage them to join different social activities. Socializing can offer a range of mental and physical health benefits. According to CDC, loneliness and social isolation affect many seniors in the US, putting them at risk for dementia and other severe medical conditions.

Help them manage their money

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Another great way to care for seniors in senior living communities is to help them with their finances. Many seniors struggle with keeping up with bills or accessing their mobile banking.

Others find health insurance forms confusing and could use a little help completing them. If you don’t have financial experience, you can help the senior get a referral from a reputable source. Your local area Agency on Aging is a great place to start.

Provide health care services

If you are a trained professional like a social worker, occupational therapist, or home health nurse, you can provide some health care services. For instance, you can prescribe medication, offer therapy and even offer bed baths. You can also hire professionals to help with things you’re not comfortable doing, like giving a bath and so on. But just be sure to check if the elder’s health insurance services will pay for it, or if it will be financed out-of-pocket.

Help with activities of daily living

Personal care includes any help with the activities of daily living like bathing, dressing, toilet/continence, meal preparations, eating, and transferring/ambulating. Most seniors who are unable to do such basic things might have a hard time accepting help. So you need to be understanding and reassuring to help them feel comfortable.

All of these things can greatly help people in a senior living community. Simply spending the time to ensure that their needs are met can go a long way in helping them feel comfortable and secure.

Why Memory Care Communities Are Growing

Every day, Grace visits her 78-year-old husband, Andrew, who lives in one of the memory care communities, just a few miles from her home. Andrew has severe Alzheimer's disease and needs 24-hour supervised care in a secure environment.

"It is the most exciting part of my day," says Grace, 75. "I take advantage of that time to feed him and make sure he's comfortable. I don't think he recognizes me, but we still share that special bond," she adds. “Each time I visit, we put in earbuds and listen to music from a single iPod, just like we did back in the day."

For many years, Grace and her two daughters took care of Andrew at home. When he was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's eight years ago, they hired a nurse to provide home care. But they later put him in a day program for seniors with memory loss.

"The arrangement was great at first, but as the disease progressed, it was no longer viable. So we opted to move him to a retirement home. That too, couldn't work because he started to wander," says Grace. "Our daughters and I decided to move him to the closest senior living home for specialized care. We're happy that he’s getting the best level of care."

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Many senior living homes offer specialized care for people with memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer's.

Grace's story depicts what millions of other American families go through trying to care for a loved one with dementia. At some point, they will have to seek professional help, as home care becomes impractical. And that's where memory care communities come in.

What are memory care communities?

Memory care communities are residential spaces that provide intensive specialized care for people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. They are designed to offer safe, structured environments with routines to lower stress for people with memory problems. Many nursing homes and assisted living facilities have special memory care units for patients with memory lapses. But some memory care communities are stand-alone.

Memory care is a growing segment of the senior housing sector. According to Senior Housing Business, the number of memory care units increased by 55% from 2013 to 2018. And this number is set to rise since World Health Organization projects that dementia cases will hit the 82 million mark by 2030 and 152 million by 2050. Today, there are around 50 million people with dementia globally.

Construction of memory care facilities overheats

A growing number of seniors need memory care services to help live with memory issues. If not for medical success, the number of seniors 65+ with Alzheimer's in the US is projected to grow to nearly 13 million in 2050. This is a significant rise from about 5 million in 2013, as per a report published by the Alzheimer's Association. The report further reveals that more than 6 million Americans are living with Dementia Alzheimer's.

This is a considerable number. But it still doesn't capture the entire need. Alzheimer's is only a single cause of dementia. But there are risk factors like Parkinson's, Huntington's disease, Traumatic brain injury (TBI), and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

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Highly specialized memory care facilities strive to offer their patients 24 hour supervision, while using the latest technology to help reduce the symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

What's driving the growth in memory care communities?

A McKnight Senior Living post shows a rising trend in occupancy for memory care communities. According to the post, there was an 82.7% occupancy rate for stand-alone memory care facilities in the 1st quarter of 2019, an increase from 81.5% in the 2nd quarter of 2018. It further explains that occupancy in freestanding facilities was 85.7% in the 1st quarter of 2019, 300 basis points higher than total occupancy. This growth indicates a strong year for the property type. This growth is attributable to a range of factors, including the following:

A growing population of baby boomers

The senior population 65 to 74 years is set to increase faster than any other demographic segment in the US between 2015 and 2030. The US Census Bureau's 2017 National Projections indicates that all baby boomers will be 65 or older by 2030. This will expand the senior population's size so that 1 in 5 residents will be of retirement age.

But as the number of seniors increases, so too will the number of dementia cases. By 2050, the number of seniors age 65 and older with Alzheimer's may hit the 12.7 million mark. This translates to a massive need for memory care communities. On top of the impact Alzheimer's has on the senior demographic, many people are diagnosed with other types of dementia at a rising rate.

With such cases on the rise, there’s an ever-growing demand for memory care homes. The available units might not be adequate to cater to the increasing need. This explains why dementia care developers are moving fast to build more units across different states in America.

Varying needs for seniors

Currently, those searching for memory care homes for a loved one have a hard time finding facilities that offer the most appropriate combination of care services, culture, and activities of daily living. Each person is unique. And about 25% of residents in senior facilities have three or more medical conditions that make a living without professional care impractical.

Memory care communities are not created equally. The culture, atmosphere, and cost of some facilities may appeal to some residents but not others. So, developers are trying to come up with diverse facilities to match different needs and preferences. They are not only striving to meet the growing demands for units, but also the specific needs of individuals.

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Many families simply cannot take care of their loved ones with memory loss issues. Luckily, some great facilities are out there to help take care of your loved ones.

The use of technology such as Apple watches, fall monitors, heart rate monitors can help reduce care costs but still rely on battery life and some technical knowledge to protect senior living communities of all kinds.

Families need help

The Facts and Figures report by Alzheimer's Association reveals that more than 11 million Americans offer unpaid care for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias. For some, this is a way to protect their loved ones for as long as they can. But for others, it's a way to navigate the cost concerns. The cost of memory care is substantial. Dementia is among the costliest conditions in society.

Home care can be a great way to care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia. But at the end of the day, most families always end up moving their loved ones to a memory care community. Memory issues need a level of care that’s not easy to provide in home settings.

Although costly, these communities offer specialized care that dementia patients need. They have well thought out a care plan to ensure that all residents are comfortable. They also have technologies and processes to ensure senior safety. For example, they have wearables like fall monitors to alert caregivers in case of a fall and so on. We cannot say the same for home care.

Senior living homes have been expanding their memory care communities to meet the demands of an aging population. Through effective treatments and services, these facilities report improvements in different aspects of residents’ quality of life.

Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s in Assisted Living

Alzheimer’s is a disease of the brain. It causes large numbers of cells in the brain to die. This impacts an individual’s ability to think clearly and remember things. People with Alzheimer’s disease are forgetful and easily confused. They behave in odd ways and may have difficulties concentrating. These issues worsen as the illness progresses, making your job as a caregiver harder.

An estimated 5.8 million Americans 65 years and older lived with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2020. According to the CDC, Alzheimer’s disease is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. It affects the part of the brain that controls thought, language, and memory. Over time, the disease impacts one’s ability to execute daily activities. Sometimes, it makes them aggressive, incontinent, or wander a lot. Families that cannot meet all the needs of an Alzheimer’s patient often consider long-term care facilities like an assisted living home.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

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Alzheimer’s is a progressive and irreversible brain disorder that gradually destroys a person’s thinking and memory skills. In later stages of the disease, patients lose the ability to execute even the simplest tasks. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia among older people, ages 65+. But it can still affect people between ages 30 and 60.

This article will highlight some of the things to keep in mind when caring for someone with Alzheimer’s. But before we do that, let’s look at the different stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Stages of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease can be mild, moderate, or severe. The symptoms worsen as the disease progresses, bringing new challenges to you as a caregiver. Knowing the stages and their associated symptoms can help you plan ahead.

Mild (preclinical)

Patients with early-stage or mild Alzheimer’s disease can still function independently. They can participate in social and professional activities. But they’ll have a hard time focusing or remembering recent events. Most will also forget certain names or words and have difficulties writing and solving problems.

Moderate (mild cognitive impairment MCI)

At this stage, the patient experiences significant confusion, memory loss, and physical symptoms. They will have a hard time recognizing close friends and family.  Organizing, following instructions, and performing regular tasks will become very difficult. Patients may also wander or get lost, become restless, or have trouble falling asleep. Other symptoms of moderate Alzheimer’s include personality changes and fecal or urinary incontinence.

Severe (Alzheimer’s dementia)

Patients with severe Alzheimer’s lose the ability to carry out most or all of their basic activities. So they’ll need help with daily life activities like walking, eating, and sitting up. At this stage, they may not be able to engage in conversation or recognize their family members. Chewing and swallowing become a problem too.

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Things to bear in mind when caring for an Alzheimer’s patient in assisted living

Today, more than 50% of residents in assisted living facilities have some form of cognitive impairment or dementia, including Alzheimer’s. If you are a caregiver in one of such facilities, you should always remember that the disease is what causes the changes, and not the person. Here are a few things to keep in mind when caring for someone with Alzheimer’s in assisted living.

 

Your patience and sensitivity go along way

Dressing, eating, and grooming will become challenging as the disease progresses. The loss of privacy and independence that comes with the condition can be a hard transition for the resident with dementia. Your sensitivity, patience and understanding will help him or her through it. Once you are done helping with the daily tasks, you may want to think about the patient’s abilities. Then encourage them to do as much as they can – and be ready to help when the need arises.

Meltdowns are common

As the disease progresses, it becomes harder for the patient to communicate. He or she may want you to warm the food or turn down the volume. But because they cannot express their needs, they may end up lashing out in anger. In some cases, these residents experience pain and discomfort, lack of sleep, or they’re just not in sync with their routines. So you should understand this and handle any meltdown situation with professionalism and positivity. You can lower the occurrence of such issues by keeping the resident on a regular routine and ensuring they’re comfortable. Try to:

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Reminders and logic may not work

When caring for a resident with Alzheimer’s, you may find yourself trying to help them act as they would normally. For instance, you may want to remind them of facts or a conversation when they say something that’s off and so on. But this will only make things worse. Alzheimer’s is confusing and scary for the patient. Trying to use reason or logic to explain why they’re wrong will likely make them defensive, agitated, angry, or difficult. So it’s best to respect and join them in their new reality – and focus more on their emotions as opposed to words.

Nutrition is essential

People with Alzheimer’s may not need a special diet in the initial stages. But as the disease progresses, weight loss and loss of appetite may become concerns. Experts recommend serving finger foods, high-calorie healthy meals, and multivitamins. In the later stages, the patient may have difficulty chewing and swallowing. This is a big problem because if he or she chokes, the food might go into the lung, causing pneumonia. So, it’s best to prepare foods that are not hard to chew and swallow. Also, provide drinks with high water content, like smoothies, soups, and fruits.

The Best Things to Give Your Loved One in a Nursing Home

Nothing can replace your love and attention when it comes to things to give your loved one in a nursing home. But there are a few things you can get to brighten their days and make their life more comfortable – most of which we'll discuss in this article.

Before you set out to buy these things, keep in mind that:

With that in mind, here are the best things to give your loved one in a nursing home:

Games and fun

Spending days, weeks, or months in the nursing home can get boring. Your loved one needs something to brighten up their days, all while engaging their body and mind. And what better way to achieve that than by getting them fun games. Games are exciting and entertaining and can also improve their daily life skills, memory, and overall mental health. The best part is there's no limit to the fun items you can get them. Here are some quick picks – but you can always find more.

·       Board games and puzzles

Board games never really go out of fashion. If your loved one has a friend who doesn't mind gaming, this should be your ultimate choice. Games like jig-saw puzzles, puzzle books, dominoes, chess, cards, scrabble, word search, and backgammon are perfect for old members in nursing homes. It’s even better when there’s some candies and snacks to share.

·       Adult coloring book or audiobooks

Coloring books are fun, just as they are engaging. And with lots of time to spare in the nursing home, your loved one will surely love to color to keep busy. But if they are not the type that loves to color, you can opt for something more entertaining and calming, like an audiobook or a print-book. In the latter case, make sure the words are large enough so they don’t strain.

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Coloring books are a great way to stimulate memory and overall mental health.

·       Art and craft supplies

For your loved one in the nursing home, creating art and craft pieces is not only a smart way to use imagination but also maintain dexterity in hands and fingers. There are plenty of art and craft supplies to match vast needs. Just find out what your loved one wants. Here are some good examples:

Flashlight and reading light

Flashlight and reading light come in handy at night. They allow your loved one to carry one with activities without disturbing their roommates. With these lights, the elderly can read or play their games at night, or even search for items. When shopping for flashlights, find those that use LED as they shine brighter and keep power for long. You may also want to find beautiful reading lights so it adds to the room’s décor.

Stationery and other writing supplies

The baby boomer generation loves the pen and paper. It would be thoughtful of you to give them a nice piece of paper, an envelope, and stamps. It's pretty hard for residents to get stamps. It's even harder to get cards for all occasions – whether it's birthday or Christmas and so on. When you give them blank cards, stamps, and envelopes, they'll be able to write to their loved ones during holidays, which is just great. You can also add in some dairy, notepads, pens, pencils, and other stationery that will allow them to write down or document things/events.

Toiletries

Most nursing homes provide toiletries for their residents. But as you know, you can never have enough of some things. Besides, these homes only provide select toiletries – like tissues and soap. So always want to ensure that your loved one has enough supply of other toiletries they need. Toiletries like lip balm (in seasonal flavors), aftershave, deodorant lotion, body spray, etc., are always a good gift idea. Do, however, ensure that your loved one is not allergic and can safely use these items. Most nursing homes have a locking cabinet for specific toiletries to ensure they aren't stolen or ingested mistakenly. As a caution, you can label the bottle with the owner's name.

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Home Décor

Your loved one will be staying in the nursing home for a while. So you might as well make it as homely as possible. Depending on how their rooms look, you can get the wallpapers, carpet, lovely covers, and so on. You may also bring flowers to liven up the room. But the vase should be easy to clean and appealing too. Again, be cautious while picking flowers, so they don't look like the "get well soon" flowers.

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Flowers are a great way to show someone you love them.

Senior-friendly clothing and footwear

Clothing is one of the top choices when looking for things to buy for a loved one. And with plenty of variety available in the market, there's no limit to what you can get. Since your loved one is in a nursing home, you want to find clothing and footwear that are warm, cozy, safe, and stylish too. Your elderly still want to look sharp even in the nursing home.

·       Comfortable clothing

When shopping for clothes, go for those that are comfortable and easy to wear. Try to avoid clothes with tiny zips or small buttons as they are hard to maneuver. Opt for wrap-around styles instead. Again, choose fabrics that are machine-washed and dried and avoid those that need special care.

·       Gripper footwear

You also want to find comfortable, breathable, and adjustable footwear. Gripper slippers or socks are a great option as they keep the cold feet warm and are easy to put on. Besides, these can keep your loved one safe by lowering the chances of slip and falls.

·       Shawls and wraps

Shawls, blankets, wraps are always welcome. Blankets can transform the room while keeping your loved one warm and cozy. And since the elderly always seem to be cold all year round, wraps, wearable sleeved blankets, shawls, button-up sweaters etc., are a perfect choice.

Show them love

Everyone – including those in a nursing home – enjoy a little love. You can show it to them whenever you visit. Sometimes even a simple visit can go a long way to brightening up their day! We all know how short-staffed some nursing homes can be. Simply spending time with your loved one is an incredibly valuable gift. You could also get them something funny or cute to look at when you are not around. If your loved one loves cats, you might be able to get them a cat. And if they are more of teddy bear lovers, then a stuffed toy would work the magic. Of all the things to give your loved one in a nursing home, time is going to be the one that is truly cherished.

What is the Future of Nursing Home Businesses?

The Coronavirus has changed the way we do things, albeit temporarily. Soon enough, things will settle down and life will pretty much go back to the way it used to be – at least for other industries. The senior care industry, however, may never return to the old normal. With that being said, what is the future of nursing home business going to be like?

The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt significant blows to the senior care industry. According to an ABC News analysis of the latest public health data, nursing homes in America have persisted as one of the pandemic's deadliest environments. As of May 31, 2020, there were a total of 95,515 confirmed and 58,288 suspected cases of COVID-19 in 88% of 15,400 Medicare and Medicaid eligible nursing homes. Of this number, 31,782 succumbed to COVID related complications.

Today, many nursing homes across the US remain on lockdown. The devastation, advocates and experts say, underscore longstanding problems with a system that, even in normal times, struggles with neglect, poor infection control, and understaffing. Now, the pandemic has fuelled calls for more drastic solutions, some have called for abolishing nursing homes altogether.

Advocates question the need for nursing homes, especially since many believe seniors aren't receiving proper care in these facilities. Their effort to deinstitutionalize nursing homes – which has had some success – pushes for in-community and home care options for disabled adults who need long-term care.

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Along with new challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, the senior care industry is changing in major ways.

But the pandemic isn't the only problem facing the senior care industry. There are also some daunting economic and policy challenges that arise due to the growing baby boomer population. Again, many facilities were struggling with thin profit margins before the pandemic. Others were struggling to offer quality care or to stay afloat, and so on.

Of course, with all these things happening in the senior care industry, it only makes sense to wonder what the future holds for the nursing home business. This is especially true if you are considering investing in the industry. In this article, we will dive deeper into what's happening now and what the future looks like to give you an idea of what to expect.

What is a nursing home?

A nursing home is a place where those who don't need to be in a hospital but can't access home care go. Most of these nursing homes have skilled nurses and aides on hand 24 hours a day. They offer custodial care, like helping the elderly get in and out of bed, bathing, dressing, and even feeding. They also provide skilled nursing services like medical monitoring and treatment to improve older people's quality of life.

Estimates indicate that the number of Americans aged 65 and older will almost double from 52 million to 95 million between 2018 and 2060. By this time, the older adults will account for 23% of the population. With more seniors living longer than ever before, there has been a rise in the number of seniors needing nursing home or assisted living care. This explains why investing in senior living facilities is a good idea - but with a catch.

The state of nursing home business today

Nursing homes fulfill a need that is never going to go away – caring for the elderly. For as long as there are seniors, there will be facilities to help cater to their needs. But as we mentioned earlier, the pandemic has exposed the inherent flaws in these homes. Up until now, the country is still struggling to contain the outbreak. So we may not be in the best position to predict the actual backlash and the regulations that will be in place to ensure that these facilities are well prepared to handle any infectious disease outbreak in the future.

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As the senior population is expected to boom in the coming decade, the importance of safe, effective elder care is paramount.

As we mentioned earlier, many nursing homes were struggling with thin profit margins before the pandemic. But now, they have to spend more money on protective equipment and technology to connect residents with loved ones who can no longer visit. They also have to redesign their spaces to optimize infection control, and for some, this may mean losing beds. Add that to the rising demand to increase staff and pay, and it becomes expensive for these facilities to operate efficiently.

The revenues have also gone down because facilities are only enrolling a few residents to reduce the risk of infection. This spreads the already thin profit margins even further, making it hard for some to pay bills without government help. And even with government programs like Medicaid, operators still have a hard time because these payments don't always match up with care costs.

The future of nursing home business

Nursing homes play an essential role today, as they will in the coming days. Many seniors stay in these facilities because of various reasons. Some have an underlying health care problem that needs skilled hands. Others don't have a family member close by to help with daily tasks. But the trend is quickly changing as more families and their elderly loved ones start to opt for in-home care.

According to one report, residents are moving out of senior living homes faster than those moving in. Seniors and their loved ones are responding to at least three trends:

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In-home care is becoming a popular option for many seniors and their families as technology bridges the gap between patient and effective medical care.

This shift to home care will see many people embrace vast health care technologies to monitor and care for their loved ones at home. The Internet of medical things is widespread today. It allows people to do a range of things, including monitoring vital signs, routine tests, exercise, and even sending alerts in case of an issue. A good example is a wearable device that lets senior adults monitor their heart rate, sugar levels, and so on. Such tools allow older adults to send real-time medical alerts, making it easier to receive timely care. Motion sensors are another excellent example of modern care technology that's transforming the senior care world.

Owing to these trends, analysts predict that the nursing home sector will see a massive ownership shakeout, with some even going out of business because of the thinning of profits. There's a bit of conflict, though, as to whether this will lead to a net decline in beds or ownership consolidation – or both.

While the pandemic did not create the challenges facing nursing homes, it did expose them in a “not so good” way. Both federal and state governments made steps to help weather the storm; as the pandemic's depth became more evident, the federal government polished its policies and increased resources for facilities and states. The makers of policies should now review the entire strategy to see what works and what should be included in the long-term systemic change. All of this will greatly affect the future of nursing home business.

With an increasing elderly population and looming state budget cuts, the system is at risk of continued deterioration – including limited oversight, less access to essential services, and worsening of the understaffing situation. The pandemic placed the system on trial and despite all the effort to keep everything afloat, that system failed. Whether the system will stand the test of time or not is all dependent on responsible parties to make bold and lasting changes.