“Study confirms what many suspect: Assisted living’s growth taking a toll on skilled care private pay,” by John O’Connor, McKnight’s Senior Living

“Many operators are convinced senior living is growing at skilled care’s expense. A new study adds nuance to the numbers. ‘Our research suggests private pay occupancy has fallen in nursing homes located in counties with disproportionately high growth in assisted living,’ co-author David C. Grabowski, Ph.D., a professor of healthcare policy at Harvard Medical School, told McKnight’s Senior Living. … The authors cited several possible explanations for the private-pay downturn in skilled care settings. One is that assisted living residents are staying put longer, even as their conditions worsen. Another is that people recovering from an acute event are transitioning to assisted living settings at the conclusion of their rehab care, as opposed to remaining in skilled care buildings.”

LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform):

Another reason is that people would rather spend their own money to get care in assisted living rather than put up with what Medicaid is able to pay for in a nursing home. The traditional model, i.e., free or subsidized custodial care in a nursing home under-funded by a welfare program with loose eligibility rules, continues to fall apart. But the damage it did remains: consumers are uninsured for and complacent about LTC risk and cost.

Study confirms what many suspect: Assisted living’s growth taking a toll on skilled care private pay

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