Feb. 19, 2020

New Study: Less Nursing Homes, Growth in Post-Acute Care, Improved Quality

On February 18, 2020 by Jodi Boyne

A new study shows dramatic changes in nursing home over the past 30 years: a loss of 400 nursing homes, significant growth in post-hospital admissions and dementia care, a growing number of residents who are racial or ethnic minorities residents, and a dramatic drop in the use of restraints and inappropriate antipsychotic use.  

The authors of the study, Thirty-Year Trends in Nursing Home Composition and Quality Since the Passage of the Omnibus Reconciliation Act, said providers are performing admirably in a complex clinical landscape and are seeing quality gains while serving an increasingly vulnerable and higher-need population. 

The study showed a 15% increase in post-acute care, more providers becoming Medicare and Medicare-certified, and more providers embracing not-for-profit care models.

The Omnibus Reconciliation Act was designed to overhaul the nursing home quality assurance system, and there have been significant improvements over the past 30 years. The number of residents who are physically restrained dropped from 19% to 1% and the inappropriate use of antipsychotics decreased from 16% in 2000 to 12% in 2015. However, there has been little change in the area of medication errors.