Must Reads: Worst States for Nursing Homes, the CCRC ‘Death Valley’ Problem

Top news organizations around the country recently ran these must-read stories related to senior housing.

You Don’t Want to Be Old in These States—Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma are among the states where nursing home quality lags the most, according to a recent analysis of government ratings. Nursing home stakeholders point to chronic underfunding by Medicaid as one reason some facilities struggle with staffing and other operational aspects that generally relate to higher ratings.

Health Care REITs Stay on the Hunt for Senior Housing—Dealmaking in the senior housing sector has remained strong for real estate investment trusts, thanks to excellent financing options, cap rate compression and other factors. But will deals start to level off as large portfolios become harder to find?

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Senior Housing Transitions Can Lead to Stigma and Isolation—In continuing care retirement communities and other settings with multiple care levels, residents tend to avoid skilled nursing and other high-acuity units—using descriptions like “The Twilight Zone” and “Death Valley” to describe them, researchers say. These latest findings confirm results that have held steady for 30 years.

The Surprising New Role Financial Advisors Play As Clients Age—Some financial advisors are helping their clients evaluate and choose a senior living option, and not only are consulting with these aging clients about funding for seniors housing but also are aiding them with emotional and physical issues in some cases.

Nursing Homes Using Hospice Care More, But at a Cost—Expanding hospice care in nursing homes was supposed to save money, because it would reduce expensive life-prolonging services. But many nursing home residents now are receiving hospice for lengthy periods of time, driving up average per-patient Medicare costs substantially between 2004 and 2009, a study has found.

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These Charts Show the Baby Boomers’ Coming Health Crisis—The percent of older adults with chronic conditions increased alarmingly between 2002 and 2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High cholesterol, obesity, diabetes and hypertension rates all have ticked up; but seniors also are living longer, thanks in large part to medications that help control these conditions.

4 Retirement Risks You Should Consider—When it comes to managing finances during retirement, inflation, stock market volatility, interest rates and even living a longer life present risks, Genworth Vice President Eric Taylor writes in the Huffington Post. At the moment, a pending increase in the federal funds rate is one of the particular threats to monitor, for those holding fixed income investments.

Written by Tim Mullaney

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