New data in a report on quality in the nation’s nursing homes paints a positive picture built on improvement across Quality Measures (QMs), reduced hospitalizations, and more short-stay patients regaining their independence.

The report by the American Health Care Association (AHCA) includes federal data on key quality measures and patient outcomes since the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency in 2023.

Highlights include:

• Additional patients regaining their independence: Nearly 95,000 more short-stay patients improved their functional abilities, while almost 30,000 more patients successfully returned home.

• Long-stay resident quality: QMs for pressure ulcers were down 37.1 percent, catheter use down 37.1 percent, urinary tract infections down 25 percent, and weight loss down11.8 percent.

• Fewer hospital visits: Nursing home care helped patients avoid more than 14,000 emergency room visits.

• Record participation in a nationally recognized quality-improvement program: The AHCA/NCAL National Quality Award Program has experienced 134 percent growth in applications from skilled nursing and long-term care organizations. Silver and Gold recipients are shown to perform better than the average nursing home on Five-Star and numerous quality measures.

• Customer satisfaction: 84.3 percent of residents and 75.9 percent of families were satisfied with the care received in their nursing home.

“The progress we are seeing is indicative of the never-ending commitment of nursing home caregivers to improve the lives of their residents, seek out the latest best practices, and continuously innovate," said Clif Porter, president and CEO of AHCA. “The data is confirmation of the inspiring efforts that we have witnessed in recent years. We're not just recovering but reinvigorating efforts to deliver high-quality nursing home care."

Questions or comments? Contact Patrick Connole at pconnole@parkplacelive.com.