More care for older adults is happening at home; however, as beds continue to decline, many older adults remain stuck in hospitals. In Massachusetts, a state hospital association survey showed an average of 563 patients per month remained in hospitals while waiting for a nursing home bed to open. Hundreds of patients spend at least a month in hospitals waiting, while some wait for six months or longer, according to the Journal.
Here are three other findings from the analysis, published Aug. 22:
- Wisconsin, Ohio, Kansas and Massachusetts lost the most nursing home beds between January 2017 and July 2023.
- The decrease in beds spiked in 2021 but has slowed the last two years. However, beds are still being lost at a rate of about 8,000 to 12,000 per year.
- About 22 percent of people older than 65 live in counties without a nursing home.
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