Occupancy in skilled nursing facilities in June was 81.2%, the highest it has been all year, according to the latest Skilled Nursing Monthly Report, released Thursday by NIC MAP Vision.
The June level represents a 31 basis point increase from May, Bill Kauffman, senior principal at the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care, wrote in a blog post.
In many markets, however, additional admissions are being limited by the “significant burden” of staffing on providers, he said.
“As staffing continues to be a challenge, skilled nursing property wage growth expense has declined, which may provide some relief to operators,” Kauffman said. “However, higher debt costs are a concern.”
Occupancy in nursing homes has increased 77 basis points since December and is up 6.6 percentage points from the low of 74.6% seen in January 2021. But it is down 7.5 percentage points from the pre-pandemic level of 88.8% seen in February 2020.
Meanwhile, senior living occupancy (independent living and assisted living) rose 0.6 percentage points to 83.7% from the first quarter to the end of the second quarter, according to previously shared data from NIC.
The Skilled Nursing Monthly Report report, which also shares data on Medicare and Medicaid revenues, is available for download at no charge on the NIC website.
