Length of stay in nursing homes at the end of life The median stay was only 5 months (RIC 1-20). Most residents had short stays, 65% percent of the deceased had stays of less than one year, and more than 53% died within 6 months of admission. According to the National Center for Assisted Living, 59% of all assisted living residents will eventually move to a skilled nursing facility. Overall, the average stay in a nursing home is 835 days, according to the National Care Planning Council.
For residents who have been discharged, including those who received short-term rehabilitation care, the average stay in a nursing home is 270 days, or 8.9 months. The key element of any nursing home is caring staff, since not all residents will be in the best health. Another problem that had affected many of the residents of nursing homes was the increase in health problems caused by isolation. The first models were originally called nursing homes and provided professional nursing care in a simple home-like environment.
Many nursing homes work closely with hospitals and make arrangements to transfer their residents to the hospital when needed. It is well known that life expectancy in nursing homes (NH) is lower for older adults than for those who reside elsewhere. In short, it's not uncommon for a person to receive home care for several months or more, followed by a two-and-a-half year stay in an assisted living facility, and nearly 60% require a nursing home stay of between nine months and just over two years. Until May 22 of this year, no one noticed changes in the life expectancy of a nursing home resident.
Another problem that soon affected many nursing homes was a problem that was already evident before the pandemic began. Because retirement and nursing homes are not federally funded, their staff is limited by the allowable budget. As bleak as this news is, a greater effect on nursing home residents is not at all related to the coronavirus. This is further proof that retired people live longer thanks to assisted living and home care.
A central part of this process involves moving from living at home with the support of a caregiver to living in an institution where medical services and treatment provided by trained nurses and doctors are the top priority. These are decisive factors that can also have a major impact on the life expectancy of a nursing home resident.
