February 24, 2023

As the healthcare industry evolves, nursing homes are experiencing increasing pressure to maintain a high census. With changes in healthcare policies, technological advances, and the growing need for long-term care services, nursing homes must adapt to meet the changing needs of their residents and their families. In this blog, we will explore five ways nursing homes can improve their census, including managing admissions, and rehospitalizations, launching new service lines, extending admission times, and partnering with home health and hospice companies.

1. Managing Admissions: One of the most effective ways to improve census in a nursing home is by implementing effective admission management strategies. This involves streamlining the admission process, making it more efficient and less stressful for families, and ensuring that residents receive high-quality care when they arrive at the facility. Nursing homes can increase their referrals and maintain a steady flow of new residents by providing excellent customer service and building strong relationships with hospitals and other healthcare providers in the community.
2. Managing Rehospitalizations: Rehospitalizations can be a significant challenge for nursing homes. They can result in lost revenue, reduced occupancy, increased healthcare costs, and potential penalties under value-based care models. Nursing homes can minimize rehospitalizations by implementing evidence-based care practices, such as providing timely medical interventions, ensuring proper medication management, and monitoring residents' health status closely.
3. Launching New Service Lines: Nursing homes can improve their census by expanding their service lines to meet the changing needs of their communities. For example, a nursing home could launch a new dementia unit to serve the growing population of seniors with memory loss. Other service line expansions could include hospice care, palliative care, or in-house hemodialysis. Nursing homes can attract new residents and increase their census by offering new and innovative services.
4. Extending Admission Times: Many nursing homes have strict admission policies that limit new residents' admission times. By extending admission times, nursing homes can accommodate the needs of families who may need help to visit or complete the admission process during traditional business hours. This can also help nursing homes stay competitive by offering more flexible services.
5. Partnering with Home Health and Hospice Companies: Nursing homes can partner with home health and hospice companies to provide additional services to residents. These partnerships can help nursing homes expand their service lines and offer broader care options. They can also help nursing homes build relationships with community healthcare providers, leading to increased referrals and higher census.

In conclusion, improving the census in a nursing home requires a multifaceted approach that involves effective admission management, evidence-based care practices, service line expansion, extended admission times, and partnerships with home health and hospice companies. SMK Medical can help nursing homes establish and implement these programs and drive census through effective management and outreach. For more information, please visit our website at SMKmed.com or call us at 313-314-8267.

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