All news
115 stories, newest first. Each day lists the news published that day.
October 2026
October 30, 2026
Nursing homes
Nursing homes have cut use of agency staff by 44% since 2022, research firm says
Nursing homes added nearly 41,000 workers last year and rely far less on temporary agency staff than in 2022, a staffing research firm says, but nursing assistant jobs remain the hardest to fill.
Medicare
Medicare drug plan premiums could rise 50% in 2027 for people who don't switch
A KFF analysis projects the average stand-alone Part D premium will climb from $34 to $51 a month next year, and there will be no $0-premium drug plans, so comparing plans before December 7 matters more.
Home care
CMS moves to add California to home health claims review as enrollment freeze nears Nov. 13 end
Medicare filed a notice to expand its home health Review Choice Demonstration to California. Separately, the national freeze on new hospice and home health agencies is set to lapse November 13 unless CMS extends it.
October 29, 2026
Medicare
Medicare confirms daily therapy alone can qualify a nursing facility stay
After a lawsuit by a Medicare advocacy group, federal officials told Medicare's appeals board that patients needing daily physical or occupational therapy can get skilled nursing facility coverage without daily nursing care.
Senior living
Senior living rents up about 30% in five years as new building slows
A national real estate report finds occupancy rising fastest in assisted and independent living, while only about 21,000 units are under construction and rents have outpaced regular apartments.
Medicaid
Judge blocks stricter 'medically frail' test in Medicaid work rules
A Boston federal court sided with 25 states, including New York, against a federal rule that would have made seriously ill adults prove their condition keeps them from meeting new Medicaid work requirements.
Nursing homes
Study links low Medicaid pay to gaps in nursing home staffing and care
Researchers studying nearly a million long-stay residents found that homes serving more residents of color had fewer registered nurses and more serious bedsores, and that the gaps narrowed where Medicaid paid more.
October 28, 2026
Nursing homes
Virginia nursing homes rank near the bottom nationally for staffing, state study finds
A Virginia legislative study ranked the state 42nd for total nursing home staffing and 50th for nurse aides, and proposed the state's first minimum staffing standard, phased in starting in 2029.
Senior living
Few new senior living buildings are going up, and a lender expects 2027 to stay tight
A Walker & Dunlop outlook describes a scarcity-driven market: occupancy above 90%, construction starts at about a third of normal, and rents rising more than 4% a year for over four years.
Nursing homes
Federal watchdog looks at how New York and three other states make nursing homes spend money on care
Four states, including New York, require nursing homes to put a set share of their money into resident care. A new federal review says the rules work differently in each state and are hard to track.
Caregiving
Aide shortages and Medicaid cuts are pushing more home care onto families, think tank says
The Milken Institute's aging team warns that thin home care staffing and Medicaid cuts leave families filling gaps, sometimes by cutting work hours, which can shrink retirement savings and future Social Security.
Dementia
Largest genetic study of Alzheimer's finds 48 new risk regions in DNA
Researchers studied DNA from about 2.8 million people and linked 127 regions to Alzheimer's risk. They say it guides future research but does not mean a gene test can predict who gets the disease.
New York
New York heating aid applications open November 2, and older adults can get extra help
New York's Home Energy Assistance Program starts taking regular applications Monday. Households with someone 60 or older can get an extra $35, and some people are enrolled automatically.
Caregiving
Family caregivers now spend an average of $11,508 a year of their own money, AARP finds
A new AARP survey of 2,538 family caregivers found out-of-pocket costs have climbed about 60% in five years, far faster than inflation, and now take up nearly a third of caregivers' income.
October 27, 2026
Nursing homes
Senators press Medicare on shorter inspections for top-rated nursing homes
Four Democratic senators, including New York's Kirsten Gillibrand, want Medicare to explain a new process that gives about 1,700 high-rated nursing homes shorter inspections with fewer surveyors. Here is how to read the new Care Compare icon.
Nursing homes
Workers reach settlement three years after St. Louis nursing home closed overnight
Former staff of Northview Village, which shut abruptly in December 2023, would share about $365,000, a fraction of a $1.9 million judgment. The case shows why closure notice rules matter for residents too.
Dementia
Most Medicare patients with dementia skip the free yearly wellness visit, study finds
In a study of nearly 800,000 Medicare patients with dementia, 60.8% had no Annual Wellness Visit in three years, and those with more visits were more likely to start a dementia medication.
Home care
Meals delivered after a hospital stay linked to fewer quick returns, Duke study finds
Older adults at risk of hunger who got two weeks of delivered meals after leaving a Duke hospital were less likely to be readmitted within two weeks. About a third of referrals never led to a delivery.
Assisted living
Fire that killed two at Mississippi assisted living center was started by smoking materials, officials say
The state fire marshal said the October 21 fire in Clinton started outside near an entrance and spread quickly because a mattress and other items were stored there. Two residents died.
October 26, 2026
Nursing homes
Kentucky health system and nursing home operator plan a $35 million, 105-bed skilled nursing facility
The joint venture aims to give hospital patients a place to recover after discharge in Lexington, with first patients targeted for early 2029, a model other hospitals are using to ease backups.
Get the weekly family brief
One calm email a week with the senior care news that matters, in plain language. Unsubscribe anytime.