ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Skilled nursing occupancy nationwide increased 59 basis points from July to August, reaching 82.3 percent at the end of the month.
That’s according to a blog post this week by Bill Kauffman, senior principal with the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC). The Annapolis-based organization is the main source of data tracking for the seniors housing industry.
The new skilled nursing occupancy number is an increase of 142 basis points from the pandemic low of 75 percent in January 2021. Occupancy hovered around 81 percent from January 2023 through July 2023. August 2023 represents the first time occupancy was over 82 percent since April 2020.
However, challenges do persist with staffing shortages that continue to create difficulties within skilled nursing properties, limiting the ability to admit new residents in some markets, according to Kauffman. The current occupancy trend over the past year does suggest that demand for skilled nursing properties is recovering. Occupancy remains low compared to February 2020 pre-pandemic levels of 89.1 percent.