Like so many other industries, the nursing home and rehab industry faces several distinct challenges every year; the forces of change prompt many of these facilities to revise the way that they provide their services from time to time. Since 2010 is now upon us, it is an opportune time to examine some of the most important elements and trends that hold influence over the rehab and nursing home industry. In this report, examinations of issues concerning job outlook within the industry, overall industry growth and the top trends of 2010 will be included. Hiring managers and other working professionals within the industry can use this information to make more informed decisions during the upcoming year.

This quarterly report would not be complete without mention of the current economic crisis. The economic downturn is affecting many parts of our lives; nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, long term care facilities and rehab centers are no exception. While the steadily aging population of the United States bodes well for the industry in terms of patients, the economic crisis is working against it in many key ways. Many aspects of this report, therefore, will be colored by current economic trends.

Section One: Job Outlook For The Nursing Home And Rehab Industry In 2010

Hiring managers within the rehab and nursing home industry can expect to see some interesting changes in 2010. Thanks to pressing economic concerns, it is highly likely that many facilities will pare back their existing services. In turn, several jobs will most likely be eliminated. Of course, the jobs that are eliminated will be the ones that involve nonessential, or adjunct, services; for the most part, jobs that involve nursing care will hold steady throughout the upcoming year.

In-Demand Jobs In The Rehab And Nursing Home Industry In 2010

With each passing year, the population of elderly people in the United States grows larger and larger. In turn, nursing home attendance is only going to rise. Such facilities must have round-the-clock staff on hand to attend to residents’ various medical needs. Therefore, nursing aides can expect to see an increased demand in the next year or two. If anything, the demand for nursing aids within the rehab and nursing home industry is only going to rise; more than likely, people who pursue a nursing aide career track will have ample opportunities going forward.

Nursing home administrators are also going to be in high demand throughout 2010 and beyond, especially as new facilities are opened and existing ones are expanded. Such employees serve a wide range of important functions, helping to maintain the day to day operations of a nursing home or rehab center and tying together many critical aspects of those operations. Long term care facilities and skill nursing facilities alike are in constant need of nursing home administrators; large facilities may employ several of them within a single site. The job outlook is quite good for anyone who is looking for work as a nursing home administrator in 2010.

Less In-Demand Jobs In The Nursing Home And Rehab Industry In 2010

As with many different types of healthcare facilities, the first jobs to be eliminated during tough economic times are going to be office and clerical positions. Although LTC facilities aren’t likely to be as impacted by the economic circumstances as many other industries, they are going to feel the pinch and many will have to eliminate jobs. Administrative assistant positions are usually first on the chopping block, since many functions can be concentrated and handled by fewer people.

Outsourcing is another issue, and it may have an effect on the popularity of human resources positions within the nursing home industry. More and more small scale facilities are choosing to outsource their HR departments in order to cut costs. Therefore, in-house human resources positions within the rehab and nursing home industry are probably going to be scarcer in the upcoming year or two. Although larger facilities will still require the services of human resources administrators, they may cut back on additional positions within the department. Small nursing homes and rehab centers are most likely going to do away with the vast majority of their human resources positions.

Section Two: Industry Growth In 2010

Without question, the number of nursing homes, rehab centers, skilled nursing facilities and long term care, or LTC, facilities is only going to rise in the next few years. The population of the United States is growing older, and senior citizens are making up a larger percentage of it than ever. Unlike the assisted living industry, nursing homes don’t suffer as badly when the economy takes a turn for the worst since many of the people who end up nursing homes have no other options at their disposal.

The current funding crisis, which involves Medicaid, Medicare and other public payment policies, is going to have an effect on industry growth within the nursing home sector this year. The chances for major upheavals within the Medicare and Medicaid system are high, and any major changes will have a profound effect on how much the industry grows in the upcoming years. Although the Medicare and Medicaid systems have been around for some time, experts are uncertain of how the huge surge in eligible persons is going to affect it. The nursing home industry will undoubtedly feel the repercussions of any changes that occur in Washington.

Finally, the potential for healthcare reform is an important factor in terms of industry growth for the rehab and nursing home sector. Should a public health option develop, senior citizens may have more options at their disposal than they currently do. This could prompt a greater number of elderly people to choose assisted living facilities over nursing homes in upcoming years. Of course, there is a very real possibility that health care reform won’t come to fruition at all; the probability of it happening in 2010 looks quite slim. Still, hiring managers and other working professionals within the industry should keep their eye on healthcare reform this year.

Section Three: Trends In The Nursing Home And Rehab Industry For 2010

Many different forces play a part in the trends that the rehab and nursing home industry will face in 2010. By familiarizing yourself with the trends that are coming up for the following year, you can be more prepared for handling the various issues that may arise. Trends for 2010 fall into many different categories and affect many different aspects of the skilled nursing facility and long term care facility industry. A handful of the most important trends to watch are outlined below.

1. Longterm Care Insurance – First developed during the 1980s, longterm care insurance is going to become more and more popular in the months and years ahead. As the number of people who carry such policies grows, the ability for many seniors to pay for higher quality services is gong to increase. Professionals within the nursing home and rehab industry need to stay abreast of this trend, since it will have a direct impact on many individual facilities around the country.
2. Care Integration – Nursing homes are, by necessity, becoming more organized. As a result, the concept of care integration is being embraced by an increasing number of these facilities. Care integration typically involves the formation of specific teams of employees to handle various tasks within a facility, as well as the streamlining of record management and other essential processes.
3. Alternative Site Services – The nursing home industry is becoming a crowded playing field, and standing out from the crowd is becoming more and more difficult. In response, many facilities are developing alternative site services to entice people to move in. Although such services usually aren’t as extensive as those offered by assisted living facilities, they usually help facilitate healthcare and other essential services for residents.
4. Separate Care Areas – The trend toward segregating various patients within a single facility is going to intensify in 2010. This means that more facilities will create special areas that are reserved for patients who need higher levels of care, like Alzheimer’s patients and patients who suffer from dementia. This will improve residents’ experiences and will help facilities draw in a larger number of residents as well.
5. Optimized Privacy – In the past, the vast majority of nursing homes and rehab centers were institutional and didn’t give patient privacy a lot of thought. Today’s nursing home residents are demanding greater privacy, though, prompting many skilled nursing facilities to provide such options. Even in shared bedrooms, residents are being given more space and curtains are being used with a lot more frequency in order to achieve a more private living experience.
6. Homelike Settings – Even in long term care facilities, trends are turning toward providing a higher degree of comfort than ever. Patients and residents are exhibiting more discerning tastes, and nursing home facilities are scrambling for ways to appeal to as many people as possible. A few small touches that create the illusion of home can help sway people who are on the fence, so it can be expected that such details will be a steadily increasing trend well into 2010 and beyond.
7. Better Technology – Technology is improving and becoming more important everywhere, and nursing homes and rehab centers are no exception. As technology becomes cheaper and cheaper to put into use, more facilities are integrating it into the patient experience. Technology, including wireless Internet access and other computerized options, is an inexpensive way to keep residents occupied and happy. At the same time, better technology means more streamlined patients records and other critical administrative functions.
8. More Room – In terms of patient rooms, size is going to become a more important issue than ever. New nursing homes and rehab centers are offering much larger patient rooms, helping to create a more comfortable environment for their residents. Although larger rooms aren’t standard across the board, they are an important trend that working professionals within the industry should expect to see more of in upcoming years.

Sources:

http://www.bdcnetwork.com/article/377477-10_top_design_trends_in_senior_living_facilities.php

http://www.investorsinsight.com/blogs/retirement_watch/archive/2009/07/17/critical-new-trends-in-long-term-care.aspx

http://www.milbank.org/sea/jan2000/trends.html

http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs035.htm

http://www.firstresearch.com/industry-research/Nursing-Homes-and-Assisted-Living.html

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3830/is_n2_v45/ai_18113157/

http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/Reports/rltct.htm