Rural Long-Term Care Facilities – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Long-Term Care Facilities.
Nursing Home Staffing Study: Comprehensive Report
Examines the level and type of staffing needed to promote acceptable nursing home quality and safety. Explores the potential implications and feasibility of increased staffing and costs to nursing homes. Presents four options for minimum staffing requirements and their cost, quality, and safety impacts. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Literature Review Results Table, State Minimum Staffing Requirement
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Examines the level and type of staffing needed to promote acceptable nursing home quality and safety. Explores the potential implications and feasibility of increased staffing and costs to nursing homes. Presents four options for minimum staffing requirements and their cost, quality, and safety impacts. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Literature Review Results Table, State Minimum Staffing Requirement
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Trends in Supply of Nursing Home Beds, 2011-2019
Examines the change in the supply of nursing home beds between 2011 and 2019 while adjusting for the change in the number of older adults in the population. Presents data on the characteristics of counties where the supply of nursing home beds has changed, including rurality and census region. Describes the characteristics of the nursing home beds in counties where the supply has changed, including the percent change in 4- and 5-star beds, for-profit beds, and chain-affiliated beds.
Author(s): Katherine E. M. Miller, Paula Chatterjee, Rachel M. Werner
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(3), e230640
Date: 01/2023
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Examines the change in the supply of nursing home beds between 2011 and 2019 while adjusting for the change in the number of older adults in the population. Presents data on the characteristics of counties where the supply of nursing home beds has changed, including rurality and census region. Describes the characteristics of the nursing home beds in counties where the supply has changed, including the percent change in 4- and 5-star beds, for-profit beds, and chain-affiliated beds.
Author(s): Katherine E. M. Miller, Paula Chatterjee, Rachel M. Werner
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(3), e230640
Date: 01/2023
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COVID-19 Mortality Rates across Noncore, Micropolitan, and Metropolitan Counties by Community Characteristics, December 2020-January 2021
Explores differences in COVID-19 mortality rates across rural-urban designations and stratifications by geography, county-level sociodemographic factors, and county-level healthcare factors. Features statistics on mortality rates by rurality and U.S. census region, racial/ethnic composition, and ICU and nursing home bed density, as well as state-level maps showing mortality rates per 100,000 with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Author(s): Whitney E. Zahnd, Khyathi Gadag, Fred Ullrich, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Explores differences in COVID-19 mortality rates across rural-urban designations and stratifications by geography, county-level sociodemographic factors, and county-level healthcare factors. Features statistics on mortality rates by rurality and U.S. census region, racial/ethnic composition, and ICU and nursing home bed density, as well as state-level maps showing mortality rates per 100,000 with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Author(s): Whitney E. Zahnd, Khyathi Gadag, Fred Ullrich, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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COVID-19 in Nursing Homes: Outbreak Duration Averaged 4 Weeks and Was Strongly Associated with Community Spread
Examines how COVID-19 outbreaks affected nursing homes. Explores factors that were associated with the duration of COVID-19 outbreaks, including community-level transmission, staffing levels, nursing home size, and type of nursing home ownership. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines how COVID-19 outbreaks affected nursing homes. Explores factors that were associated with the duration of COVID-19 outbreaks, including community-level transmission, staffing levels, nursing home size, and type of nursing home ownership. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Variation in Residential Care Community Resident Characteristics, by Size of Community: United States, 2020
Examines residential care communities in 2020 by community size, which is calculated by the number of residential care beds in their community: 4-25 beds, 26-50 beds, or over 50 beds. Includes data further broken down by resident age, race/ethnicity, Medicaid beneficiary status, prevalence of chronic conditions, and assistance needs for walking, bathing, eating, and other life skills.
Author(s): Christine Caffrey, Amanuel Melekin, Zhaohui Lu, Manisha Sengupta
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Examines residential care communities in 2020 by community size, which is calculated by the number of residential care beds in their community: 4-25 beds, 26-50 beds, or over 50 beds. Includes data further broken down by resident age, race/ethnicity, Medicaid beneficiary status, prevalence of chronic conditions, and assistance needs for walking, bathing, eating, and other life skills.
Author(s): Christine Caffrey, Amanuel Melekin, Zhaohui Lu, Manisha Sengupta
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Telehealth Brings Important Services to Rural Long-Term Care Facilities
Discusses the benefits of telehealth services for residents and staff of rural long-term care facilities. Identifies some of the challenges related to providing these services. Features a New Hampshire skilled nursing facility providing telemental health services, and a Virginia geriatrician helping long-term care facilities address COVID-19 via Project ECHO educational sessions.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Discusses the benefits of telehealth services for residents and staff of rural long-term care facilities. Identifies some of the challenges related to providing these services. Features a New Hampshire skilled nursing facility providing telemental health services, and a Virginia geriatrician helping long-term care facilities address COVID-19 via Project ECHO educational sessions.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Report to Congress: Unified Payment for Medicare-Covered Post-Acute Care
Presents a prototype for a Unified Post-acute Care (PAC) prospective payment system (PPS) that would set payment for PAC services on the basis of the clinical characteristics of the patient rather than the type of provider. Details the structure of the prototype and the data used in the analyses to design and calibrate the PPS. Explores key considerations for unifying PAC payment, such as cost-sharing and value-based payment. Includes data on PAC provider characteristics, including facility size and rural status, as well as rural payment adjustments.
Additional links: Appendices
Author(s): Benjamin Silver, Anne Deutsch, Nicole Coomer, et al.
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Presents a prototype for a Unified Post-acute Care (PAC) prospective payment system (PPS) that would set payment for PAC services on the basis of the clinical characteristics of the patient rather than the type of provider. Details the structure of the prototype and the data used in the analyses to design and calibrate the PPS. Explores key considerations for unifying PAC payment, such as cost-sharing and value-based payment. Includes data on PAC provider characteristics, including facility size and rural status, as well as rural payment adjustments.
Additional links: Appendices
Author(s): Benjamin Silver, Anne Deutsch, Nicole Coomer, et al.
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Post-Acute and Long-term Care Providers and Services Users in the United States, 2017–2018
Describes the supply, organizational characteristics, staffing, and services offered by post-acute and long-term care providers. Provides descriptions of service users, including residents of nursing homes and residential care communities, patients receiving home health or hospice care, and people who attend adult day services centers. Features statistics including distribution of post-acute and long-term care providers in 2017-2018, with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, or other areas.
Author(s): Manisha Sengupta, Jessica Penn Lendon, Christine Caffrey, Amanuel Melekin, Priyanka Singh
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Describes the supply, organizational characteristics, staffing, and services offered by post-acute and long-term care providers. Provides descriptions of service users, including residents of nursing homes and residential care communities, patients receiving home health or hospice care, and people who attend adult day services centers. Features statistics including distribution of post-acute and long-term care providers in 2017-2018, with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, or other areas.
Author(s): Manisha Sengupta, Jessica Penn Lendon, Christine Caffrey, Amanuel Melekin, Priyanka Singh
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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The National Imperative to Improve Nursing Home Quality: Honoring Our Commitment to Residents, Families, and Staff
Examines how the United States delivers, finances, regulates, and measures the quality of nursing home care. Discusses the nursing home care landscape, quality measurement and improvement, workforce, safety, payment and financing, and health information technology. Identifies seven goals and supporting recommendations that provide a framework for a comprehensive approach to improving the quality of care in nursing homes.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2022
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Examines how the United States delivers, finances, regulates, and measures the quality of nursing home care. Discusses the nursing home care landscape, quality measurement and improvement, workforce, safety, payment and financing, and health information technology. Identifies seven goals and supporting recommendations that provide a framework for a comprehensive approach to improving the quality of care in nursing homes.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2022
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Literature Review on Differences in Care Provided in Urban and Rural Nursing Homes in the United States
Summarizes results of a review of peer-reviewed research on differences in rural and urban nursing home care quality. Covers access to mental health services and supports, hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths, and hospice care utilization. Highlights implications for future research.
Author(s): Denise D. Quigley, Leah V. Estrada, Gregory L. Alexander, Andrew Dick, Patricia W. Stone
Citation: Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 47(12), 48-56
Date: 12/2021
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Summarizes results of a review of peer-reviewed research on differences in rural and urban nursing home care quality. Covers access to mental health services and supports, hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths, and hospice care utilization. Highlights implications for future research.
Author(s): Denise D. Quigley, Leah V. Estrada, Gregory L. Alexander, Andrew Dick, Patricia W. Stone
Citation: Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 47(12), 48-56
Date: 12/2021
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Last Updated: 3/7/2025