ManorCare Mega-Deal Blurs Care Lines, But Will Doctors Buy In?
“When assessing the deal struck by Welltower to acquire Quality Care Properties and by ProMedica to acquire HCR ManorCare, outsiders should look at whether the players can pull off a genuine team-based approach to care. That’s according to Bob Kramer, founder of the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC),” Skilled Nursing News reports. “The question will be whether the behavior of physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants will change over time under this new structure, Kramer said. Those front-line workers are the ones have the ability to send a patient to a particular care setting. As a result, they have to think differently, and have to be properly incentivized by corporate leadership; in short, they will need ‘to buy in and do it,’ Kramer said.”
Where Independent Living Inventory Growth is Strongest
“Seven metropolitan areas account for approximately one-third of the inventory growth in independent living over the past year, according to National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care Senior Principal Lana Peck. More than 11,000 independent living units were added to inventory in primary and secondary markets during that time. Dallas; Philadelphia; Columbus, OH; Fort Myers, FL; Houston; Detroit; and Austin, TX, were the cities where the aforementioned growth occurred,” according to McKnight’s Senior Living. “Construction starts peaked in secondary markets in mid-2016 and in primary markets in mid-2015, she said, adding, however, that the rate of starts in primary markets now appears to be flat or increasing.”
Skilled Nursing Jobs to Grow by 13% Through 2026, Though Other Healthcare Segments Will Fare Better
“Skilled nursing facilities’ share of the healthcare workforce will shrink by 2026 even as its employee numbers grow, according to new projections built on Bureau of Labor data. Overall, job growth in the healthcare sector is predicted to outpace the rest of the U.S. economy by three times over the next decade,” reports McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. “Job growth in nursing homes, however, is pegged at 13%, down from 14.3% over the previous decade. By 2026, skilled nursing facilities will have 15% of the nation’s healthcare jobs — down from 16% in 2006. Home healthcare and practices are expected to grow most rapidly, by 54% and 21%, respectively, by 2026. Healthcare job growth will diminish a bit through the current decade being studied, but it will still far outstrip the rest of the economy at 18% vs. 6%.”
Senior Care Workforce Almost 90% Female, But Demographics Are Changing
“Women account for the vast majority of health care workers in the senior living space — though the proportion of young male workers is on the rise, a new analysis from senior living industry group Argentum found. Female employees accounted for 89% of health care workers, with 40% of all workers between the ages of 30 and 49. However, the share of workers under age 30 is larger for men at 40%; women have a 30% share in this age group. In every job group, in fact, the percentage of workers under age 30 was higher among men than women,” according to Skilled Nursing News. “‘This difference by gender is particularly large among younger health care and food service workers; younger men may be starting to enter traditionally female healthcare occupations,’ the report said. ‘The percent of women age 50 and older is greater than the share for men in each job group, with the exception of business operations.’”
