Nursing home beds are getting harder to find across the United States just as the oldest baby boomers turn 80, an age when the need for long-term care climbs sharply. A study in JAMA Internal Medicine found a 5% decrease in national nursing home capacity from 2019 to 2024, KFF Health News reported.
For families, the shortage shows up as waitlists, longer hospital stays, and longer drives to visit a parent. Researchers warn the gap could widen as demand rises and federal immigration and Medicaid policies put pressure on staffing and state budgets.
