The Skilled Nursing Realities:
Challenges and Opportunities
Skilled Nursing Facilities face mounting pressures—staff turnover, rising costs, incomplete referral data, and high readmission rates—all of which strain both care quality and financial stability.
GAPS IN REFERRAL
CARE
50%
Half of SNF intake coordinators report lacking complete referral information—causing delays and lost admissions1
BED UTILIZATION CHALLENGES
84.5%
SNFs in 31 major U.S. markets reached 84.5% occupancy by Q3 2024, but facilities continue to struggle with referral leakage, slow admissions, and poor patient-facility matching—leaving revenue and quality outcomes at risk.2
COSTLY
READMISSIONS
23.5%
More than 1 in 5 SNF residents are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge.3
QUALITY
REPORTING RISK
48.5%
According to the CMS Quality Reporting Program (QRP) less than half of SNF residents are successfully discharged to home or community. 4
1. Leading Age 2024 Survey Results
2. National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care. “Skilled Nursing Faces Opportunities and Challenges in 2025.” NIC, 2025, www.nic.org/blog/skilled-nursing-faces-opportunities-and-challenges-in-2025/
3. Willows Healthcare. “Nursing Home Readmission Rates Statistics.” Willows Healthcare, 2025, www.willowshealthcare.com/blog/nursing-home-readmission-rates-statistics/
4. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. “Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Quality Reporting Program (QRP) Data on Nursing Home Compare.” CMS, 2025, www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/skilled-nursing-facility-snf-quality-reporting-program-qrp-data-nursing-home-compare
