TL;DR
Get health and wellness essentials delivered free — and shop member deals
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
Nursing home operators are adding services such as ventilator care and on-site dialysis to care for residents with more complex medical needs after hospital discharge. Operators describe potential benefits for residents and reduced transportation, but say expanded services require specialized staff and close hospital partnerships.
Nursing home operators are expanding ventilator care, in-house dialysis and other complex services as more residents arrive with high-acuity needs, according to a report by Skilled Nursing News. The shift is bringing some care traditionally provided in hospitals or long-term acute care hospitals into skilled nursing facilities, while raising demands for specialist staffing, facility upgrades and coordination with hospitals.
ALIYA Healthcare chief executive Efriam Weinfeld told Skilled Nursing News that the company is developing specialized ventilator units through its Thrive subsidiary. The units are not being introduced across the entire portfolio: Weinfeld said one of three facilities identified for the initiative had started, with the other two expected to add units. He described the effort as a way to improve care and the experience of residents and families, rather than simply expand capacity.
Weinfeld said the facility with the ventilator program had a rehospitalization rate of about 14% in a recent month, despite caring for more than 18 ventilator patients. He compared that figure with a 23.9% national average listed on Medicare.gov. The figures refer to different scopes and the source material does not provide further details about the facility’s reporting period or the comparability of the measures, so they do not establish that the program caused the difference.
ALIYA has also introduced dedicated on-site dialysis spaces at 12 of its 18 facilities, Weinfeld said. Cascadia Healthcare, which operates more than 61 long-term care facilities in five western states, has subacute ventilator units at a new Boise, Idaho, building and is considering broader in-house dialysis. Its chief financial officer and principal, Steve LaForte, said the company is also considering whether to offer bronchoscopies, a procedure he described as relatively new for skilled nursing settings.
Moving Complex Care Beyond Hospitals
Bringing services into nursing homes could reduce the need to transport residents to outside clinics or hospitals, and may help facilities care for people discharged with more involved medical needs. For residents requiring regular dialysis, on-site services could reduce travel time; for those using ventilators, specialized units may allow ongoing care in a skilled nursing setting. These are potential benefits described by operators, not proof that every facility or resident will have the same results.
The expansion also affects how facilities manage risk and resources. Ventilator care requires trained staff and clinical oversight, while dialysis and procedures such as bronchoscopies require suitable equipment, protocols and access to qualified clinicians. Operators’ accounts point to a selective approach: adding services where facilities can support them, rather than offering every procedure at every location. The staffing, cost and outcome effects are not quantified in the report.
hospital-grade ventilator for home use
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Facilities Respond to Higher Acuity
The report describes a longer-running change in skilled nursing: facilities are caring for residents with more complex needs after hospital stays, and some are adding services that were previously concentrated in hospitals or long-term acute care hospitals. Operators cited value-based care as one incentive, since avoiding unnecessary hospital readmissions can matter to care outcomes and payment arrangements. The report does not detail specific contracts or establish how much revenue these services generate.
ALIYA’s Weinfeld cautioned against trying to provide every complex service at every facility, saying he would rather focus on one or two areas than risk being mediocre across the board. Oakdale Seniors Alliance vice president of quality Heather Haberhern said hospital relationships and staff training remain necessary as hospitals refer residents with more complex conditions. Oakdale is evaluating partnerships to provide hemodialysis at its communities, she told the publication.
Haberhern said the goal is to receive appropriate referrals from hospital partners while ensuring nurses and direct-care staff are prepared for residents’ clinical conditions. LaForte likewise framed the expansion as cooperation with hospitals, arguing that care in skilled nursing could help ease hospital bottlenecks rather than compete for patients.
““Making a Taj Mahal of vent units was something that we’re now moving towards with our Thrive line.””
— Efriam Weinfeld, chief executive of ALIYA Healthcare, speaking to Skilled Nursing News
in-house dialysis machine for nursing homes
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Outcomes and Rollout Still Vary
The report does not establish whether the expanded services consistently improve recovery, reduce readmissions or lower overall costs. ALIYA’s cited 14% facility rate is a single recent-month figure reported by its chief executive; the available material does not specify the month, measurement method or patient risk adjustment. Comparing it directly with a national figure may not account for differences in residents or reporting.
Plans also remain at different stages. ALIYA has not rolled out its ventilator units across its full portfolio, Oakdale is evaluating dialysis partnerships, and Cascadia is considering broader dialysis and bronchoscopies. The report provides no implementation schedule, staffing totals, procedure volumes or cost estimates. It also notes that Venza Care offers higher-acuity services, including cardiac care, dialysis and dual-diagnosis support, but does not provide further details about the mental health needs identified in that section.
skilled nursing ventilator care equipment
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Expansion Depends on Local Readiness
Operators are weighing where they can support additional services with appropriate staff, equipment and clinical oversight. ALIYA said it plans to add ventilator units at two more designated facilities. Oakdale is evaluating arrangements for on-site hemodialysis, while Cascadia is considering whether to expand dialysis and add bronchoscopies. The source material does not give dates for those decisions or launches.
Hospital partnerships are expected to remain part of the process, according to Haberhern and LaForte. Further information about facility-level outcomes, referral arrangements, staffing requirements and the scale of planned services will help show whether the model can be sustained and how it affects residents’ care.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What services are nursing homes adding?
Operators cited ventilator care, on-site dialysis and, in Cascadia Healthcare’s case, consideration of bronchoscopies. Some facilities also provide other higher-acuity care, including cardiac services.
How many ALIYA facilities offer on-site dialysis?
ALIYA chief executive Efriam Weinfeld told Skilled Nursing News that 12 of the company’s 18 facilities have in-house dialysis, with dedicated spaces for the service.
Has ALIYA expanded ventilator units to all its facilities?
No. Weinfeld said the Thrive ventilator-unit initiative began at one of three identified facilities, with plans for the other two to add units. The report says the units have not been rolled out across the full company portfolio.
Does the reported 14% readmission rate prove ventilator units reduce hospital returns?
No. The figure was a recent-month rate for one facility, reported by Weinfeld. The source does not provide the reporting month, methodology or risk adjustment, so it does not establish that the ventilator program caused the rate or that results will generalize to other facilities.
What remains uncertain about the expansion?
The report does not provide a full rollout timetable, costs, staffing totals or comparative outcome data. Oakdale and Cascadia are still evaluating or considering some services, and operators say close coordination with hospitals and trained staff are needed.
Source: rss
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
