Oregon

Senior living in Oregon is gaining in popularity at the expense of skilled nursing facilities, according to a recently released report. And that’s just the way the state wants it.

“Oregon has the lowest nursing facility occupancy rate [67%] among all states, reflecting the state’s ongoing commitment to community-based long-term care options, such as assisted living, adult foster care, residential care, and memory care,” write the authors of the report, “The State of Nursing Facilities in Oregon,” from the the Oregon State University College of Health and Human Sciences.

The population of those aged 75 or more years in Oregon has increased over the past 18 years, but the number of nursing homes has remained the same, the number of nursing home beds has decreased by 13% over 18 years, and nursing home length of stay has decreased by five days since 2012, according to a report. Meanwhile, the number of senior living communities increased from 325 in 2000 to 524 in 2017, according to the state, and the number of senior living residents increased from 22,204 in 2000 to 26,774 in 2018.

Skilled nursing facility residents in Oregon now are mostly short-term residents, living there while they undergo rehabilitation or postsurgical care, according to the report. Just more than 71% of people being discharged from nursing facilities return home or to a senior living setting.