Nursing Home News of the Week (January 12, 2026)

Описание: Welcome to Qsource's Nursing Home News of the Week, your trusted source for timely, relevant updates impacting long-term care. Each week, we break down the top headlines affecting nursing homes, including regulatory changes, workforce challenges, policy developments, and quality improvement insights. Designed for busy professionals, our news reports help nursing home staff stay informed, prepared, and empowered to deliver high-quality care.

CMS Launches BALANCE Model to Expand Access to GLP-1 Medications
CMS announced the BALANCE Model (Better Approaches to Lifestyle & Nutrition for Comprehensive Health), a pilot program designed to improve access to GLP-1 medications and lifestyle supports for Medicaid and Medicare Part D beneficiaries. The initiative addresses chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease by negotiating pricing with drug manufacturers and integrating lifestyle interventions. Medicaid participation begins in May 2026, with Medicare joining in January 2027.

Medical Student Moves into Senior Living Community to Learn Dementia Care Firsthand
An innovative pilot program in Michigan places a first-year medical student from MSU into an intergenerational living arrangement at a senior living campus. Designed by the Dementia Institute and MSU's College of Human Medicine, the initiative allows the student to live among older adults and engage directly with memory care residents. The goal is to enhance dementia education through real-life experience, deepen empathy, and improve future clinical practices in dementia care.

Home and Community-Based Services Surpass Institutional Care in Medicaid
New federal data shows that in 2023, over 8.4 million Medicaid beneficiaries received home and community-based services (HCBS), compared to just 1.5 million receiving institutional long-term care, mostly in nursing facilities. The data reveals a continuing shift toward home-based care, driven by state-level rebalancing efforts. Spending on HCBS totaled $146 billion in 2023, with significant variation across states, highlighting the uneven adoption of non-institutional care nationwide.

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