• 60 Seconds with Swett: Senior Care’s PR Problem

    Recently, we have seen stories circulating about the connection between REIT ownership and the way skilled nursing facilities provide care, stemming from a study written by the nonprofit journalism outlet KFF Health News. We’ve seen this before, headlines like “real estate investors profit while patients suffer,” usually with graphic cases of... Read More »
  • Blueprint Sets Pricing Record in New York State

    Blueprint advised a repeat private equity client in a record-setting sale of two standalone memory care communities in high barrier-to-entry submarkets in New York State. Combining for 104 units, these assets were purpose-built in the late 1990s and were stabilized at the time of the deal. Not only that, they were generating cash flow in excess... Read More »
  • CareTrust Keeps Its Foot on the Gas

    CareTrust REIT has deployed nearly $1 billion in closed transactions so far this year, after closing around $1.8 billion in investment activity in 2025, and its pipeline includes $450 million of near-term, actionable opportunities, excluding larger portfolio transactions. The REIT announced that it closed a few separate transactions in mid-April,... Read More »
  • VIUM Capital Announces Slew of HUD Closings

    VIUM Capital closed four HUD 232/223(f) financings in March totaling more than $63 million across a mix of skilled nursing and seniors housing communities. Two of the financings involved skilled nursing facilities in Oklahoma totaling 176 beds. The assets were originally acquired as part of a larger portfolio and refinanced following a... Read More »
  • Lument Secures HUD Express Lane Transaction

    Lument closed a refinance through HUD’s Express Lane for a 120-unit seniors housing community in Lincoln, Nebraska. Built in 2017, Pemberly Place Senior Living features 132 licensed beds and offers independent living, assisted living and memory care services. It also has an on-site medical clinic to offer a range of other healthcare services. The... Read More »
Welltower’s SHOP Communities Perform

Welltower’s SHOP Communities Perform

Following fourth quarter earnings from Ventas, Welltower also posted solid gains in its SHOP portfolio, both sequentially and year over year. On a same-community basis, Welltower’s 654 communities posted a 20-basis point sequential increase in occupancy and a 200-basis point increase year-over-year to 79.1%. Now, while we are sure management would like to see the final year-end numbers higher, and getting over 80% (if not 85%) is crucial, the slowdown in the fourth quarter does not bode well for the first quarter this year. At least this year’s flu season has not been as bad as previously forecast by the media. The same-community net operating income increased 6.3% sequentially, but at a... Read More »
Ensign Shines Bright, Again And Again

Ensign Shines Bright, Again And Again

Oops, they did it again. Late last week, The Ensign Group reported its fourth quarter and full-year earnings for 2022, and the company continues to outshine its competitors. While we realize the entire senior care business is on the rebound from the depths of the pandemic, some like Ensign seem to be beating the odds. The company achieved record operating results for the fourth quarter and for the full year, and it has had eight consecutive quarters of occupancy increases. Same-facility occupancy was at 77.8% in the fourth quarter, not far behind its pre-COVID level of 80.1%. To their credit, they do take over a lot of nursing homes with underperforming operations and relatively low... Read More »
Brookdale Senior Living Reports December Occupancy

Brookdale Senior Living Reports December Occupancy

Sometimes no news is good news. After two straight months of declines, Brookdale SeniorLiving reported that December’s month-end occupancy remained flat with November at 78.1%.That can be considered good news since we are in the beginning of what could be a terrible fluand COVID season. In addition, weighted average occupancy remained flat from November to December at 77.0%,after dropping by 20 basis points in November. If they can hold the line for the next threemonths, the company could start to see some improvement in the second quarter. Weightedaverage occupancy peaked in October at 77.2%, while month-end occupancy peaked inSeptember at 78.4%. So far this year, after a dismal 2022,... Read More »

Spotlight on Senior Care M&A

The seniors housing and care industry has witnessed incredible growth so far in the 21st century, surviving the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic among other bumps along the way. Despite the headwinds, investors continue to pour money into the space in search of higher returns and to capitalize on demographic trends. But post-pandemic, where did valuations settle across the senior care sectors and why? Check out the just-published special report, Spotlight on Senior Care M&A to see the latest M&A stats and market analysis. Read More Read More »
Brookdale Occupancy Stumbles

Brookdale Occupancy Stumbles

Last month’s capital raise caused Brookdale Senior Living’s shares to plunge 40%, and now November occupancy is on a downward path as well. Perhaps that is why they needed the new capital, and we are just barely in the flu season. Weighted average occupancy dropped by 20 basis points in November to 77.0%, and month-end census fell by a smaller 10 basis points to 78.1%. But month-end occupancy has now dropped two months in a row. These are small declines, but symptomatic of problems. The company needs some help. It has been offered in terms of refreshing the Board, but to no avail…. Perhaps it is time that Brookdale finally hires Second Act Financial Services to help its customers move... Read More »
AlerisLife Sees Healthy Occupancy Boost in Q3

AlerisLife Sees Healthy Occupancy Boost in Q3

AlerisLife announced its third quarter earnings results, and the good news was that its owned portfolio including 20 senior living properties saw a 290-basis point increase in quarter-end occupancy from 75.5% in Q2:22 to 78.4% Q3:22. Its managed portfolio of 120 senior living properties increased a more modest 160 basis points to 77.0% over the same period, but both figures are healthy increases. Operators need to make the most of third quarter occupancy gains before winter weather and the flu season hamper their efforts, so this is good news for Aleris. But average occupancy still falls below 80%, so there is a long way to go. The company reported a net loss for the third quarter of 2022... Read More »