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A Smarter Shift to Assisted Living: Turning Skilled Nursing Space into Comfortable, Staff-Friendly Neighborhoods

Written by Admin | Jan 28, 2026 8:46:30 PM
by Julie Heiberger, AIA NCARB LEED AP, and Jon Rynish 
This article first appeared on McKnight's Long-Term Care News website January 2026

In assisted living, the staffing conversation never really ends. Recruiting, training and retaining enough caring professionals remains one of the industry’s hardest challenges.

Recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regulations raising staffing expectations in long-term care have added new urgency. For some providers, the answer lies in transforming older skilled nursing spaces into modern assisted living settings — places that still support residents well but require less constant clinical coverage.