Skilled Nursing Facility Population Characteristics and Length of Stay: A Prospective Cohort Study

Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) offer short-term, subacute care following injury or hospitalization, with Medicare fully covering stays ≤20 days. As the US population ages, SNF demand is increasing, yet this population remains poorly characterized. Prolonged stays increase pathogen exposure, with shared spaces and visitors potentially elevating viral transmission. We estimated the prevalence of self-reported respiratory symptoms, shared space use, and visitor frequency among SNF residents and their associations with length of stay (LOS).