Occupancy rate for nursing care properties falls

During 4Q10, the occupancy rate in nursing care properties declined 0.2 percentage points to 88.3% from 88.5% in 3Q10. This marginal quarterly decline in occupancy continues a trend that has been in place for the past four years.

While the number of operational beds continued to marginally decline, the number of occupied beds fell at a faster rate, causing the decline in occupancy. In 4Q10, the number of operational beds by declined 0.1 percentage point, while the number of occupied beds declined 0.3 percentage points.

These declines represent a continuation of a longer-term trend. Over the past five years, the number of operational beds and the number of occupied beds have declined by an annual average of 0.3% and 0.8%, respectively.