St. Joe-Benton Harbor News

In the fourth quarter of 2023, Bronson Commons stood out as the largest nursing home in Van Buren County, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Data shows that the nursing center had a total of 100 beds available, 21 more than the average in Van Buren County as of the fourth quarter of 2023. They aided an average of 91 residents during that period.

Bronson Commons had an overall rating of 3 from the CMS, which lags behind the average of 3.1 recorded for nursing homes in Michigan.

During the quarter, South Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Community stood out as the second largest nursing home in Van Buren County, with 70 beds available. Meadow Woods Nursing and Rehabilitation Center came in third place, with 67 beds available.

As of the fourth quarter of 2023, Bronson Commons has spent a total of $15,668 in three fines and suffered three penalties.

In total, there was one non-profit nursing home in Van Buren County, Michigan.

According to US Census data, in 2020, nearly 1 in 6 Americans were aged 65 years or older. Since 1920, the older population skyrocketed from 4.9 million to 55.8 million, reflecting a growth rate of roughly 1,000%, five times higher than the average growth for the overall U.S. population.

A 2021 study suggests that nearly half of this age group, roughly 28 million individuals, may require long-term services and support. Additionally, the study projects that over a third of them may eventually need nursing home care.

“Living a long life is something that many of us want and could get,” said Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, an insurance education group. “But when we live a long life, the chances of us needing long-term care increase exponentially. But when you need that type of care, there are limited options.”

Rank	Nursing Home	Overall Rating
1	Bronson Commons	3
2	South Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Community	2
3	Meadow Woods Nursing and Rehabilitation Center	4