Older Adults Discharged from Long-Term Care Into Homelessness

Nursing homes struggle to find safe destinations for residents, leading to troubling discharges

Apr. 9, 2026 at 4:36am

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A ghostly, translucent X-ray photograph revealing the internal structure of an elderly person's walker or cane, symbolizing the fragility and medical needs of older adults facing homelessness.An X-ray view of an elderly person's mobility aid highlights the medical vulnerabilities of older adults discharged from long-term care into homelessness.Salt Lake City Today

As Utah's aging population grows, an increasing number of older adults are being discharged from long-term care facilities directly into homelessness, according to the state's Long-Term Care Ombudsman. Experts say this can lead to poor health outcomes and high hospital readmission rates, but the issue remains a 'silent' problem with limited solutions.

Why it matters

The discharges highlight the challenges facing Utah's long-term care industry as it grapples with the state's affordable housing crisis and growing population of homeless seniors. Facilities are legally required to find safe destinations for residents, but limited options often leave them with no choice but to discharge people back to the streets.

The details

The Utah Long-Term Care Ombudsman's Office has tracked 57 nursing home residents who received discharge notices listing a shelter or hotel as their next destination, and 34 others discharged to 'unknown' locations. The office was able to intervene and prevent 9 of those discharges. Similar issues have been identified in assisted living facilities, with 5 residents discharged to homelessness in 2025 and 12 to unknown destinations. Experts say the problem is exacerbated by Utah's affordable housing crunch, which makes it difficult for long-term care facilities to find appropriate placements for residents leaving their care.

  • In March 2024, the Utah Long-Term Care Ombudsman's Office began tracking discharges from long-term care facilities to homelessness.
  • In fiscal year 2025, the office identified 5 assisted living facility residents discharged to homelessness and 12 others to 'unknown' destinations.

The players

Alianne Sipes

Utah's Long-Term Care Ombudsman who has noticed an increasing number of older adults discharged from long-term care facilities into homelessness.

Michelle Flynn

CEO of The Road Home, a homeless services provider that has noticed increased demand among older adults in recent years.

Allison Spangler

President and CEO of the Utah Health Care Association, which represents the state's long-term care industry.

Tyler Riedesel

An epidemiologist with the Utah Department of Health and Human Services who studies health outcomes for unsheltered populations.

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What they’re saying

“When the day of discharge came, they escorted him outside — without his walker — and said, 'Do you want me to call you an Uber? That will cost about $500,' And the resident said, 'No, I'll hitchhike.' And so the facility staff said, 'OK' and left, and he hitchhiked to his friend's house.”

— Alianne Sipes, Utah's Long-Term Care Ombudsman

“The need of people who are showing up at our front door is much higher than it used to be.”

— Michelle Flynn, CEO of The Road Home

“When a discharge ends up being to a shelter or temporary setting, that's not something facilities want — it usually reflects bigger challenges we're seeing in Utah, especially around affordable housing, behavioral health resources, and limited community placements.”

— Allison Spangler, President and CEO of the Utah Health Care Association

What’s next

The Utah Long-Term Care Ombudsman's Office and homeless service providers are calling for increased collaboration between long-term care facilities and the housing/social services sector to develop more 'creative' solutions for older adults discharging from care, such as expanding transitional housing programs that can provide medical support.

The takeaway

As Utah's aging population grows, the issue of long-term care facilities discharging older adults directly into homelessness has become a concerning trend that highlights the state's affordable housing crisis and the need for better coordination between the healthcare and social services systems to support vulnerable seniors.