Brookdale Senior Living (Nashville) and Emeritus Senior Living (Seattle) announced on Thursday a $2.8 billion merger agreement to create the largest-ever senior care provider in the country.

Gov. Mark Parkinson, president and chief executive officer of AHCA, says he’s not sure how much longer interest rates will be so favorable and that providers could save a lot of money if they refinance properly.

Gov. Mark Parkinson, president and chief executive officer of the American Health Care Association (AHCA), says he’s not sure how much longer interest rates will be so favorable and that providers could save a lot of money if they refinance properly.

In 2011, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the nation’s leading health foundation, made a $10 million Program-Related Investment (PRI) in NCB Capital Impact and The Green House Project to make it easier for more providers to obtain flexible financing and build Green House homes.

Long term care has been spared Washington’s ax—for now. Congress on Tuesday passed a compromise package that averts automatic cuts to a wide array of government programs for two months and permanently restores most of the tax rates of the George W. Bush era (except for those households that take home $450,000 or more per year).

A recent study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, for instance, found that nursing home stays among people aged 65 or older increased from 6 percent in 2000 to 8.5 percent in 2010. The problem is that those who stayed longest in nursing homes were also the poorest.

Sunrise Senior Living, McLean, Va., will be acquired by Health Care REIT for $14.50 per share in all-cash transaction, the companies announced on Wednesday.

The Treasury Department will require all those who receive federal benefits to use direct deposit or a special debit card by March 1. AHCA wants the seniors who depend on federal benefits to be ready.

Direct care workers and the strength of their relationships with the individuals they support are the key to both the quality of caregiving services and the quality of life for millions of Americans. Yet, employers sometimes perceive these staff members—who provide the majority of hands-on care—as unskilled laborers who can be easily replaced.

Genesis HealthCare Corp., Kennett Square, Pa., inked a deal yesterday to acquire Sun Healthcare Group for a hefty $273.3 million net of cash and debt acquired. The acquisition puts Sun stock at a price of $8.50 per share—a 43.1 percent premium over the closing sale price of Sun shares on Tuesday, June 19, the companies said in statements.