The state also could see a boomlet in nursing-home construction by 2020, said Paul Bach, an executive with Kennett Square, Pennsylvania-based Genesis Healthcare Corp. The company provides long-term nursing care facilities in 13 states.
The state has about 725 nursing homes with almost 90,000 beds, according to the PHCA. The association's research shows those facilities are filled to about 91% capacity.
The strong demand for nursing-home beds, coupled with Pennsylvania's aging population means "extra capacity will be required within the next 10 years, if not sooner," Bach said.
"We believe demand in Pennsylvania for our services will continue to strengthen" by the time 2020 census takers begin their work, he said.