U.S. News & World Report Ranks 12 Lifespace Communities’ Health Centers Among America’s Best Nursing Homes for 2026

At Lifespace, everything begins with the resident experience. The care we provide is personal, consistent, and guided by what matters most to the people who call our communities home. As one of the nation’s largest nonprofit senior living organizations, we are pleased to share that 12 of our communities have been nationally recognized as America’s Best Nursing Homes for 2026 by U.S. News & World Report. The honor, which Lifespace receives consistently, recognizes communities that deliver strong outcomes and consistently high-quality care.

“As continuum care retirement communities, our campuses provide a coordinated experience as residents’ needs change over time, and this recognition highlights the quality of clinical services delivered within our onsite care settings,” said Jesse Jantzen, president and CEO of Lifespace Communities. “While this year’s recognition highlights twelve communities, all Lifespace communities continue to deliver high-quality care supported by teams who know our residents well and uphold our commitment to safety, dignity, and dependable service. This year’s recognition reflects the daily work happening across all of Lifespace.”

Twelve Lifespace communities earned a “High Performing” rating from U.S. News, its top mark, for short-term rehabilitation, and six also received the highest rating for long-term care. These distinctions reflect strong results and meaningful resident experiences. These are the only published ratings that distinguish the two distinct types of care provided in skilled nursing communities. Short-term rehabilitation is for patients recovering after a hospitalization for surgery, heart attack, stroke, injury, or a similar condition. Long-term care is provided to patients who can no longer live independently and need help with daily activities.

High Performing ratings in short-term rehabilitation highlight Lifespace’s strength in helping people bounce back after surgery, injury, or illness through coordinated therapy, skilled nursing, and supportive services that restore independence.

Six of the recognized communities also earned High Performing in long-term care, affirming Lifespace’s commitment to dependable, person-centered support for residents with ongoing or complex needs. Together, these achievements show the organization’s ability to meet evolving health needs, from focused recovery to sustained care.

“I want to thank our residents and their families for the trust they place in us,” Jantzen said. “This recognition reflects the dedication of our health center teams, the strong relationships built across our communities, and our shared commitment to supporting residents in living well at every level of living.”

Below are the Lifespace health centers recognized for 2026. Communities marked with an asterisk (*) achieved High Performing in both short-term rehabilitation and long-term care:

• Abbey Delray South* – Delray Beach, FL (recognized 2022–2026)
• Beacon Hill – Lombard, IL (recognized 2022–2026)
• Claridge Court* – Prairie Village, KS (recognized 2024–2026)
• Friendship Village of Bloomington* – Bloomington, MN (recognized 2022, 2024–2026)
• Friendship Village of South Hills – Upper St. Clair, PA (recognized 2026)
• GreenFields of Geneva – Geneva, IL (recognized 2023–2026)
• Harbour’s Edge* – Delray Beach, FL (recognized 2022–2026)
• Newcastle Place – Mequon, WI (recognized 2023–2026)
• Oak Trace – Downers Grove, IL (recognized 2022–2026)
• Querencia at Barton Creek* – Austin, TX (recognized 2022–2026)
• The Waterford* – Juno Beach, FL (recognized 2023–2026)
• Village on the Green – Longwood, FL (recognized 2023–2026)

Since its debut in 2009, the annual U.S. News Best Nursing Homes analysis has served as a critical resource, providing trusted, data-driven insights to families – in consultation with their health care providers – seeking the best options for either short-term rehabilitation or comprehensive long-term care.

U.S. News’ annual evaluation of nursing homes is highly selective, recognizing fewer than 19% of the evaluated U.S. nursing homes as “Best Nursing Homes” as part of the 2026 ratings. This designation is reserved only for facilities that satisfy U.S. News’ rigorous, proprietary assessment criteria demonstrating a consistent and superior commitment to quality patient and resident care.

For the 2026 edition, U.S. News evaluated nearly 15,000 nursing homes on patient and resident outcomes, such as hospital readmission rates; staffing levels; health inspection results and other indicators of quality.

The 2026 U.S. News Best Nursing Homes proprietary ratings feature a significant methodology update, expanding both the Short-Term Rehabilitation and Long-Term Care ratings to include 17 distinct quality measures each, offering a comprehensive assessment.

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