Inside Kansas Nursing Homes: Through the Eyes of the Experts

July 31, 2025

Inside Kansas Nursing Homes: A Special Series Returns in Honor of KABC’s 50th Anniversary


In celebration of Kansas Advocates for Better Care’s 50th anniversary, we are proud to reintroduce a powerful special series from our early days as Kansans for Improvement of Nursing Homes. Originally launched in the mid-1980s, Inside Kansas Nursing Homes: Through the Eyes of the Experts offered an unflinching look at nursing home care across Kansas, as observed by those who know it best: the relatives, friends, residents, and caregivers of residents.


Now, nearly four decades later, we are bringing this vital series back, with the same grassroots spirit and commitment to truth. This first issue of Volume One marks the beginning of our updated report on the current state of nursing home care in Kansas, informed by the honest voices of frequent visitors who witness daily life inside these facilities.


Since April 2025, we have been gathering recorded and transcribed conversations with individuals who care deeply about their loved ones in long-term care. These candid reflections are edited to preserve confidentiality—identifying details are removed, names are changed, and nursing homes are referred to by assigned numbers and regions. Mentions of facilities in passing are designated with alphabetical letters (e.g., Nursing Home A).


Over the next year, we aim to gather insights on at least 40 to 50 percent of Kansas’s 305 nursing homes. Volume One of this series, covering roughly 40 homes, will be released in serial form over the coming weeks.

Through these voices, we invite readers to reflect, question, and advocate, just as we did in the 1980s. Because meaningful change begins when we listen.


Unique brick floor at KABC's office
By Libby Hastings January 30, 2026
In 2025, KABC marked a major milestone: 50 years of advocating for the safety, dignity, and rights of older Kansans. Our newly released 2025 Impact Report reflects a year of meaningful progress, powerful advocacy, and deep community connection. This past year, KABC assisted hundreds of residents and families through direct advocacy, strengthened long-term care oversight through legislative work, and expanded access to information with the launch of a statewide senior resource directory in partnership with KDADS. We also amplified resident voices through media coverage, testified before legislative committees, and successfully countered efforts that would have weakened long-term care safety standards. As part of our 50th anniversary, we brought advocacy into the community with new events like Revving Up Joy, a classic car show connecting residents and neighbors, and a public screening of No Country for Old People , sparking critical conversations about the realities of long-term care in America. None of this work is possible without the support of our donors, partners, board members, and volunteers. Your commitment fuels our mission and helps ensure older Kansans are seen, heard, and protected. Read our full 2025 Impact Report here .
Dan Goodman, KABC Executive Director, testifies remotely.
By Libby Hastings January 29, 2026
Updates from the January 23rd Bob Bethell Joint Committee.