Hello, Marie. I haven't done nursing homes much, but I do remember a comment that a friend made to me after a show. She said that the director's greatest pleasure came from seeing people who usually sat hunched and silent turning into people who were alert, interested and talking. (These were Alzheimer's patients.)

I think it's important to play well, but it's also important to have a sociable personality which interacts with the patients and brings them out.

Different homes will have different needs of course, so talk to the staff and see where their patients "are at." I think it will help your chances of getting jobs if you show that you are aware of this kind of stuff about nursing-home gigs.