Call the nursing home and ask the head nurse. My local nursing home will only accept lap quilts that are fairly plain. This is because of theft. It does no good for the patients if iffy staff members of visitors walk off with the quilts (really nice ones may end up on Ebay). This is not to be confused with a patient who goes home and takes a quilt. We are all for that if it provides them comfort!
Check for a Binky Patrol in your area. Also, contact your local social services. All my scrap afghans now go to mentally ill adults who live in a sheltered environment in a rural county. They are SO PROUD of their afghans. They show anybody who will take the time to look. :) Same thing here with quilts though - scrappy, not too fancy. Again, the problem is staff and visitors.
Finally, check with your area children's hospital. I have only made quilts for teenagers (extra long) because there are plenty of quilts for those under 14. There are patients as old as 21 in children's hospitals.
I am not knocking sending quilts overseas, but I choose to focus my efforts at home since they are not yet covered.