Survey: Assisted living improves quality of life

“I don’t want to move!” Many seniors say they would rather remain at home as they age, but they may not know what’s good for them, according to new survey data from senior living referral service A Place For Mom. More than half of seniors surveyed expressed a strong desire to age in place, and 85 percent of those wanted to postpone a move to a senior living community as long as possible. Yet, once they moved to assisted living, at least 70 percent reported a better quality of life.

Specifically, the majority of seniors who moved to assisted living reported better or much better levels of nutrition and social well-being, while about half saw their physical health and emotional well-being increase, the survey showed.

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The move to assisted living has a marked impact on family caregivers, too. Family quality of life also increased once a senior had moved to assisted living, including reduced stress (64 percent) and better diet and exercise (32 percent).

The findings are part of a quarterly report series produced by A Place For Mom and Sage Projections, a Seattle-based research and consulting company.

Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.