New research from NORC at the University of Chicago, funded by a grant from the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care, sheds light on older adults’ vulnerability to declining health outcomes before and after entering a senior housing and care property.
The results of the study provide insights into understanding current and growing demand for senior housing. The study is the first in a four-part research series that assesses the health and well-being of seniors housing and care residents. Subsequent studies will provide insights on access to health care providers, longevity, and health outcomes of residents in senior living settings.
Research findings show that vulnerability – as defined by “frailty levels” of residents – rises in the months leading up to a move into a senior housing and care community. Approximately three months following move-in, however, vulnerability plateaus and thereafter improves. These outcomes are consistent across all senior housing and care property types – independent living, assisted living, memory care, nursing care, and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs).
While conclusions from this study show that vulnerability improves following a move to senior housing and care, findings do not specifically identify the direct causes for the improvement. Senior housing offers supportive services that can lead to greater resident vitality and quality of life. Indeed, non-medical services provided within senior housing and care settings – social engagement, community involvement, balanced nutrition, transportation, and access to exercise – are likely vital contributors to improving resident health.
The change in vulnerability shortly after moving into a senior housing and care property speaks to one of the many value propositions provided by senior housing settings that are offered to residents.
The findings from this research are foundational and set the table for subsequent studies to examine the impacts of access to healthcare providers, the role senior housing and care plays in resident longevity, and how health outcomes for older adults differ from congregate to non-congregate settings.
Other findings from this study confirm what many operators already understood – vulnerability to declining health outcomes, as defined by “frailty levels” of residents, is highest in communities with the most intensive available support services. Put another way, the proportion of increasingly vulnerable residents increases with expected community acuity.
Vulnerability of older adults is an important concept in senior housing and care research, because it suggests that vulnerability is not a permanent condition, but rather a temporary state of being that can be corrected with the proper interventions. Senior housing and care operators routinely assess residents to mitigate risk and improve health, as even older adults who are relatively healthy could be one incident away from needing higher levels of care.
The methodology for the study utilizes an academically-designed data linkage approach which ties property information from the NIC MAP® Data Service, powered by NIC MAP Vision, with Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) data and comprehensive administrative and claims data. These data sets, combined with Harvard University’s Claims-Based Frailty Index, provide valuable insights into the health and well-being of seniors housing and care residents.
With few data sources available to analyze the health needs of senior housing residents, this nationally representative survey allows senior housing and care stakeholders to better understand the changes in vulnerability that occur after moving to a congregate setting.
To view the complete slide deck of findings, including methodology, vulnerability levels by property type, common conditions, illustrative vignettes, and future planned research, download the Research Report.