Older adults experience a decline in vulnerability after moving into a senior living community, according to a study by nonpartisan research organization NORC at the University of Chicago (Chicago).
Funded through a grant from the nonprofit National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC; Annapolis, Md.), the study showed that residents experienced a 10 percent decline in relative frailty levels 1 year after moving in.
Researchers found these patterns were consistent across all senior housing and care community types, including independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, and continuing care retirement communities.
In addition, an increase in vulnerability in older adults, as indicated by a frailty index developed by researchers at Harvard University (Cambridge, Mass.), was registered in the months leading up to entering into senior housing and care properties, according to the NORC study.
“The measured decrease in vulnerability once older adults settle into senior housing suggests a tremendous opportunity for the industry to work with payers and other intermediaries to direct care into senior housing properties in a way that is beneficial to beneficiaries and residents,” Dianne Munevar, lead researcher at NORC, said in a press release.
Furthermore, understanding the vulnerability of residents helps indicate where frailty management is needed to avoid injury and more intensive support, Ryan Brooks, senior principal at NIC, stated in the press release.
The study is the first part of a four-part project supported by NIC to assess the health and well-being of senior housing and care residents. Subsequent studies will provide insights on access to healthcare providers, longevity, and health outcomes of residents in senior living settings.
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