Moving a senior loved one to an assisted living facility is an important decision that most families will encounter one day. According to the CDC, there are more than 34 million unpaid caregivers providing care to someone in the United States today, and that number is anticipated to grow as the baby boomer generation continues to age. Sometimes, these arrangements are sustainable and families are happy to be caretakers for extended periods, but often seniors require professional care that families are unable to provide.

One major obstacle many families face when discussing senior care with an aging loved one is an inherent opposition to moving to a care facility. Many people think of assisted or senior living communities and conjure up images of sterile, hospital-esque homes where all independence and freedoms are taken away. This stigma about senior care has been around for a while and is an ever-present problem families face when finding a care solution.

As the third part of a data-focused series designed to help families plan for the future, A Place for Mom‎ – the nation’s largest senior-living referral service – examined the reality of senior care vs. the perception of senior care to get to the truth behind the stigma. Does a senior’s quality of life go down after a move to assisted living? How do perceptions of assisted living change after someone moves in? And what is the impact on the family caregiver after a senior moves into assisted living?

Staying Home vs. Moving

Most seniors say they’d rather age at home, but the truth is that quality of life generally improves after moving. In coordination with Sage Projections – a Seattle-based research and consulting company – A Place for Mom created the “Family Quality of Life Survey,” which was designed to measure the effect of moving to an assisted-living community on quality of life for both the senior and a family member who helped them search for senior housing and care. A Place for Mom surveyed both seniors currently searching for senior housing and care as well as family members who successfully helped a loved one find assisted living. The survey also asked about the perceptions seniors and family members had about senior living before they began their search.

The results are both revealing and surprising, showing a widely favorable experience despite the generally negative stigma around elder care. Contrary to initial expectations, both seniors and family caregivers experience a positive change in overall quality of life after a senior moves to assisted living. In fact, seniors who moved are 70 percent more likely than those considering a move to assisted living to report a good overall quality of life, and 65 percent less likely to have a bad overall quality of life. Once a senior has moved, they are five times more likely to see overall quality of life improve instead of worsen, and 73 percent of families report that a senior’s quality of life got better or much better.

Additionally, 73 percent of respondents reported an improvement in the senior’s nutrition, 64 percent saw the senior’s social well-being improve, 47 percent saw emotional well-being improve, and 44 percent saw physical health improve. Over all, a worsening quality of life for the senior was the least likely outcome.

When a senior moves to an assisted living facility, there is also a positive impact on the caregiver’s quality of life and even their finances. Of family caregivers who had a parent or loved one move, 60 percent say their own quality of life improved. And, perhaps most importantly, half of families who helped a parent or loved one move say their relationship with the senior improved.

It’s also important to note that the financial well-being of caregivers is largely unaffected after a senior moves, with more than 70 percent of families feeling no change in their financial situation, despite many having concerns about paying for the cost of assisted living. The transition also opens the door for greater earning potential for caregivers. Out of families who helped a love one make a move, 39 percent report less impact of caregiving on their careers.

Media Interest in the Survey

Understanding the differences in the reality vs. perception of assisted living proved to be a hit with the media. The press release alone was featured on 150 different media outlets, reaching a potential audience of more than 85 million, including being featured on websites such as: Yahoo! Finance, Health Executive Today, Med Tech News and The Street. Highlights from the original media coverage include:

• Long-Term Living Survey: Assisted living improves quality of life
• HomeCare Magazine: Quality of Life Improves After Move to Assisted Living, New Survey Reveals
• Senior Housing News: Most Seniors View Assisted Living Negatively—Until Moving In
• McKnight’s Senior Living: Seniors, families benefit from move to assisted living, survey finds
• NBC KCWY 13: Senior Care

Communiqué PR congratulates APFM for their continuing efforts to provide resources and information so that families can plan for senior care.