The huge baby boom generation is retiring so it’s probably no coincidence that 55+ active adult and senior living communities are growing by leaps and bounds. But they aren’t the same kinds of communities with important differences.
Sure, they are inhabited by people of similar ages but that’s about where the similarity ends. A report by Grand View Research finds that boomers are driving the increase in active adult communities because they have different ideas about retirement.
In greater numbers, they are moving into multifamily housing in communities with a heavy emphasis on community space and activities. According to Seniors Housing Business, there were more than 2,000 active adult communities in the U.S. as of March 2023.
“The living preferences of baby boomers are changing, as this population wants to stay independent and lead an active lifestyle,” the authors wrote. “Thus, post-retirement, they prefer to relocate to communities that have residents with shared values and not senior living or assisted living facilities.”
But it seems just as many boomers do want senior living and assisted living facilities. These people might be a little older and in need of some assistance or believe that they might need assistance in the near future.
Fortunately for them, there are just as many of these kinds of retirement venues and J.D. Power has found that people who live in one of these senior living communities are generally satisfied.
Generally satisfied
According to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Senior Living Satisfaction Study, overall satisfaction is about the same as last year among residents of independent senior living providers and among family members/decision-makers for assisted living/memory care providers.
“Coming out of the pandemic, the major challenge for senior living providers was staffing,” said Andrea Stokes, hospitality and senior living practice lead at J.D. Power. “The good news is that we’re no longer seeing declines in resident satisfaction linked directly to staff reductions or facilities management. However, the new challenge is residents’ perception of value for money paid for independent living. Rents continue to rise considerably, and lower ratings provided for prices paid for services received are creating a drag on resident satisfaction.”
A 55+ active adult community has fewer staffing needs since most of the support for residents comes in the form of lawn mowing, snow removal and senior-specific amenities. The cost is about the same as buying and owning a home.
The median cost of senior independent living in the U.S. is approximately $3,000 per month, according to A Place for Mom’s 2023 report on the cost of long-term care. That’s about $1,800 less a month than the median cost of assisted living.
Do your homework
Shelly Pendlebury, regional director of sales & marketing at Amica Senior Lifestyles, says choosing a senior living facility is a big decision that requires a lot of homework. She suggests touring several facilities and making notes.
“During a tour, be in tune with how the staff operates, whether they seem happy and engaged, how clean the residence is, and how other residents are going about their days,” Pendlebury told ConsumerAffairs. “Be sure to try the food and go back many times for meals at different times of day before you move into a residence.”
Pendlebury says food is tremendously important and plays a big role in whether residents are happy. Besides mediocre food she says there are other things that may suggest you should keep looking.
“Common red flags include no residents in the common areas, unclean or unkept areas in the building, unhappy and unengaged staff, and no conversations between residents in the dining room,” she said.
The ConsumerAffairs research team has compiled a complete guide to elder care that includes housing options.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2023-11-29 12:10:35