Lack of support, transportation access, food insecurity and economic instability are the top social barriers to older adult health, according to the results of a new survey from Alignment Health, a Medicare Advantage company. Previous research shows that senior living can be a solution to some of those issues.
The Social Threats to Aging Well in America survey analyzed responses from 2,601 adults aged 65 or more years on the financial, physical and emotional threats to their ability to age well and live healthier.
Economic instability remained the top concern among respondents, and food insecurity replaced loneliness at the No. 2 spot this year compared with last year. Loneliness, however, remains a major concern for older adults: Almost one in three respondents said they go two weeks or more without spending time with others, if ever. And one in five participants said that they are lonelier now than they were a year ago.
Loneliness also was cited among the top three causes of depression and anxiety in the past year, affecting the mental health of almost one in five respondents.
Loneliness is considered such a big issue in the United States that earlier this year, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, declared a war on the “loneliness epidemic,” announcing a national strategy to advance social connection. The senior living industry responded to Murthy’s advisory by holding up the assisted living model as a way for older adults to strengthen their social connections.
Changing perceptions
Although 93% of US adults responding to the Alignment Health survey said that aging in place is important to them, the survey also found that concerns about losing independence fed into participants’ depression and anxiety. Another survey, by Today’s Homeowner, similarly found that a desire to remain independent was the main reason that prospective senior living residents said that they would rather again place than move into a congregate living setting.
Research, however, shows that senior living residents are happier and healthier than those who remain in the community at large.
For instance, in Mather Institute’s five-year Age Well Study, continuing care retirement / life plan community residents reported better physical, emotional, social, intellectual and vocational wellness than community-dwelling older adults.
And results detailed in a summer 2022 report from the American Seniors Housing Association and ATI Advisory found that senior living communities improved quality of life during the pandemic through their cohesive social environments and encouragement of residents to participate in social activities. Residents, the study found, were more likely to have greater social, physical and intellectual wellness than their counterparts living in the greater community.
The International Council on Active Aging, however, recently published a white paper showing a large discrepancy between how senior living professionals view the industry and the views of prospective residents and their adult children.
That white paper showed the industry has some work to do to change perceptions, including adopting an “autonomous living” approach, which would see the industry becoming more flexible in helping residents maintain their independence.
A recent McKinsey Health Institute survey similarly found that highlighting efforts to help residents maintain independence may help senior living operators attract more prospects.
