Older adults experience a decline in vulnerability after moving into a skilled nursing facility, according to a new study.
Conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, with funding from the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care (NIC), the findings show that approximately three months after relocating, this vulnerability among older adults plateaus and subsequently improves after placement into a nursing home. Researchers said these patterns were consistent across all senior housing and care property types, including independent living, assisted living, memory care, nursing care, and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs).
Meanwhile, an increase in vulnerability in older adults, as indicated by “frailty levels,” was registered in the months leading up to their move into senior housing and care properties, according to the NORC study.
While the study established that vulnerability tends to improve after seniors transition to these housing and care facilities, it did not pinpoint the direct causes for this positive change. Nonetheless, the research emphasized the role of senior housing in providing essential supportive services – like social engagement, community involvement, balanced nutrition, transportation, and access to exercise – that enhance residents’ vitality and quality of life.
The study also touched upon the trend of rising acuity in nursing homes, noting that ‘frailty levels’ tend to be highest in communities offering the most intensive support services. So, communities with a higher expected acuity level tend to have a greater proportion of residents experiencing increasing vulnerability, researchers said.
Researchers emphasized the need for senior housing and care operators to continually assess residents to mitigate risk and enhance health, as even relatively healthy older adults could find themselves in need of higher levels of care due to unforeseen incidents.
“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,” researchers wrote. “Put another way, the proportion of increasingly vulnerable residents increases with expected community acuity.”
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