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A survey commissioned by A Place for Mom found that older adults were more likely to say senior living facilities meet practical needs than personal ones such as privacy and independence. Respondents also said trust is difficult to establish and pointed to transparent pricing, inspection records and access to current residents as factors that could help.
A survey of 1,391 adults ages 60 to 90 found that more respondents said senior living facilities meet practical needs than said they support privacy and independence, highlighting a gap operators may need to address as people weigh future care. The report, commissioned by A Place for Mom and conducted by Morning Light Strategy in August, found 54% said practical needs were met, compared with 34% who said personal needs were fulfilled.
The survey asked older adults about senior living, including nursing homes, and what could influence their decisions. The report said respondents want care that meets changing needs while preserving choice, familiar routines and relationships. Its findings represent the views of those surveyed; they do not establish how every facility performs or what all older adults prefer.
Respondents identified both benefits and drawbacks. Maintenance-free living was an advantage for 37%, while 30% valued having help available if their needs change. By contrast, 42% named less privacy as a major disadvantage, 36% cited losing control over daily life, and 35% each pointed to leaving their home or neighborhood and losing independence.
Interest in care technology varied. Thirty-eight percent wanted to learn more about embedded technology for preventing, detecting or responding to falls without a camera. Another 34% expressed similar interest in a smartphone-powered personalized health-aging program. An AI companion might help, 29% said, while 46% were slightly interested or not interested at all in that technology.
Privacy and Choice Shape Care Decisions
The results suggest that assessing care options involves more than checking whether a facility can provide meals, safety and assistance. For older adults, the prospect of less privacy or reduced control may weigh against the practical help a nursing home can offer. Families and providers may need to discuss specific preferences around schedules, visitors, meals, activities and changing care needs, rather than treating a move as a simple choice between home and a facility.
The survey also points to a trust problem for people considering care. Fifty-six percent said finding a trustworthy community is difficult, while 22% said they were very confident that caregivers in a community were well trained. These responses do not measure care quality directly, but they show why clear information and opportunities to hear from residents and families can matter during a decision.
Belonging was another theme in the report. Sixty-one percent said being welcomed by staff and residents would be a positive, and 57% said relationships with people at a similar stage of life would strengthen their sense of belonging. Those findings connect residents’ experience not only to services but also to whether they can maintain meaningful connections.
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Many Respondents See a Move as Distant
Most respondents did not report an imminent plan to enter a nursing home. Seven percent said they might need to move within two years; 35% said they would consider a move only after an unexpected change in circumstances, and 18% did not know when they might consider care. Ten percent said senior care would be a last resort. The report did not specify in the supplied findings whether these response categories were mutually exclusive.
Experience and personal recommendations featured in respondents’ views. About 54% said knowing someone who had lived in a facility influenced their opinions, and 36% said family and friends affected their decision-making. Some 45% had personally visited a nursing home, while 65% had had an in-depth conversation about another person’s experience. Among those who had those conversations, 81% said the experience they heard about met or exceeded expectations.
The survey was commissioned by A Place for Mom, a senior-care referral platform that says it includes 500,000 family reviews of senior living communities and home-care agencies. Its chief executive, Tatyana Zlotsky, said communities should explain what daily life can look like and what choices residents can make. The report’s sponsor and survey design should be considered when interpreting the findings.
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Survey Does Not Rate Facility Quality
The report describes the opinions of adults surveyed, not an inspection or independent assessment of nursing-home performance. The supplied material does not provide the survey’s full questionnaire, response rates, sampling method or margin of error, so it is not possible to determine how closely the results reflect older adults across the country. It also does not explain how respondents interpreted terms such as “practical needs” and “personal needs.”
The findings do not show whether operators have changed policies in response, or whether particular privacy and independence measures improve residents’ experiences. The report identifies factors that respondents said could build trust—inspection and licensing records, private conversations with residents or families, and transparent pricing—but does not test which measures have the greatest effect.
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Families Can Ask About Daily Routines
The report urges families to start conversations before a move becomes urgent and ask how a community handles a person’s preferred routines, privacy, visitors, meals, activities and relationships. They can also seek out licensing and inspection information, ask about staff qualifications, request pricing details and find out whether they can speak privately with current residents or their families.
No specific policy changes or follow-up research were announced in the supplied report. Whether operators will respond to the findings, and how resident preferences vary across different types of facilities, remains to be seen.
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Key Questions
What did the survey find about practical and personal needs?
Fifty-four percent said practical needs were met in facilities, while 34% said personal needs such as privacy and independence were fulfilled.
What did respondents identify as drawbacks of nursing homes?
Less privacy was cited by 42%, reduced control over daily life by 36%, and leaving home or a neighborhood and losing independence by 35% each.
What information could help older adults trust a community?
Respondents pointed to inspection and licensing records, transparent pricing and the chance to speak privately with current residents or their families. Staff qualifications and community tours were also named.
Which care technology drew the most interest?
Falls-related technology without a camera drew the most interest in the report: 38% wanted to learn more. Interest was 34% for a smartphone-based health-aging program and 29% for an AI companion.
How soon did respondents expect to move into a nursing home?
Seven percent said they might need to move within two years. Thirty-five percent said they would consider a move only if circumstances changed unexpectedly, and 18% did not know when they might consider care.
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