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A survey commissioned by A Place for Mom found that 54% of older adults said senior living facilities met practical needs, compared with 34% who said personal needs such as privacy and independence were met. The findings point to a gap in how prospective residents view daily choice and control, while trust in care settings remains difficult for many to establish.
A survey of 1,391 adults ages 60 to 90 found that prospective residents were more likely to say senior living facilities meet practical needs than personal ones: 54% said practical needs were met, while 34% said facilities also fulfilled needs such as privacy and independence. The findings, commissioned by A Place for Mom, highlight a gap that could shape how nursing homes and other senior living providers explain and deliver residents’ everyday choices.
The survey was conducted by Morning Light Strategy in August and published in a report by A Place for Mom. The company’s platform includes 500,000 family reviews of senior living communities and home care agencies. The survey figures describe respondents’ views; they do not establish how all facilities perform or independently assess care quality.
Respondents saw practical advantages in nursing home living, including maintenance-free living, cited by 37%, and access to help if needs change, cited by 30%. About 26% pointed to opportunities to socialize and make friends. But concerns included less privacy (42%), reduced control over daily life (36%), and losing independence or leaving home and the surrounding neighborhood (35% for each).
Interest in technology varied by type. Some 38% wanted to learn more about embedded technology for fall prevention, detection and response that does not use a camera. Another 34% expressed similar interest in a smartphone-based personalized healthy-aging program. By contrast, 29% said an AI companion might help, while 46% were slightly or not at all interested in that technology.
Daily Choice Shapes Care Decisions
The results suggest that prospective residents are weighing not only whether a facility can provide meals, safety and care, but also whether it can preserve privacy, routines and personal control. Those concerns can affect whether older adults consider a move and what questions families ask when comparing care options.
For providers, the survey points to a communication challenge: describing services alone may not address what people want to know about daily life. The report recommends discussing practical preferences such as schedules, meals, visitors, activities and privacy, alongside how support can adapt if care needs change. That is a recommendation from the report, not evidence that particular changes have already been made.
Trust is another issue. 56% said finding a trustworthy community was difficult, and 22% said they were very confident that caregivers in a community were well trained. The findings indicate that residents and families may want evidence they can evaluate, rather than relying only on general assurances.
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Many Respondents Do Not Expect a Move Soon
Most respondents did not anticipate an imminent move into nursing home care. Only 7% said they might need to move within two years. Another 35% said they would consider a move only after an unexpected change in circumstances, while 18% did not know when they might consider care. Ten percent said moving into senior care would be a last resort.
Respondents also described how personal experience informs their views. About 54% said knowing someone who lived in a facility influenced their opinions, and 36% said family and friends influenced their decision-making. Some 45% had visited a nursing home, and 65% had had an in-depth conversation about someone else’s facility experience. Among those who had such a conversation, 81% said that person’s experience met or exceeded expectations.
The report says inspection and licensing records, transparent pricing, staff qualifications, tours, and private conversations with current residents or their families could help build trust. It also found that welcome and connection matter: 61% viewed being welcomed by staff and residents positively, and 57% said relationships with people at a similar stage of life would contribute to belonging.
Survey Views Are Not Facility Audits
The findings report respondents’ perceptions and stated preferences; they do not measure the performance of individual nursing homes or establish whether facilities meet regulatory standards. The source material does not provide a margin of error, detailed respondent demographics beyond age, or results broken out by care setting, so it is not clear how closely the responses represent older adults overall or nursing home residents specifically.
The reported figures also do not show which changes providers have made in response, whether respondents’ views differ by location or care needs, or whether stated interest in technology would lead to adoption. The survey included senior living and nursing home concerns, but the available details do not establish that every result applies specifically to nursing homes.
Families Can Ask About Daily Routines
The report recommends starting conversations about care preferences before a move becomes urgent. Families can ask prospective communities how residents manage privacy, daily schedules, meals, visits and familiar activities, and how support changes if a person’s needs increase. They can also request inspection and licensing information, clear pricing, staff qualification details, and opportunities to speak privately with residents or relatives.
A Place for Mom’s report does not announce a formal response or timetable from nursing home operators. The next developments to watch are whether providers make these details easier to access and whether future research tracks how residents experience independence and privacy after moving into care.
Key Questions
What did the survey find about practical and personal needs?
54% of respondents said senior living facilities met practical needs, while 34% said facilities fulfilled personal needs such as privacy and independence.
Who conducted the survey, and when?
Morning Light Strategy conducted the survey in August for A Place for Mom. It included 1,391 adults ages 60 to 90. The report was published on Wednesday.
What concerns did respondents have about nursing home living?
The most commonly cited drawback was less privacy, at 42%. Respondents also cited reduced control over daily life (36%), and losing independence or leaving home and the surrounding neighborhood (35% each).
What information could help families evaluate a care community?
The report identifies inspection and licensing records, transparent pricing, staff qualifications, facility tours, and private conversations with current residents or their families as information that may help build trust.
Source: rss
