Residential Care Communities by Community Bed Size: United States, 2012

Residents in residential care, including assisted living, are individuals that cannot live independently, but generally do not require the skilled level of care provided by nursing homes. On any given day in 2012, there were 713,300 residents in 22,200 residential care communities nationwide. With the aging of the population, the numbers in residential care communities will likely increase, making them an important group within the long-term care population.

Using data from the first wave of the National Study of Long-Term Care Providers (NSLTCP), two new NCHS reports, Operating Characteristics of Residential Care Communities, by Community Bed Size: United States, 2012 and Characteristics of Residents Living in Residential Care Communities, by Community Bed Size: United States, 2012 describe characteristics of residents in residential care and compare selected characteristics by bed size.

State-level estimates for the characteristics presented in the reports are available from the NSLTCP website.

Key Findings from the Reports:

• In 2012, nearly 6 in 10 residential care communities had 4–25 beds, but more than 7 in 10 residents lived in communities with more than 50 beds.
• A higher percentage of communities with 26–50 beds and more than 50 beds were chain-affiliated and in operation for 10 years or more compared with communities with 4–25 beds.
• Compared with communities with 4–25 beds and 26–50 beds, a higher percentage of communities with more than 50 beds screened for cognitive impairment or provided dementia-specific programs.
• A higher percentage of communities with 26–50 beds and more than 50 beds provided therapeutic, hospice, mental health, and dental services compared with communities with 4–25 beds.

• In 2012, 16% of residents living in residential care communities with 4–25 beds were under age 65 compared with 5% of residents living in communities with more than 50 beds.
• A higher percentage of residents in communities with 4–25 beds were male, minority, and receiving Medicaid, compared with residents in communities with 26–50 beds and more than 50 beds.
• The prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias was higher in communities with 4–25 beds (49%) than in communities with 26–50 beds (41%) and more than 50 beds (38%).
• The percentages of residents needing assistance with bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring in or out of a bed, and eating were highest in communities with 4–25 beds.