Vibrant, Secure, Cheerful: The Transformative Power Of Improving Length Of Stay

By Allison Cohen, PT, DPT

Director of FOX Optimal Living

“The State of Senior Housing” has an entire chapter – Chapter 8 – on resident turnover.

Why? Because resident turnover determines length of stay.

Resident turnover is defined as the sum of annual move-outs divided by the number of occupied units or beds. This tells you what percent of residents moved out during the year.

Length of stay, the reciprocal of turnover, tells you how many months an average resident will reside in a given community. Turnover rates are going up, and therefore, length of stay is going down.

Out of all senior living environments, assisted living residences – particularly those with Alzheimer’s care – have the highest annual turnover and lowest length of stay. Residents tend to reside in assisted living communities for only 23 months, less than two years. This means that over 50 percent of residents move out of assisted living within any given year.

Are they that unhappy?

Are their needs not being met?

Glossy ads and flashy websites make communities look vibrant, but what’s the real story?

There’s a big effort by senior living marketers to attract new residents, or “open the front door.” But what’s being done to retain them, or “close the back door?”

Happily, communities who have adopted the FOX Optimal Living Program are proud to see a much greater length of stay: 33 months on average. This means that only 36 percent of residents move out of Optimal Living communities each year. This is 30 percent less than the national average. Optimal Living makes residents happier, healthier, and stronger.

HOW DOES FOX ACHIEVE THIS?

To start, we partner with like-minded, forward-thinking communities who wisely invest in aging in place. We’re supported by partners who value proactivity. We look at and treat residents holistically. We provide wellness services to all residents year-round, regardless of functional or cognitive status.

WHAT MAKES THIS CARE WORK?

When residents move into a FOX Optimal Living community, they receive a home safety consultation and comprehensive functional assessment. Our interdisciplinary team of physical therapists, occupation therapists, speech-language pathologists and exercise physiologists look at 20 indicators of functional decline to design individualized fitness and care plans for each and every resident.

Care plans are progressed every 90 days so that residents receive ongoing care to meet individual needs. Our interventions have proven to reduce fall risk, improve strength, preserve balance, and build endurance.

They’re also fun.

They include yoga, Pilates, volleyball, and golf. Regardless of program, each resident has the opportunity to engage in 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week following American College of Sports Medicine guidelines.

How many minutes of exercise do residents get in typical communities? Just 3.26 minutes per week.

HIGH VS LOW TURNOVER COMMUNITIES

Communities with high turnover look empty.

They feel vacant.

The revolving door is noticed by staff and residents alike. How would it feel if half the people living in your home moved out every year?

Low-turnover communities feel residential just like they should. They’re vibrant, secure and cheerful.

Do you want your community to be sturdy, prosperous and desired?

Help your residents age in place with FOX Optimal Living.