Senior Lifestyle Corp. and Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE: BKD) have high satisfaction among senior living decision-makers, while Life Care Services has satisfied independent living residents, according to the 2020 U.S. Senior Living Satisfaction Study from global marketing information services company J.D. Power.
The study, which J.D. Power released today, measured resident satisfaction among the nation’s largest providers of independent living, and family member/decision-maker satisfaction among the nation’s largest providers of assisted living and memory care. In previous years, J.D. Power did not break out providers by care level in this way; in last year’s rankings, Life Care Services ranked No. 1.
Between June and August, the survey fielded more than 4,992 responses, with overall satisfaction measured across six factors: community buildings and grounds; community staff; dining; price paid for services; resident activities; and resident living units.
This year, Chicago-based Senior Lifestyle Corp. and Brentwood, Tennessee-based Brookdale tied for the survey’s top spot among assisted living and memory care decision-makers; while Life Care Services, a company under the umbrella of Des Moines, Iowa-based LCS, ranked No. 1 among independent living residents.
The other providers surveyed this year were Louisville, Kentucky-based Atria Senior Living, Newton, Massachusetts-based Five Star Senior Living (Nasdaq: FVE), McLean, Virginia-based Sunrise Senior Living and Winter Park, Florida-based Holiday Retirement.
Below are the rankings:
Brookdale CEO Cindy Baier said that the company’s 46,000 associates “worked tirelessly,” helping to put the company at the top of the pile.
“While maintaining high quality standards during the pandemic, our teams made huge extra efforts to help protect our residents from hurricanes and wildfires, including evacuating residents and their pets when necessary,” Baier said in a statement. “They have made countless sacrifices to successfully lead through the largest global health crisis in our lifetimes and an economic crisis while serving those most vulnerable to coronavirus.”
Senior Lifestyle President and CEO Jon DeLuca said the accolade is a recognition of the service that the company’s teams in the field provide, and a testament to the company’s hard work, given the industry’s current challenges.
“It reflects the commitment every one of us has to engaging with our residents and families each and every day,” DeLuca said.
For LCS, the accolade stands as a testament to the company’s commitment to its nearly 40,000 residents, according to President and CEO Joel Nelson.
“This year’s award is especially meaningful, given the unique circumstances of the pandemic,” Nelson said. “I’d like to recognize the heroic efforts of our community staff who serve our residents each and every day. Their diligence and perseverance provide residents with the best senior living experience possible.”
And Five Star President and CEO Katie Potter said the ranking shows how the company is committed to the health and wellbeing of residents.
“The level of challenge has varied widely by geography, our low rates of Covid-19 cases are evidence of our success,” Potter said. “We are proud of our team members for having continued to deliver an exceptional resident experience while adhering to our rigorous infection control protocols.”
The survey shed light on some key findings on satisfaction within the senior living industry, including areas where providers should think about improving their operations.
For example, the survey found that 44% of independent living residents said that community associates “periodically inquire about their satisfaction,” while 48% of family members of residents in assisted living or memory care said their community’s executive director is “not very easy to contact when needed.”
Family members of residents in assisted living and memory care reported higher levels of satisfaction when community associates showed they care for residents on a personal level, the survey found. For instance, satisfaction climbed 142 points when associates make residents “feel part of the community.” Family members ranked assisted living and memory care providers 153 points higher on the 1,000-point scale when they believed the associates understood their loved one’s medical history.
J.D. Power also studied how family members of assisted living and memory care residents thought about their communities’ Covid-19 response. Overall, family members gave providers an average rating of 8.2 out of 10 when dealing with the pandemic, and praised senior living companies that had an increased focus on cleanliness, changed procedures to promote social distancing and offered advice or guidance on dealing with the pandemic.
Companies featured in this article:
Atria Senior Living, Brookdale Senior Living, Five Star Senior Living, Holiday Retirement, Life Care Services, Sunrise Senior Living