More Older Adults In 2024 Desire Active Adult Living Options, Affordability

Nearly two-thirds of adults age 50 and older consider active adult communities an attractive option in downsizing as they age.

That is according to a new AARP report, released Tuesday. The report was based on responses from more than 3,000 adults 18 and older, and it was conducted over the last three years. The report’s authors sought to determine what people want and need from their communities as they age, and they focused on housing, transportation, outdoor spaces, social engagement, volunteerism, employment and environmental factors.

Active adult living options and preference among older adults has grown among older adults in the last three years, the report showed. In 2021, 21% of older adults over the age of 50 said they would be “somewhat likely” to move into an active adult community. Fast-forward to today and that “somewhat likely” cohort increased to 25% among those over 50, along with the “very likely” cohort growing to 7% in 2024, up from 5% in 2021.

About three-quarters of the surveyed adults over the age of 50 said they have a strong desire to stay in their homes as long as possible, but half said they lack confidence that their communities will meet their needs as they age. Slightly under half of those surveyed, 44%, anticipate making a future move from their current residence, but affordability remains a “driving factor” in those decisions, the report’s authors found. 

“Many adults find themselves in situations where their homes are limiting them so it’s important that we have a range of housing options that meet folks’ needs and that includes senior living,” AARP Public Policy Institute Vice President of Home and Community Rodney Harrell told Senior Housing News. “What I would note is that as this older population grows, we then need to understand that the older adult population isn’t a monolith, there’s not one housing solution that works for everybody.”

Harrell urged senior living providers to think about and execute on the wide range of needs older adults exhibit, bringing in underserved communities and expanding diversity within senior living.

“We’re diversifying in terms of race and ethnicity amongst the older population as well and one thing [senior living operators] should focus on is the diversity of the older population and their needs as they look into future years,” Harrell added.

One in four older adults in the survey said they want to make home alterations to age in place, with two-thirds of all adults considering downsizing. An active adult community appeals to almost half, 48%, of younger adults. Almost one-third of adults over 50 said the same thing. A move into a continuing retirement care retirement communities (CCRC) is potentially in the future for 45% of adults between 18 and 49, while just over a quarter of those over 50, 29%, were attracted to CCRC concepts.

Older adults planning to move prioritize affordability, with 71% citing the cost of rent or mortgages in such a decision. Another 60% said they considered lower housing costs and maintenance responsibilities as a priority in moving to a new community, while 55% of older adults surveyed said property taxes drove their move.

Many older adults in the survey also noted needs to modify their existing homes to accommodate successful aging in place. Almost three-quarters of respondents said they need to make bathroom modifications. Another71% desired easier access into and within their homes. Thirty-nine percent said they wanted to make kitchen modifications, and 35% said they wanted to improve lighting around their homes.Another 30% desired putting bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen or laundry facilities on the main floor of their homes, according to the report.

Other amenities older adults said they want to add to their homes to age in place include installing a medical emergency response system (64%) followed by adding smart home security features (44%) and adding smart home devices (43%).

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