TABLE 1.
Characteristics of residents who move to assisted-living facilities with and without memory-care designation
| General assisted living |
Memory care |
Standardized differences(a) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | 12523 | 8123 | Raw | Weighted | |
| Age, mean (SD) | 82.1 (10.1) | 84.1 (8.1) | 0.19 | 0.05 | |
| Age category | <65 | 780 (6.2%) | 198 (2.4%) | −0.12 | −0.02 |
| 65 to 74 | 1584 (12.6%) | 716 (8.8%) | 0.04 | 0.01 | |
| 75 to 84 | 3990 (31.9%) | 2742 (33.8%) | 0.1 | 0.01 | |
| 85 to 94 | 5533 (44.2%) | 4022 (49.5%) | 0.02 | 0.03 | |
| 95+ | 636 (5.1%) | 445 (5.5%) | |||
| Female | 8144 (65.0%) | 5450 (67.1%) | 0.04 | 0.03 | |
| Race | Non-Hispanic White | 11481 (91.7%) | 7776 (95.7%) | ||
| Black | 569 (4.5%) | 172 (2.1%) | −0.13 | −0.02 | |
| Other race | 206 (1.6%) | 80 (1.0%) | −0.05 | −0.01 | |
| Hispanic | 267 (2.1%) | 95 (1.2%) | −0.07 | 0 | |
| Dual eligible | 3255 (26.0%) | 1000 (12.3%) | −0.35 | −0.04 | |
| Retiree drug subsidy | 956 (7.6%) | 707 (8.7%) | 0.04 | −0.01 | |
| Years since ADRD diagnosis, mean (SD)(b) | 3.5 (3.7) | 3.4 (3.6) | −0.02 | −0.02 | |
| Cancer | 2631 (21.0%) | 1829 (22.5%) | 0.04 | 0 | |
| Atrial fibrillation | 3557 (28.4%) | 2376 (29.3%) | 0.02 | −0.01 | |
| Congestive heart failure | 5908 (47.2%) | 3626 (44.6%) | −0.05 | 0.01 | |
| Chronic kidney disease | 5726 (45.7%) | 3655 (45.0%) | −0.01 | 0.01 | |
| COPD | 5073 (40.5%) | 2991 (36.8%) | −0.08 | −0.01 | |
| Diabetes | 5430 (43.4%) | 3126 (38.5%) | −0.09 | 0.02 | |
| Ischemic heart disease | 8370 (66.8%) | 5322 (65.5%) | −0.02 | 0 | |
| Osteoporosis | 4992 (39.9%) | 3376 (41.6%) | 0.04 | 0.01 | |
| Stroke | 4262 (34.0%) | 2790 (34.3%) | 0.01 | 0.01 | |
| Number chronic conditions, mean (SD) | 3.7 (2.0) | 3.6 (2.0) | −0.04 | 0.01 | |
| Anxiety | 5674 (45.3%) | 3441 (42.4%) | −0.03 | 0.01 | |
| Bipolar disorder | 1653 (13.2%) | 656 (8.1%) | −0.02 | 0.01 | |
| Obesity | 2519 (20.1%) | 1439 (17.7%) | −0.06 | −0.02 | |
| Schizophrenia | 967 (7.7%) | 212 (2.6%) | −0.16 | −0.04 | |
| Prior outpatient ED/OBS | 6774 (54.1%) | 4331 (53.3%) | −0.06 | 0 | |
| Prior inpatient hospitalization | 6025 (48.1%) | 3760 (46.3%) | −0.22 | −0.04 | |
| Prior ICU | 1581 (12.6%) | 999 (12.3%) | −0.02 | 0 | |
| Prior SNF and/or nursing home use | 4146 (33.1%) | 2427 (29.9%) | −0.04 | −0.01 | |
| Prior home health use | 4731 (37.8%) | 3354 (41.3%) | −0.01 | 0 | |
| Characteristics of county of previous residence, mean (SD) | |||||
| College education or higher | 30.5 (10.9) | 31.7 (10.9) | −0.06 | −0.03 | |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2 (1.0) | 3.9 (0.9) | 0.07 | 0.01 | |
| Percent persons in poverty | 13.4 (4.9) | 13.1 (4.7) | −0.08 | 0.05 | |
| Median home value (thousands) | 220 (137) | 200 (111) | −0.15 | −0.09 | |
| Rurality index (1–9) | 2.4 (1.9) | 2.2 (1.8) | −0.13 | 0.1 | |
| Number of home health agencies(c) | 0.3 (0.4) | 0.4 (0.5) | 0.24 | 0.02 | |
| Certified nursing beds(c) | 0.7 (4.1) | 0.7 (4.0) | −0.01 | −0.01 | |
| Distance to nearest general AL | 5.3 (8.6) | 5.6 (7.9) | 0.01 | 0.06 | |
| Distance to nearest memory care AL | 11.2 (15.9) | 6.8 (11.4) | −0.32 | 0.23 | |
AL, assisted living; SD, standard deviation; ADRD, Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias; ED, emergency department; OBS, hospital observational stay; ICU, intensive care unit; NH, nursing home; SNF, skilled nursing facility.
Sample composed of traditional Medicare beneficiaries with a diagnosis of ADRD who moved to a large (≥25 bed) assisted-living community. Total number of communities included 3183 general assisted living and 1677 memory care.
Standardized difference is difference in means divided by pooled standard deviation, or for percentages, Cohen’s .
Any diagnosis of ADRD since Medicare enrollment or since 1999.
Per 1000 persons age 65 and over.
From home health agency or organization.