THE AGE WELL STUDY
A landmark study on Life Plan Communities
In 2023, Mather Institute completed the Age Well Study, a five-year analysis of the impact of living in a Life Plan Community.
Designed in collaboration with Northwestern University, the Age Well Study is the only national longitudinal study evaluating the impact of living in a Life Plan Community on residents’ cognitive, physical, and psychosocial health and well-being.
DEFINITIVE FINDINGS
The latest report from the study examines changes in the health and wellness of residents over five years compared to older adults within the community at large, providing insights into how or whether people Aged Well. The findings include:
- Residents continued to report better physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and vocational wellness than their community-dwelling counterparts.
- From Year 1 to 5, social contact significantly increased for residents.
- Overall engagement in intellectual activities significantly increased for residents (including increased writing and attending education) and decreased for older adults in the community at large.
Thank you to all Life Plan Community residents and staff who participated in the Age Well Study! A total of more than 8,200 residents from 122 Life Plan Communities from across the country took part in the longitudinal study.
YEAR-BY-YEAR OVERVIEW
The Age Well Study measures residents’ self-reported health and wellness metrics through a survey taken annually for five years. Download reports from Years 1 through 4 of the Age Well Study.
THE AGE WELL STUDY REPORT
Year 5 Findings
This in-depth study examines changes in the health and wellness of residents over five years compared to older adults within the community at large, providing insights into how or whether people Aged Well.