Older Men and Assisted Living
If someone asked me what the number one issue in senior living is, I would probably make a blanketed statement regarding various staffing problems and the challenging environmental adaptation of residents. These are established issues that anyone in the industry would recognize right off the bat. But if you asked me for a niche issue that is close to my heart, one that I truly believe by fixing would better the senior living environment and enhance lives- it would be an issue relating to older men residing in assisted living. Specifically, the problem is that older men have a harder time facing loneliness than their female counterparts.
How does this relate to senior living? According to the Assisted Living Federation of America, less than 15% of assisted living residents are men. We speculate that this discrepancy is due to the difference in life expectancy between men and women, with women living an average of 7 years longer than men. The pattern we see is that older women get sick, while older men die. There is a 7:1 ratio of women to men in assisted living, and a 10:1 ratio in skilled nursing. Whatever the reasoning, the bottom line is that there are very few men in senior living. This could certainly contribute to feelings of loneliness.
Of course what follows is a lack of available activities and programs in senior living that appeal to older men. This isn’t to say that there are no activities for the men, but a general trend is that the majority are catered to women- and rightfully so! It’s understandable and probably a great sales and marketing strategy to create programs that serve the interests of the largest percentage of your consumer base. Joseph Coughlin writes about this growing market of older women at length in “The Longevity Economy.”. I am aware of the strategy. But I also believe that one of the biggest mistakes we can make in this industry is basing decisions entirely on numbers and not considering the individuals that we serve.
I anticipate that some of you are thinking “Hey, wait a minute, activities shouldn’t be gendered because different things appeal to different people regardless of gender.” Stay with me now. I hear you. But- I would like to submit that our current knowledge of the social influence on male and female identity can not reasonably be applied to a generation of people who preceded it, and who for the most part, have shaped their interests around the idea of gender that they grew up with. Therefore, we need to do the best we can with what we have- by encouraging men to come to traditionally “female-focused activities”, while also offering activities that draw the men out of the clutches of their private rooms and into the social interactions they desperately need.
They really do need it. Research published in the Journal of Gerontology suggests a positive correlation between social interaction and health. Being socially engaged is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and certain forms of cancer. It is also associated with better immune function, healthier sleeping patterns, and improved cognitive function according to the National Institute on Aging. Conversely, loneliness is linked to higher levels of cortisol (stress hormone), inflammatory markers, depression, anxiety, and a compromised immune system.
That being said, I implore Activities Directors to consider offering more programs that appeal to the men in their communities, or at the very least dedicating energy to encouraging their participation in the already existent programs. The really great thing is that providing more options for activities doesn’t just benefit the men or women, it benefits everyone in the community. Here are some options that I have seen garner interest from men and women:
Casino Nights (this can be done up with decorations for a special occasion or be more casual with round tables around the room if you’d like to do it weekly)
Trips to Museums (there are virtual options if you have non-ambulatory residents)
Car Shows
Mock-up Horse Races
“Fireside Chats” (current event discussions)
Lectures from an expert in any given field
In the senior living industry, I think it’s important that we always pause and reflect on who it is that we’re overlooking. We must never fail to recognize and act on the importance of the individuals we serve- even the ones that don’t make up the majority.
