Senior living dining programs impact residents' satisfaction

Sept. 30—Senior living providers are making big bets on dining programs, and they’re seeing their investments and efforts pay off through higher occupancy levels and better response to marketing.

Dining services, along with caregiving and management style, have the greatest impact among service types on assisted living community resident satisfaction, according to a recent study from Western Kentucky University researchers.

The study, “Influence of Satisfaction with Services on Assisted Living Resident Satisfaction,” published in the Journal of Housing for the Elderly, found that mealtime has a greater impact on residents’ satisfaction, while apartment and facility characteristics were less significant.