Despite the industry’s continued efforts to move away from terms like nursing homes, assisted living facilities, Alzheimer’s facilities and retirement homes, they remain widely used, based on tracking search results data on the web.
Many in the industry recognize that there is a big gap between terms that consumers use and the message that the industry is trying to convey. Yet, there remains a debate among industry professionals on whether to continue trying to educate consumers to use newer terms, such as senior living and senior communities or just go with the flow.
For some, there is a feeling that forcing labels on consumers may lead to confusion about what services different types of facilities provide. Others are more concerned with educating residents, families, elected officials and physicians to the transformations going on in the industry, and believe that these new terms are more reflective of the quality care that is being provided today.