Here’s a surprising reason most boomers are worried about moving to a senior residence

Many older adults prefer to stay at home — to age in place — rather than move to a senior-living facility. And according to a new survey, a major reason may not be related to concerns about the quality of care or the desire to remain in a familiar environment.

Instead, it’s often about what they’re having for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The survey, conducted for Restaura Hospitality Group, a food-service provider that specializes in senior-living communities, found that 69% of the baby-boomer population say they plan to age in place. But it also found that when it comes to considering a residential facility, boomers place a high priority on food quality — in fact, 71% say it’s a “very important” factor in choosing a place to live.

That can result in boomers questioning whether they want to leave home if it means forsaking their culinary-driven lifestyle, according to Joe Cuticelli, co-founder and chief executive of Restaura.

“They say, ‘I expect more and more or I’m not going to live that way,’” he told MarketWatch.

The survey, which was done in partnership with Age of Majority, a consulting firm that focuses on marketing to older adults, took into account the opinions of 1,485 adults between the ages of 55 and 96, with 68.3 being the average age of respondents.

There are a variety of types of senior-living facilities in the U.S. Some 30,600 are classified as “assisted living,” and they offer just that — assistance in daily chores and tasks, with dining services provided. But even within the assisted-living category, options can include units with kitchens, allowing residents to prepare some or all of their own meals.

Restaura may have a vested interest in presenting its findings since it works in the industry, but professionals in the senior-living and food worlds say the survey results don’t surprise them. After all, the boomer population is one that matured as America became a nation of foodies, as evidenced by such developments as the birth of the Food Network in 1993 and the rise of Whole Foods AMZN in the 1980s and ’90s.

Hence, boomers don’t want to settle for what they might consider the ho-hum fare at senior communities, experts say. Indeed, the survey found that older adults are almost twice as likely to think of senior-living facilities in terms of “cafeteria-style food” as opposed to “restaurant-quality food.”

Older adults also want to embrace healthier living and are eager to follow popular dietary approaches that speak to that aim, such as plant-based eating, experts note.

They also seek variety in their food choices — 68% said they consider it the most important element in their dining experience, according to the Restaura survey. Yet only 17% said they were very confident that senior-living facilities could deliver on that front, the survey noted.

“Just because someone is old doesn’t mean they don’t want to be on trend,” said Steve Zagor, who teaches courses on the food and restaurant industry at Columbia University and New York University.

Ashley Brackin, a veteran of the senior-living industry who now works as a human-resources manager for Comfort Keepers, a home-care agency, said anyone who underestimates the importance of dining as a factor in older adults’ choice of housing does so at their own peril.

“That’s the first thing families ask: ‘How is the food?’” she said, pointing to the questions that are raised when people are considering a senior-living facility.

And families often get an earful when they discover that the food isn’t up to mom or dad’s standards.

Cindy Carrasquilla says her 80-year-old mother has spent time in four different facilities in the Hartford, Conn., area, and has been increasingly disappointed in the food. Carrasquilla says the residential communities seem to be understaffed in the post-COVID era, and she blames it on that.

“The quality of the food has gone downhill,” she said.

At the same time, in a nation with so many senior-living facilities, it’s inevitable that some do put an emphasis on quality food. That’s especially true of more upscale places.

Take Coterie Hudson Yards, a New York City senior residence where rates start at $12,600 per month for one person in a studio unit. Its dining menu features items ranging from lobster to Wagyu beef. Chad Welch, the executive chef and food and beverage manager who oversees Coterie’s dining, says the residence also boasts a robust wine and spirits program and even offers a bourbon that has been created especially for it.

“A lot of people eat like it’s a cruise ship,” said Welch of the offerings.

Other facilities take special pride in sourcing food locally. Wake Robin, a senior community in Vermont, says 40% of what it serves, be it meat or milk, comes from area vendors.

“It’s the best chocolate milk you’ll ever have,” said Meagan Buckley, president and CEO of Wake Robin. The facility has entrance fees starting at $285,740 and monthly fees on top of that starting at $3,980.

In the end, the takeaway may not be that boomers have to pay large sums of money to get the food they crave. Cuticelli says relatively small and inexpensive changes to a senior-facility dining program can make all the difference. He cites as one example using freshly grated cheese on a dish instead of the processed variety.

But either way, Cuticelli says the survey shows that maintaining the boring status quo won’t entice foodie-minded boomers to live in senior residences.

“The demand is changing, and the industry is not keeping up with the demand,” he said.