NIC | COVID-19 Mortality in Congregate Care

National Study on the Impact of COVID-19 in Senior Living

COVID-19 Mortality in Congregate Care

Through a grant from NIC, NORC at the University of Chicago conducted a research study on COVID-19’s mortality impact on residents of senior housing and skilled nursing properties.

Better Together? The Effect of Senior Housing Status on Excess Mortality During COVID-19

Download research results by filling out the form.

Initial research shed light on COVID-19 mortality rates among seniors prior to vaccine availability, both in congregate settings and in surrounding communities. Research showed mortality rates increased by complexity of care, but, in lower acuity settings such as independent living communities, were comparable to surrounding populations. Read highlights of the research.

The second phase of the research study considered health status, demographic characteristics, health care usage, and geographic location of older adults to allow comparisons of comparable older adults regardless of where they lived. Excess mortality rates were strongly reduced in all senior housing settings after vaccines became available.

Access Study Highlights

The study was conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago (NORC), through a grant from NIC, in support of the NIC mission to improve access and choice in seniors housing and care through transparency.

About NORC

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, NORC has conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with NORC to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge. www.norc.org