The California Assisted Living Association

ing, and whether or not they experienced a sense of control over their lives. Belonging and control, according to researchers, create the most telling picture of the role senior living plays in a resident’s quality of life. In order to measure residents’ sense of belong- ing, ProMatura asked questions such as wheth- er staff members were friendly, whether they had made friends with other residents, and whether they were comfortable with the peo- ple in their community. An overwhelming ma- jority of residents—98 percent—said the staff members in their communities were friendly, and 95 percent said they were comfortable with the people who work and reside in their community. What’s more, 93 percent had made friends with other residents. In order to measure residents’ sense of control, THE CALIFORNIA ASSISTED LIVING ASSOCIATION Sally Michael, President