Evanston, IL (January 18, 2022) – Does being an extrovert make the pandemic less stressful for older adults? Can meditation help? What factors are related to the stress and resilience of Life Plan Community residents during the pandemic? These questions and more were explored in great depth in Year 4 of the landmark, five-year Age Well Study being conducted by Mather Institute. Year 4 findings are being issued today in a free report available for download by Mather Institute at www.TheAgeWellStudy.com. The Study is now entering its fifth and final year and is the only national longitudinal study to evaluate the impact of living in a Life Plan Community on residents’ health and well-being.
From the first year of the study, released in 2018, it showed that Life Plan Community residents tend to have greater emotional, social, physical, intellectual, and vocational wellness than their counterparts in the community-at-large. Year 2 of the study revealed that residents with higher scores of “openness to experience” and “extroversion” reported the highest levels of healthy behaviors. Year 3 of the study turned to factors related to residents’ happiness and life satisfaction, finding that residents are happier and more satisfied when they have a greater sense of community belonging.