Assisted Living Occupancy Dropping

Rates for assisted living and independent living fell noticeably in 2007.The assisted living occupancy rate slid from a peak of 91.5% in the first quarter of 2007 to 89.8% in the second quarter of 2008, continuing a consistent downward path, according to MAP officials at the annual meeting of NIC in Chicago.

Independent living’s occupancy rate also decreased from a high of 93.8% in the first quarter of last year to 91.4% in the second quarter of 2008, a sign that supply had grown faster than demand. A crowd of 1,600 attended the 18th annual NIC conference, which was held at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers.