Housing characteristics of older adults with cognitive impairment

October 28, 2025

A new analysis of the 2022 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) examines the housing circumstances of older adults living with cognitive impairment (CI) in the United States.

Laura Gitlin, PhD, former Core Leader of the IMPACT Implementation Core, was among the authors of the study, which examined housing characteristics among 968 adults aged 65 and older with CI compared to those living with others. The study focused on factors such as home ownership, type of residence, home modifications, and interior home disorder.

The authors found that approximately 26% of the 5.5 million people in the US with CI live alone. Older adults with CI who lived alone were more likely to rent, reside in apartments or mobile homes rather than houses, and have more home modifications compared with those living with others. Findings showed that renting (41%), home modifications such as grab bars and elevated seats in the bathroom (with 59% having two or more), and interior home disorder (45%) were common in this population. Most older adults living alone with CI were female, older, and had lower incomes.

Further research could examine how housing features support or hinder daily function and how these factors could inform long-term services and supports for this population.

Access the full journal article, titled “Housing characteristics of older adults with cognitive impairment,” in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.