Want To Stay Out Of A Nursing Home? Live In Places With Immigrants

U.S. seniors are much more likely to live independently and avoid being in a nursing home if there are more immigrants in an area, according to research. The findings are important in light of the aging of the U.S. population and the continued debate over immigration policy.

“Given that the elderly report that they would prefer to avoid living in institutionalized settings, it is important to understand what may help them actualize their preferences,” write economists Kristin F. Butcher (Wellesley College), Kelsey Moran (MIT) and Tara Watson (Williams College) in research published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). “This study suggests that the supply of less‐educated immigrant labor affects caregiving arrangements, and allows more older Americans to age in the community.”

The study found a 10 percentage point increase in the less-educated immigrant population in an area reduces by 29% the probability someone 65 years or older would live in a nursing home or other institutional setting. For an individual 80 years or older, a 10 percentage point increase in the less-educated immigrant population in an area reduces the probability of institutionalization by 26%.

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