Resident Satisfaction in Continuing Care Retirement Communities

The senior living industry is big business and growing fast, thanks to increasing life expectancy. According to the U.S. Census, there were 53 million Americans aged over 65 in 2019. That figure is set to rise by 55% to 82 million—one in five of the population—by 2050. More and more seniors are already attracted to continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). But what impacts resident satisfaction in this increasingly competitive market? New research led by Dr. Suja Chaulagain and Dr. Abraham Pizam at UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management finds that above all, it\u27s the social environment

Motivational Factors and Barriers Affecting Seniors\u27 Decision to Relocate to a Senior Living Facility

This study aimed to explore factors affecting seniors\u27 intention to relocate to a senior living facility. More specifically, the purpose of this study was to examine the influence of push and pull motivational factors and perceived barriers on seniors\u27 intention to relocate to a senior living facility (SLF). In addition, the mediating role of perceived barriers on the relationships between push motivational factors and intention to relocate and pull motivational factors and intention to relocate were explored. The data of the study was collected from 363 seniors. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was conducted to test the study hypotheses. The results indicated that health related, social and family/friend related, housing and property related push motivational factors and facility related pull motivational factor positively influenced seniors\u27 intention to relocate to SLFs. In addition, the study results revealed that family related barriers, economic barriers, socio-psychological barriers, and knowledge and information barriers negatively affected seniors\u27 intention to relocate to SLFs. In terms of the mediation effects, the study results indicated that (1) family related barriers mediated the positive relationship between health related push motivational factor and intention to relocate; (2) economic barriers mediated the positive relationship between facility related pull motivational factor and intention to relocate; (3) socio-psychological barriers mediated the positive relationship between health related push motivational factor and intention to relocate; and (4) socio-psychological barriers mediated the positive relationship between facility related pull motivational factor and intention to relocate. The findings of this study provide valuable theoretical contributions in the context senior living literature and important practical implications for SLF operators, health care facilitators and government agencies

An Integrated Behavioral Model for International Medical Tourism

From dental procedures to cardiac surgery, an international market is developing for medical tourism, thanks not least to globalisation and the high standard of medical treatment now available around the world. But what drives individuals to travel abroad for healthcare? In an important new study, Rosen College Assistant Professor Suja Chaulagain, Founding Dean Abraham Pizam, and Dean Youcheng Wang take a social psychological perspective of health-related behavior and the concepts that influence it

Hotel customers’ behavioral intentions toward service robots: the role of utilitarian and hedonic values

This study aims to investigate the effects of hotel customers’ perceived utilitarian and hedonic values on their intention to use service robots. In addition, the influences of innovativeness, ease of use and compatibility on hotel customers’ perceived utilitarian and hedonic values were examined. Design/methodology/approach – The data of the current study was collected from 11 countries including the USA, UK, Turkey, Spain, Romania, Japan, Israel, India, Greece, Canada and Brazil. A structural equation modeling was used to test the study hypotheses. Findings – The results indicated that hotel customers’ intention to use service robots was positively influenced by their utilitarian and hedonic value perceptions. In addition, customers’ perceptions of robots’ ease of use and compatibility had a positive impact on their perceived utilitarian and hedonic values. Originality/value – The findings of the current study provide unique contributions in the context of hospitality robotics technology adoption literature. In addition, this study provides valuable insights and novel opportunities for hospitality decision-makers to capitalize on, as they strive to strategize the integration of robot-based services into their operations.2022-2

The Effects of Demographics and Nutritional Knowledge on Hotel Employees\u27 External and Emotional Eating

This brief research aimed to examine how hotel employees\u27 demographics and nutritional knowledge influence their emotional and external eating behaviors. Empirical data was collected from hotel employees (n = 372) from four- and five-star hotels in Mediterranean cities in Turkey. ANOVA was conducted to identify the significant differences in employees\u27 emotional and external eating behaviors based on their demographic characteristics and nutritional knowledge. The study results indicated significant differences in hotel employees\u27 emotional eating by their gender, income, and education level. The study results further revealed that hotel employees\u27 external eating behavior differed based on their gender, marital status, and nutritional knowledge. The study results provide specific theoretical and practical implications in the health care and hospitality industries

Improving Country and Destination Image Can Bring More American Tourists to Cuba

Country image, how an entire country is perceived by potential tourists, and the more specific destination image are important concepts in tourism marketing. They have a profound impact on a person\u27s intent to travel to a particular destination. Suja Chaulagain, Jessica Wiitala and Xiaoxiao Fu of Rosen College of Hospitality Management have used the example of Cuba to examine the impact of country image and destination image on U.S. tourists\u27 travel intentions. Their work provides guidance for Cuba\u27s tourist marketing industry for attracting more tourists from the United States

An Integrated Behavioral Model for Medical Tourism: An American Perspective

This study aims to develop and test a theoretical model that predicts individuals\u27 intention to engage in medical tourism. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to test the study hypotheses by using data collected from 246 US residents. The study results indicated that perceived benefits were positively, and perceived barriers negatively, associated with attitude, and perceived barriers had a negative impact on perceived behavioral control. The study results further revealed that attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm positively influenced individuals\u27 intention to engage in medical tourism. Finally, a significant moderating effect of perceived severity was found on the relationships between perceived benefits and attitude, perceived barriers and attitude, and attitude and behavioral intention. The findings of the study offer valuable theoretical contributions and practical implications in the context of medical tourism

What Matters, and What Matters Most? Exploring Resident Satisfaction in Continuing Care Retirement Communities

Purpose: Resident satisfaction is a catalyst for continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) to enhance their competitiveness in the expanding senior living market. CCRC attributes play an imperative role in resident satisfaction when older adults reside in these communities. The purpose of this study was to identify the attributes that affect CCRC resident satisfaction and quantify their relative levels of importance. In addition, the impact of resident satisfaction on word of mouth (WOM) and satisfaction with life was examined. Design/methodology/approach: The proposed hypotheses were tested by performing structural equation modeling on the data collected from 332 CCRC residents throughout the USA. Findings: The study results revealed that all 10 of the CCRC attributes identified in this study significantly influenced resident satisfaction. Sociopsychological factors had the strongest influence on resident satisfaction, followed by cost and value, medical services, availability of activities, food and beverage services, design, rooms, management and staff, location, and spiritual environment. The study results further indicated that resident satisfaction had a positive impact on WOM and satisfaction with life. Practical implications: This study provides significant practical implications for CCRC owners and operators to help them better identify the types of CCRC attributes and their relative levels of importance for resident satisfaction. Originality/value: This study is one of the first comprehensive studies to identify CCRC attributes associated with resident satisfaction and examine the impact of resident satisfaction on satisfaction with life within the senior living field

Residents\u27 Sense of Safety in Senior Living Communities: A Conceptual Paper

Senior living communities (SLCs) are the new frontier of hospitality management. They provide high-end amenities and customer-oriented services for residents and employ various strategies to prevent risks and guarantee residents\u27 safety because safety is an essential factor in older adults\u27 lives as they age. Although a few studies have assessed residents\u27 safety or perceptions of safety, none of these research studies were conceptual or grounded in a comprehensive safety model. This paper proposes a conceptualization of sense of safety to evaluate residents\u27 perceptions of four types of risks (i.e., physical, social, emotional and psychological, and financial) in SLCs. This conceptual research provides important suggestions for researchers to assess residents\u27 perceptions of risk and sense of safety and also offers practical recommendations for senior living community operators to consider when addressing the four different types of risks that could enhance residents\u27 sense of safety in their SLCs

Factors Affecting Seniors\u27 Relocation to Senior Living Communities

The 1960s’ counterculture generation is coming of senior age. This is the generation who witnessed the Civil Rights Movement, protested against the Vietnam War, and went to Woodstock. What they expect in retirement is radically different from their parents. So what are the factors that affect whether or not they choose to move into senior living communities? In one of the first studies of its kind, UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management’s Dr. Suja Chaulagain, Dr. Abraham Pizam, Dr. Youcheng Wang and Dr. Denver Severt look at the motivational factors that influence seniors’ decision-making