Residential care in California

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Healthcare Management
• Urban Planning

Background:

• California faces a growing need for residential care services for its aging population.
• Existing residential care distribution may not align with the geographical distribution of need.
• Understanding these disparities is crucial for equitable resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the geographical distribution of residential care supply in California.
• To identify disparities between the need for and availability of residential care beds.
• To map concentrations of small and large residential care facilities in key urban areas.

Main Methods:

• Mapping the ratio of residential care beds to older women in Los Angeles and San Diego County census tracts.
• Analyzing facility concentrations based on size (small vs. large) within the Cities of Los Angeles and San Diego.
• Geospatial analysis to identify patterns and clusters.

Main Results:

• The highest ratios of residential care beds per older woman were observed on the border of San Diego City and the periphery of Los Angeles County.
• Small residential care facilities are clustered in northern Los Angeles and southeastern San Diego.
• Large residential care facilities are concentrated in Downtown Los Angeles and near La Jolla.

Conclusions:

• Significant geographical disparities exist in residential care supply and need across California.
• These findings can inform strategic planning for residential care facility development.
• Collaboration between developers, providers, and agencies is essential to address underserved areas.