Promoting and Highlighting Research in Assisted Living to Inform Practice and Policy

Although assisted living has become the largest residential provider of long-term care, the amount of research conducted in nursing homes far surpasses that conducted in assisted living; therefore, it is important to both increase the amount of assisted living research and to highlight research findings that can inform practice and policy. This article presents a summary of 10 academic articles published in 2024 considered to be the most innovative, methodologically rigorous, and relevant to assisted living practice and policy, as determined by experts in the field. All were recognized as finalists for the 2025 CEAL@UNC Research Award of the National Center for Excellence in Assisted Living, whose mission is to advance the well-being of the people who live and work in assisted living through research, practice, and policy. Together, the 10 articles address resident care and outcomes, caregivers, and assisted living in the context of other supportive and long-term care services and settings (ie, memory care, hospice, and nursing homes). They highlight the importance of data to inform practice and policy in assisted living and present research findings across numerous areas related to modifiable components of practice and policy.