119 Assisted Living Communities Named “Caring Stars” of 2012

San Mateo, CA, January 5, 2012 –– One hundred nineteen assisted living communities in 24 states across the United States rank as the “Caring Stars” of 2012, a new nationwide designation based on consumer ratings and reviews recognizing service excellence. In reviews from families, seniors and others concerned about assisted living care, these providers have captured the highest possible rating of five stars on Caring.com, the web’s #1 source of senior care reviews and the leading online destination for those caring for aging parents, spouses, and other loved ones, with nearly two million visits to the website monthly. Currently, there are over 38,000 assisted living communities serving more than a million seniors nationwide, according to the Assisted Living Federation of America.

The Caring Stars of 2012 list is designed to help consumers make assisted living choices, and to provide direct insights to providers about the preferences of families and residents in senior care. In addition to giving star ratings, reviewers are asked to provide specific details on their experiences and observations, adhering to Caring.com’s Review Guidelines with their comments. Assisted living communities can use this information to further shape their services to best match what families and residents are seeking and believe is most important. Characteristics consumers often discussed in a five-star rating for an assisted living community include care that is personalized and provided with genuine concern, homelike amenities and decor, a wide variety of activities, and high level of cleanliness.

“Congratulations to each of the Caring Stars of 2012 communities for making such a difference in the lives of those they serve that they’ve earned high praise from consumers,” says Andy Cohen, co-founder and CEO of Caring.com. “Our research shows that word-of-mouth recommendations from others outweigh all other factors for caregivers choosing an assisted living community for a loved one. These first-hand testimonials are consistently cited as more important than anything else, including price and location, which are second and third in impact respectively.”

According to Caring.com research in March 2011, 14 percent of family caregivers are caring for a loved one in assisted living and 50 percent have searched online for a senior living facility or in-home care.

“As these numbers grow, so will the amount of families, residents and others writing on Caring.com about their experiences and preferences,” Cohen said. “With the Caring Stars of 2012 and the reviews in our Senior Living Directory, we are pleased to provide a venue that brings assisted living providers and the public together to constantly shape even better care for the nation’s seniors.”

The Caring Stars of 2012 for Assisted Living is based on consumer ratings and reviews posted on Caring.com during the past year and tallied in December 2011. This year is the first of what will be an annual ranking and go-to guide for consumers.