ABSTRACT
Optimal nutritional status plays a critical role in successful aging, contributing to both health and quality of life.1 One key determinant of dietary intake and thus nutritional status in the later years of life is living situation, since living environment influences the availability, cost, nutritional value, aesthetic quality, and convenience of the daily diet. With the growing number and heterogeneity of choices in living situations for older adults, it is becoming increasingly important that the impact of the residential setting on nutritional status be assessed and accounted for when choosing a living location. In this chapter, we focus on a new and increasingly popular residential environment-assisted living-and the important nutritional risk factors that need to be considered in this type of living situation.
