Senior Spotlight: 3 Future Focus Areas

Bright futures - just ahead!

One of the online publications that we regularly check-in with is Senior Housing News, and just one week ago they published a feature on ‘Reshaping Senior Living Post-Pandemic: 3 Areas of Focus’ that we just knew we had to share! 

Over the past 14 months, senior living communities have been in more of survival mode than thrive mode. On top of the constant struggle to protect resident health, senior housing facilities have struggled with making the most of tech, keeping residents socialized amidst physical isolation and rolling out vaccine programs as fast as possible. Just now, many organizations are able to re-address operational growth that they had intended to start before the pandemic, and pivot future models of development based on what pandemic life looked like.

Here are 3 focus areas that senior living providers are working on today to prepare for tomorrow: 

#1: TECH TALK. 

Very few discussions of the future can take place without bringing in the ‘T’ word: technology. More advanced use of telehealth, increased leverage of digital platforms to keep residents connected with loved ones and retrofitting tech infrastructure are top of the tech list. As such, a ‘tech concierge’ position is becoming a must-have in many senior living communities. 

#2: EXPANSION MODE. 

It is no secret that smaller organizations had fewer resources than large ones – and the last 12 months were a time when more was a necessity and not a mere want. To provide both employees and residents with more support, more convenience and a better quality of life – both movements in physical growth and financial strength are critical. Strategic mergers and variances between non-profit growth and for-profit growth are at the forefront of the behind the scenes operations of the senior living sector. Chief strategy officer or chief business development officer roles are becoming a standalone hiring instead of part of the CEO or CFO’s job. 

#3: DIVERSIFIED SERVICE OFFERINGS. 

Life plan communities (which offer continuing care along a range of needs) tend to retain higher occupancy levels than independent living facilities alone. However, given the drastic health complications that arose in the skilled living sector – this is the area of care that is getting the biggest revamp. Downsizing bed counts, shifting towards private rooms and creating intimate resident cohorts are just a few of the possible changes. The idea is to create a closer sense of community amidst an environment that is physically easier to manage from an infection perspective. 

We highly encourage you to read ‘Reshaping Senior Living Post-Pandemic: 3 Areas of Focus’ in full HERE to gain even more insights into these concepts presented above.

Be sure to check back regularly as we continue to follow the evolution of what older adults want, need & deserve in a post-pandemic lifestyle.