The Senior Living Blow-Up: Insights from ProMatura
Predicting the future takes more than some educated guesses and creative thinking. Looking into the future of senior living means taking a fresh and insightful look at a new generation of older adults — individuals with their own experiences, challenges, concerns, goals, interests, and demands.
Pi sat down with Bryon Cohron, vice president, of market analysis and business development at ProMatura, to talk about how senior living design is evolving to meet the needs of seniors tomorrow and 10 and 20 years down the road. “We know boomers want more. However, more doesn’t necessarily mean more space but, instead, different space – more multi-purpose, multiuse room where there’s a crochet group in the morning and a book club in the afternoon,” he said.
While the senior living lobby needs to be appealing, even grand, don’t expect to see residents sitting around this space. “People want to feel positive when they enter the building, but they want common spaces with energy and activity throughout the community, Cohron said. While some residents may want a strict routine and limited interactions with others, many more want variety. They want to be able to interact with different people and enjoy an array of activities and experiences. They are likely to have a variety of interests and may have different groups of friends to share these. Space in the community will need to be flexible and adaptable to meet this variety of interests and activities.
“The ‘silent generation’ had a mindset that they were just happy to have a place to be, but boomers and Gen Xers want more of a say in their surroundings and accommodations,” Cohron said. “They want the same trends in housing that people in the community at large have.” This means convenience and functionality, open spaces, and attractive, comfortable décor. The amenities and features you want in your home, he suggested, are the same things residents want in their communities.
While boomers may be willing to downsize, said Cohron, they’re not willing to give up all of their possessions, memorabilia, family heirlooms, and memories. Storage space where they can keep the things they love while living a simpler life in a smaller space will be attractive and popular.
Wellness Rules
Bryon Cohron, Senior Analyst at The ProMatura Group
“Everyone wants wellness,” Cohron said, but this doesn’t necessarily mean hours in the gym. “Wellness these days is more about keeping minds and bodies active, not as much about gyms and weight lifting,” he said. Residents want to be active physically with things like pickleball, walking, and hiking, and classes like yoga and Zumba. They also want to stay active socially, with dinner parties, happy hours, special interest groups and clubs, and entertainment of all sorts. Finally, they want to stay active mentally. This may mean working, mentoring, volunteering, or attending classes both virtually and in person. To accommodate all this, they’ll expect fully equipped media and meeting rooms, apartments with space for an office, and easy access to local colleges and universities.
Pampered Pets and More
According to statistics, over half of people between the ages of 50 and 80 have one or more pets. And most people see pets as family and essential to their well-being; so don’t expect them to leave their furry friends behind when they enter senior living. Instead, consider being pet-friendly in word and deed. Amenities like dog parks, onsite grooming and/or veterinary care, fenced patios/yards, a small shop with pet supplies, and even a take-out menu of gourmet pet food will be attractive to the pet lover.
More than ever, seniors want to age in place. No one wants to go to the next level, of care, said Cohron. However, they still want and need easy access to healthcare services. “The challenge is determining what services to offer and what ones will attract residents,” he said. At the same time, seniors – particularly those who are active and engaged – don’t want to be reminded of their aging bodies and emerging limitations. So ways to maximize independence including safety features such as handrails and seating that are easy to get in and out of should be integrated as part of the design. Bathrooms, for example, should be attractive as well as safe and easy to navigate.
The AL Evolution
“We are seeing a lot of innovative offerings in assisted living and memory care. Most assisted living residents have some cognitive issues, so we are seeing more programming during the day,” said Cohron. While these settings need to be designed as homelike where residents have some degree of independence, there will need to be elements such as signage and prompts to help people navigate through the building and outdoor spaces that are attractive but discourage wandering.
Cohron noted that acuity is rising in both assisted living and memory care, and this creates challenges. Communities will need design features that keep residents safe and accommodate their cognitive and physical limitations for as long as possible, without taking on an institutional look or feel.
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
While technology is increasingly popular among seniors, Cohron cautioned not to assume that everyone wants a smart home. Where monitoring and tracking technology is available, it should be seamless and non-intrusive. It is best to have options, Cohron said. “A menu of technological offerings will be the winner, enabling residents to pick and choose what they want and are willing to pay for.”
In studying the new generation of seniors, Cohron said, “It stood out to me how broad and diverse this market is. You can’t put boomers or Gen Xers in a box and say they want this or that. “Gone are the days of templated buildings, where you can replicate them across the country.” Instead, he suggested, “Create a product specific to your local market.”
From Was to Is to What Will Be
Clearly, some popular aspects of senior living are timeless. Residents will always want comfort, convenience, safety, and general quality of life. However, the way older adults define these is changing and evolving as generations age. Attracting boomers and Xers is a good start, but Cohron stressed the importance of looking to create communities that have broad appeal, as well as keeping our fingers on the pulse of trends that will influence and shape tomorrow’s communities. Pi’s portfolio is filled with innovative and impressive designs that have transformed the senior living community in the past.
Westminster Senior Living: The Carlisle in Austin, Texas
We welcome the opportunity to look into the future with you and help you design a community that will be engaging today, tomorrow, and into the future.
Images from the AIA Design for Aging Presentation Design of the Times: Prospect Desires Have Evolved. Have We?
With ProMatura’s Bryon Cohron as the presenter discussing consumer wants for health, safety, and wellness continue to evolve, learn how designing senior housing continues to change to meet new market demands. More specifically about the types of amenities considered both desirable and essential to prospects.
Visit Promatura Insights for additional insights as well as AIA Designing for Aging for more information on industry topics.
Contact us here or call us at 512-231-1910.