When planning a repositioning or renovation project for your community, consider a potential missing demographic in your focus: individuals born between 1954 and 1965. These individuals do not fully align with the Boomer or Gen X generations. While often grouped with Boomers or Xers, they typically exhibit greater independence, a more active lifestyle, and a strong commitment to pursuing their dreams and making an impact.

Thanks to sophisticated and innovative technology, it is easier than ever to collect data about senior living. The key is to use this information effectively to meet the needs of residents, appeal to prospects, plan renovations, and new builds, and watch for trends and emerging challenges. In essence, data and analytics help assess and manage the present and predict the future.

A recent webinar, The New Senior Consumer: Data and Analytics, offered some powerful insights into how data is revolutionizing senior living.

Pi has submitted Westminster in Austin, TX, for a 2024 Senior Housing News Architecture and Design Award. “This community stands as a testament to innovative senior living,” said Greg Hunteman, AIA, Pi president. He added, “Westminster was a trailblazer, being the first in Texas to combine the privacy of apartment homes with the services of a 24/7 on-site health center, and to offer the Life Care option, ensuring a predictable way to receive and pay for care services.” Over the decades, Westminster has undergone multiple expansions and reinvestments, reinforcing its status as Austin’s premier Life Plan community.

Senior living industry leaders agree that designing communities that enable and promote intergenerational connections is a priority for Baby Boomers, Generation Jonesers, and Gen Xers. Seniors seek new approaches that create engagement and integrated community living that break down ageism and support socialization and a focus on health and wellness.

Late last month, Pi’s Greg Hunteman, AIA, and other Center for Health Design Intergenerational Task Force members talked about Making Dollars and Sense of Intergenerational Living: Building the Business Case for Age-Inclusive Environments in a webinar.

Increasingly, senior living communities will encounter people who don’t want a sedentary lifestyle. Preparing for the future of senior living means revisiting much of what we know about what older adults want, need, and can afford. It is important to figure out how to respond to the needs around well-being and longevity. Michele Holleran, CEO, of DeArment Consulting, LLC states, “I define longevity not only as the span of someone’s life but the quality of that lifespan. I think putting in place things that are going to feed that quality is important.” These include new culinary programs, exercise paths, gardening activities, and efforts that dramatically lessen loneliness and isolation.

A recent report from the McKinsey Health Institute confirms what we’ve been saying about aging and the need to create and reposition senior communities to appeal to this growing population. Findings from a survey of more than 21,000 older adults (those aged 55 and older) showed that these individuals prioritize having a purpose, managing stress, enjoying meaningful connections with others, and maintaining independence.