People are aging in good health. For the first time in humanity, there are five generations living together, it's something that has never happened before. Globally, life expectancy increases every 10 years, and Nicola Palmarini, director of the National Centre for Ageing in the UK, said during a recent webinar, that we are moving from an aging society to a longevity one.  He explained, “There isn’t just one way to live healthier longer lives. Each one of us has their own. We now understand that aging is a much more malleable process than what we have thought before, meaning that we can do a lot to influence our process of aging.” He added, “It’s time we start looking at things from a different perspective."

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.

In the ever-evolving landscape of senior living, staying ahead of the curve means more than just offering the best amenities and services; it is also about creating spaces that enhance the quality of life for residents while optimizing property value. It is about bringing new energy, functionality, and life into your community. That is where our

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As part of a panel on innovation in planning and design at Ziegler’s 26th Annual Senior Living Finance and Strategy Conference, Pi President Greg Hunteman, AIA, talked about disruptions shaking things up and how to make the most of challenges while embracing opportunities. “The primary challenges facing senior living are things we’ve been dealing with for a while, including staffing shortages, development costs, and preference changes leaning into active adult living,” Hunteman said. More communities are looking at an active adult/independent living mix that requires less staffing and is easier to finance but offers more opportunities to bring services to residents. Often, independent living mix involves unbundling services so residents can get as much or as little as they want or can afford, Greg noted. We also are seeing greater variety in amenities. For instance, Hunteman said, “We are creating more communities around water-based activities with amenities such as a ferry from the community to an adjacent lakeside town and boat slips and docks available to residents for their boats.”

As Baby Boomers age and start retiring there continues to be a need for senior housing, especially as Gen Xers come into the mix. Construction comes with some challenges and, increasingly, risks. Most strategic projects will involve some degree of risk. The good news is that there are ways to reduce risk and get projects delivered on time and within budget, with 90% occupancy within a year of completion.

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.

It is more important than ever to look around and ask, ‘Would working here bring me joy?’ People working in senior and long-term care settings have reported feelings of stress and burnout for years, let's change that! Pi's interior design team can help you reimage your spaces and help bring happiness to your team.

A key goal when designing a garden or outdoor space for people with cognitive impairment is to keep these individuals safe and comfortable. Outdoor areas should meet the resident’s needs for engagement, physical activity, mental stimulation, and fun while still meeting the safeguards of the community. Many outdoor areas are fenced for the resident’s safety, however, using hedges that blend into the environment can create a relaxing space without making the resident feel confined.

Changing trends, some ongoing challenges, and cautious optimism are on the agenda for senior living industry leaders, and Pi’s Greg Hunteman and a panel of experts addressed all of these during “Emerging Trends in Operations, Development, Repositioning,” a Good People Power Talk program.

When you talk to people living with dementia and their families, it is clear that they face numerous challenges. However, there are no easy solutions. It isn’t always desirable to go into a nursing home or even an assisted living facility, and it can be difficult to keep them at home. We can help by creating and promoting design elements that make it safe and comfortable for individuals with dementia and their families wherever they are.

The popularity of pickleball is estimated to have grown nearly 40% between 2019 and 2021. More than 36.5 million people played the sport between August 2021 and 2022.

It’s clear that pickleball is here to stay and I have to admit I’ve joined the revolution. It’s a great way to get exercise and have fun!

Writer E.M. Forster once said, “What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives?” That is the essence of why people seek places. By nature, people are attracted to integrating indoor and outdoor spaces, with easy access to biking/walking paths, hiking trails, dog parks, and pools.

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.

During the pandemic, seniors—many of them reluctantly—have gotten on board with Zoom and other video technology. Now they’re hooked. Want to attract and keep residents in the months and years ahead? Consider a media room that fulfills their wildest dreams.

Agility and creativity have always been key to good senior living community design, but the pandemic has taken these efforts to new levels; and they will drive the future as well.

As we move into 2021, energy efficiency is one tool that can help senior living communities reduce costs, expand resources, and generate more move-ins.