Turning Disruptions into Discovery: When Life Hands You Lemons…
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.”
Disruptions and Trends
Hunteman addressed other disruptions and trends, including:
More opportunities for rental properties; Requires less space and enables faster occupancy.
Growth of satellite communities. These enable the expansion of living space and care segments. For instance, satellite buildings can be used to add assisted living or memory care to an independent living community, or they can provide intergenerational housing.
More focus on intergenerational communities that integrate lifestyles and amenities everyone wants. “Many older adults don’t want to be isolated. Instead, they want intergenerational communities that enable them to engage with people of all ages,” said Hunteman. Intergenerational living and programming have tremendous potential. For instance, he said, “It can provide more cost-effective housing for university students or faculty and unique opportunities for seniors who want to engage in academics and sports.” Hunteman talked about an intergenerational task force he serves on, a joint effort of AIA Design for Aging, SAGE, and The Center for Health Design, that is working on a survey to gain a deeper understanding of this trend from the perspective of both residents/prospective residents and industry professionals.
The increasing demand for wellness across all age groups; Hunteman discussed a hospital repositioning project that offered services to an active adult community, including a wellness center, a healthy options café, a fitness center, nutritional counseling, DNA testing, and longevity-focused services. “As the community evolves, we are adding cottages and an assistant living/memory care building,” Hunteman said.
Repositioning with Purpose
Repositioning has taken center stage as more senior living builders, owners, and operators are trying to do more with less. “Our clients are focusing on what they can do to set themselves apart in the market. They are looking to make existing programs stand out and add amenities that will give them the biggest bang for the buck,” Hunteman said. He talked about a repositioning project Pi worked on, where the goal was to redo the building, adding high-end independent living units, assisted living and memory care, and upscale dining/bar spaces. “We focused on the physical wellness side of things with an integrated pool and exercise amenities, a library with a café and observatory, and integration of indoor and outdoor spaces,” Hunteman said. A state-of-the-art spa, arcade, bowling alley, theater, and other amenities also are accessible to the community at large, increasing intergenerational opportunities and engagement.
“This is super high-end and all-inclusive, but you can have ala carte services and amenities for different prices. It depends on the operator, their budget, and what they want to accomplish,” said Hunteman. The building and operations budgets are closely related, Hunteman observed, “So we work closely to look at staffing and the requirements of staff for all of the services and amenities offered.” For instance, buildings have limited budgets and/or staffing challenges, mixed-use spaces, and common areas allowing people to engage in different activities. This can enable staff to oversee and serve more residents without rushing from room to room or building to building. “Take and make the most of what you’ve got and make it efficient,” Hunteman advised, adding, “For example, you can add outdoor porches to buildings that don’t have them.”Disruption leads to opportunities, Hunteman stressed. “Redefine yourself and set yourself apart,” he said.
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