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.

Here’s the dilemma. We’ve seen firsthand how physically and mentally damaging social isolation can be on seniors, but—at least for the foreseeable future—we can’t go back to in-person visits, group activities, concerts, and crowded dining halls.

The right furnishings add value to senior living communities while reducing costs and staff burdens.

A senior living pioneer shares his insights on how senior living design, management, and marketing have changed over the years.

Numerous students have shown that a sense of meaning or purpose can positively impact health, including warding off Alzheimer’s, physical disabilities, and cardiovascular problems. What can you do to promote purpose?

The COVID pandemic has made it clear that wellness is no longer an option for senior living communities. Residents will expect it, even demand it.

“We think of the passing of the ADA as an ‘Independence Day’ for people with disabilities,” says Marcela Abadi Rhoads, FAIA, RAS, owner of Abadi Accessibility. The ADA, the landmark legislation designed to increase the inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of community life, ushered in a new era of independence for millions of Americans.

“Now is the time for marketing and sales directors to re-evaluate their SWOT analysis in a COVID-19 environment and be strategic,” says Heather Potts, Owner of HP Consulting Solutions. “It is important to examine both internal and external factors that may help or hinder your ability to effectively market your community,” she adds.

Take a minute to think about what features you have or are adding designed to increase comfort and safety in the new normal and how you can highlight these on your website, in marketing materials, and on tours (including virtual tours).

What will seniors really want in a community moving forward? Consider these design features to attract prospects and boost move-ins post-pandemic…