Transform: Recent Episodes
Senior Housing News
Senior Housing News is an independent source for breaking news and up-to-date information on the senior living industry. Our podcast, Transform, will highlight the individuals making a difference in the senior housing industry.
Stellar Senior Living wants to enrich the lives of 30,000 people by 2030. To achieve this goal, the company has strategically scaled its portfolio and that growth has continued in 2025. Stellar has also forged new relationships with institutional partners this year, and launched a $25 million equity - joint venture effort in 2024 to fuel future investment and growth opportunities.
In today's episode of Transform, we sit down with Volante Senior Living CEO Jeff Fischer.Since joining Volante in July 2024, CEO Fischer and his leadership team have worked to improve staff retention, reduce turnover and improve workplace culture in an effort to solidify operations in a preamble to future growth. While the company focuses on operations internally to improve staffing along with its sales and marketing practices, Volante is also expanding with two new developments underway in Oregon.Tune in now!
As the senior living industry continues to experience rising acuity rates and greater expectations from residents and their loved ones, operators across the country are rethinking how they deliver care and turning to remote patient monitoring (RPM) as a solution.On the latest episode of Transform from Senior Housing News, Michael Emery, Executive Vice President of Strategy at Curana Health, and Stephanie Boreale, National Director of Health Strategy at Watermark Retirement Communities, share how RPM is helping improve resident health outcomes and satisfaction, reduce hospitalizations, and provide peace of mind. Don’t miss this exciting episode!
The Kendal Corporation envisions a future senior living landscape that moves beyond traditional continuing care retirement community models to identify new ways of serving older adults in the future, specifically aimed at affordability and intergenerational living. This comes as Kendal continues to redevelop campuses to best position communities to capture new demand while addressing extensive waitlists.
To continue the nonprofit senior living provider's recovery, Lipsey sees potential in growing wellness services and improving care coordination through a hub and spoke model, while grappling with senior living's affordability challenges.
In 2024, Phoenix Senior Living acquired three new communities and repositioned one community as the company’s first stand-alone active adult property. The company views active adult as a way to get younger residents familiar with the Phoenix Senior Living brand. In 2025, the company will seek future organic growth through development in urban markets while also remaining open to future value-add acquisitions.
Experience Senior Living is continuing to grow its senior housing development pipeline with multiple projects underway in three states. The Denver, Colorado-based senior living operator and developer is seeking growth across multiple brands and price points to attract a younger, more active resident base.
Jewish HomeLife CEO Jeff Gopen sat down with Senior Housing News to discuss the company's current plans to grow and evolve, how it has served the Atlanta area for more than 70 years and what comes next in senior housing and care.Find the right service for your loved one. Learn more at: https://www.jewishhomelife.org/
Solera Senior Living will continue its growth trajectory through acquisitions, added management agreements and new development, while also focusing on its value-based care effort in 2024 and beyond.
The Springs Living is in the final year of construction on a state-of-the-art community in Vancouver, Washington and more calculated growth is expected as potential acquisition and development opportunities present themselves heading into 2025. With margins improving and occupancy trending positively, the organization continues to expand operations in preparation for the next generation of senior living customers in mind.
With occupancy recovery at-hand, Benchmark Senior Living surpassed 90% census and is focused for the remainder of 2024 on integrating new systems that Grape called "foundational infrastructure" while stabilizing newly opened communities while reinvesting into over 30 existing locations. Also this year, the Waltham, Massachusetts-based provider will start on two additional developments.
Following the acquisition of Validus Senior Living in early May, Distinctive Living is continuing to grow its senior living portfolio by seeking new management agreements and capital partners. This is coupled with the company's active development pipeline, which includes new construction, renovations and additions to existing communities.
This episode is sponsored by Unlock Health. In the latest installment of Transform, Senior Housing News speaks with Brandon Edwards, CEO, Unlock Health, to discuss his team's response to the current marketing and growth needs in today's rapidly evolving senior living landscape.The conversation highlights Unlock Health's role as a growth platform rather than just a marketing agency, emphasizing its strategic importance in addressing challenges faced by senior living marketers today, and the need for new strategies to engage audiences effectively.
In this episode of Transform, hear from senior living industry veteran Jason Kohler. As Executive Vice President, Senior Living, Kohler currently leads the senior living division for Beztak, including the firm's All Seasons brand. Learn how Beztak plans to grow its senior living platform in 2024 with scheduled renovations to multiple communities along with plans for a new build project.
Denver, Colorado-based senior living operator ONELIFE Senior Living recently completed a merger bringing in Ally Senior Living to create a 19-community owner and third-party management company. In 2024, ONELIFE will continue to deepen integration between organizations, while looking outwardly for acquisition opportunities. Tune in to this episode of TRANSFORM to hear more about the plans from CEO Dan Williams.
Lasell Village, located in the Boston area, continues to innovate in fostering intergenerational connections with its university-based senior living model.In this episode of the Senior Housing News TRANSFORM podcast, learn how the unique continuing care retirement community is building on its legacy as a pioneer of university partnerships with senior living, including by pursuing an ambitious renovation project while expanding programming opportunities for residents.
Avendelle Assisted Living is preparing for explosive growth through its franchise model in the coming year. COO Bill Bunting says this expansion will solidify Avendelle’s footprint in South Carolina and prepare the company for growth outside the state.Learn more about the company’s growth plans and how Avendelle is leveraging the franchise model in this episode of Transform.
Goodwin Living is looking to improve employee retention efforts while finding ways to grow senior living and care offerings. And to grow, CEO Rob Liebreich says Goodwin Living must return to basics on operations to improve its business model.Learn more about the organization's plans for future growth, includes expanded memory care services through its StrongerMemory program and greater home health offerings to extend the company’s reach, in this episode of Transform.
The Brea, California-based senior living management company operates communities across four western states, with future plans including potential new development, acquisition and joint venture growth. Insight Living continues to seek growth while aiming to transform its operating model with actionable data-driven insights. To achieve operational success, Principal Bryan Ziebart believes the company's path forward will be paved by artificial intelligence and data-intensive solutions for operations.
1031 Crowdfunding is in the midst of a push into senior living investment, with an overall goal to have $1 billion in assets under management in two years, and $5 billion in five years, with senior living accounting for 40% of that value. Amid a buyers’ market with cap rates attractive in assisted living and memory care, 1031 Crowdfunding is bringing a unique approach to asset management to senior living.
Ascension Living’s former President Danny Stricker this August announced that he had launched his own senior living operator called Chapters Living. Stricker, the co-founder and president of the St. Louis-based senior living operator backed by Green Street Real Estate Ventures, is poised to close the acquisition of a seven-community portfolio with about 500 units of assisted living and memory care in four states. In this episode of Transform, Stricker discusses: How Chapters Living views the acquisitions market in the MidwestWhy he believes active adult will be a key to successWhat he evaluates in an acquisition
Denise Falco, Senior Vice President of Operations at Sunrise Senior Living by Senior Housing News
The next episode of Transform is now available, brought to you by MarshJohn Atkinson is a senior living veteran and industry leader serving on the board of Argentum and the Advisory Committee of the American Seniors Housing Association. John is responsible for co-leading Marsh’s senior living and LTC industry practice for the United States and Canada and Also serves as Chairman of Marsh’s Chicago office.Marsh is the world’s leading insurance broker and risk advisor. With around 40,000 colleagues operating in more than 130 countries, Marsh serves commercial and individual clients with data-driven risk solutions and advisory services.In this episode, John discusses emerging risks for senior living providers, insurance cost trends, the litigation environment, and more.
Andrew Moret, Vice President of Culinary Services, Oakmont Management Group by Senior Housing News
When Jan Hamilton-Crawford took the reins as CEO of Trinity Health Senior Communities earlier this year, she vowed to implement some “bold changes.” For the Livonia, Michigan-based senior living organization, those changes will likely include much closer alignment with its parent organization, Trinity Health.
As she surveys the senior living industry, Hamilton-Crawford sees a big opportunity for operators to coordinate and arrange more care in residents’ homes, no matter the care setting. And in the future, she sees senior living communities serving a dual role as a hub for both hospitality and health care.
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Last month, U.S. News & World Report published its first-ever 2022-23 “Best Senior Living,” list. Among the operators included was Wexford, Pennsylvania-based Integracare.
CEO Larry Rouvelas was heartened to see the company's hard work recognized, and he believes accolades like this are important differentiators with prospective residents and their families.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
- How Integracare communities landed a spot on the "Best Senior Living" list
- Why the company is undertaking a hotel conversion project in Maryland
- What challenges and opportunities Rouvelas sees ahead in 2022
Many senior living operators want to reach the middle-market — but doing so will require them to at least familiarize themselves with adult daycare services, according to Innovation Senior Living CEO and Founder Pilar Carvajal.
The company has five communities open and two more on the way, and Carvajal said adult daycare services will play a role in all of them going forward.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
- Why Carvajal sees adult daycare as an important tool to reach the middle market
- More about the company's growing "The Club at" brand.
- Why Carvajal believes the industry is going to be "crushed" by middle-market demand ahead
- How the company is growing by adding more independent living to its portfolio
After taking the reins in 2019, A Place for Mom CEO Larry Kutscher laid out a plan to completely reinvent the company — and its relationship with senior living providers.
Three years later, the company is about halfway through that transformation. A recent infusion of $175 million in growth equity is helping the national referral partner propel those efforts this year and beyond.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
- How Kutscher has worked to improve the company's relationship with senior living operators
- Why APFM is spending $100 million on marketing in 2022
- What Kutscher believes is the industry's "biggest weakness"
In January, Forefront Living announced plans to open a tuition-free Bezos Academy on the campus of its Presbyterian Village North community in Dallas, making it the first senior living community in Texas and the second in the U.S. to do so. The move also deepens Forefront Living's commitment to intergenerational programming, according to CEO Tim Mallad.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
-- Why Forefront Living decided to collaborate with Bezos Academy -- How Mallad sees the future of intergenerational programming in senior living -- What new service lines the organization is exploring launching
MBK Senior Living’s growth has historically been through acquisitions — and that is still the company’s modus operandi in its upcoming fiscal year.
But growing through acquisitions has become tougher in 2022 amid frothy pricing and plenty of competition for senior living properties. Even so, MBK President Jeff Fischer believes the company can acquire four to six new communities this year, adding to the 35 currently in its portfolio.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
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How MBK onboards new communities after they are acquired
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What Fischer looks for in new technology and how the company pilots it
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Why MBK follows a culture rooted in the Japanese concept of yoi shigoto
Christian Living Communities is recommitting to its nonprofit roots.
Although the Colorado-based organization still manages some communities through its for-profit management arm, Cappella Living Solutions, President and CEO Jill Vitale-Aussem says its future growth lies in affiliations and potentially third-party management agreements with other nonprofits.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
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Why Christian Living Communities sees more opportunities in the nonprofit senior living sector
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What Aussem learned during her short stint as President and CEO of the Eden Alternative
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Why Aussem is cautiously optimistic about staffing in 2022
The senior living industry is grappling with a period of staffing challenges known as the "great resignation" -- but Covenant Living Communities & Services President and CEO Terri Cunliffe hopes it ends up more like a "great sabbatical."
And she said she sees signs this is happening. For instance, the Skokie, Illinois-based senior living nonprofit recently held a day of hiring across the country and filled every single CNA position open in the company.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
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Why Cunliffe thinks there might be a "great sabbatical" underway in senior living
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How Covenant Living is piloting robots in its dining operations
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What Cunliffe sees ahead for the industry's labor challenges in 2022
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How the senior living nonprofit handles rate growth amid rising expenses
Owners and investors looking to execute on their strategies in 2022 would be wise to examine every facet of their operations to help drive net operating income (NOI) sooner rather than later -- and that all starts with the operator overseeing a community.
That's according to Greg Puklicz, who ascended to the president role at 12 Oaks Senior Living this year. As president, Puklicz is leading operations during an important time for the company and for the industry.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
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What Puklicz believes investors and owners are looking for in senior living operators
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How being turnaround experts has paid off for 12 Oaks during the pandemic
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What happened when 12 Oaks executed a "marketing sprint" at its communities last fall
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Why Puklicz thinks 2023 will be an even bigger year for rate increases than 2022
Senior living operators have forged different models for middle-market communities in recent years -- but Priority Life Care CEO Sevy Petras believes the industry has only scratched the surface of what it needs to do to meet the massive demand from middle-income residents.
To Petras, the challenge is offering boomers a product they will both want to live in and afford. Priority Life Care is trying to meet market demand through communities such as Celebration Villa, a brand created when the operator took on 17 communities formerly operated by Eclipse Senior Living for Ventas (NYSE: VTR).
In this episode of Transform, learn:
-- What Priority Life Care is planning for its Celebration Villa portfolio with Ventas
-- How the operator is focused on making employees' lives easier amid a historic staffing challenge
-- Why Petras believes 2023 will be another big year of rate growth for the senior living industry
The high price of new construction drove many senior living companies to shift their growth strategies in favor of acquisitions in 2021. But Westmont Living has the flexibility and expertise to build, and the company has several new projects underway, according to President Andy Plant.
With a new year on the horizon, Westmont Living is looking ahead to further growth. And to that end, the company is broadening its services by bringing primary care and other capabilities into its communities.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
-- How Westmont grew occupancy at a rate of about 1% per month in 2021
-- How digital marketing is playing a growing role in the company's sales efforts
-- Why Westmont is adding primary care offices to its communities
Stephanie Harris thought she would end up working in politics and eventually running for office. But then she got a job working for a senior living turnaround business and realized the industry was her calling.
Now, Harris is CEO of Arrow Senior Living, and she is putting her deep background in senior living turnarounds to work while leading the St. Louis-based operator through the Covid-19 pandemic and into the uncertain future.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
-- How Arrow Senior Living achieves middle-market margins in excess of 30% to 40%
-- What Harris believes is the right unit mix for a middle-market senior living community
-- How slow-moving "green banana" leads have been key to Arrow's occupancy recovery
Nine months ago, Transforming Age and Sustainable Housing for Ageless Generations (SHAG) announced plans to affiliate. Now with 39 communities, the nonprofit is on the cusp of some big changes.
Helping to lead that charge is Senior Vice President of Development Jay Woolford. Looking ahead, he sees the national senior housing nonprofit putting an even greater emphasis on serving older adults in intergenerational communities suitable for low- and moderate-income residents. The nonprofit is also due to announce the formation of a new property management company.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
-- How Transforming Age plans to serve more moderate-income older adults -- Why the nonprofit is focusing on co-locating senior housing with other organizations and uses -- How the newly combined is growing in 2022
Tod Petty, COO / Executive Vice President Senior Housing, Lloyd Jones by Senior Housing News
This episode of Transform is sponsored by CDW Healthcare. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a wider adoption of technology in the senior living industry. While that could lead to new disruption from tech giants like Google or Amazon, LCS Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer Frank Vedder believes it could bring new opportunities to the industry, too.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
- What LCS did during the pandemic to keep residents and families connected and engaged
- How technology can help address ongoing staffing challenges
- The state of senior living cybersecurity
- Why Vedder sees data analytics as crucial to the future of senior living operations
Staffing is currently among the senior living industry's biggest challenges -- but Glenn Barclay, CEO of QSL Management and principal of its parent company, QSL, has a plan.
Barclay and his team are rolling out a new position called “retention specialist” aimed at keeping more workers past the 90-day mark. The position significantly reduced turnover in the community where it was piloted, and QSL is in the midst of rolling it out to all of the company’s 10 communities.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
- How QSL is confronting the senior living staffing crisis
- What QSL did to keep residents safe at a community in Louisiana during Hurricane Ida
- Why QSL is one of two senior living companies with communities carrying The Blake brand
- Where Barclay sees the biggest opportunities for growth outside of primary markets
2Life Communities President and CEO Amy Schectman knows too well how easy it is for middle-income older adults to fall between the cracks.
That's why she and 2Life have come up with a new senior housing concept aimed at filling the middle-market "abyss." The concept, called Opus, is meant to reduce senior housing rates for older adults through a mix of volunteerism, centralized locations and partnerships with other health and senior care providers.
In this episode of Transform, learn: - Why 2Life is branching out beyond affordable senior housing to serve the middle market - What Schectman believes it will take to significantly lower senior housing rent below market rates and how Opus will work - Why partnerships may be the key to keeping middle-market care costs low - How 2Life balances mission and margin in the age of Covid-19
Andrew Carle, Adjunct Lecturer, Georgetown University and Executive Director of The Virginian by Senior Housing News
Florida is the current epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S., but that has not translated into a lingering occupancy loss for Westminster Communities of Florida. In fact, the organization is maintaining an occupancy rate at around 91% amid those challenges.
CEO Terry Rogers says the key to the organization's ability to maintain stable occupancy is the fact that, in many residents' eyes, the provider's communities are safer than the places where they live. And while the spread of the delta variant does concern Rogers, he also sees other tailwinds that could counteract its challenges.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
- How Westminster Communities of Florida is working to keep residents safe as the delta variant spreads throughout the state
- Why Rogers is exploring branching out into Minka homes or active adult communities
- What Rogers thinks is the next chapter in the senior living industry's ongoing recovery
To reach the baby boomers, senior living operators are going to have to offer them something more than engagement.
Instead, the baby boomers will want the flexibility to make their own choices about how they live their lives. That's the belief of Watermark Retirement Communities President David Barnes, and the thesis behind the company's Elan and Elite collections of luxury senior living communities.
In this episode of Transform, learn: -- How Watermark is preparing to meet the demands of the boomer generation -- Why Barnes sees Watermark as an "associate-centered" company -- What the provider is seeing in terms of recovery in its markets and how long that might last
The sky-high cost of building materials is making life hard for senior living developers in 2021. Confluent Senior Living is no exception.
The developer has even resorted to stockpiling lumber to save money, a risk that Confluent Managing Partner John Reinsma says the company wouldn't normally take. But there is a silver lining in the fact these challenges have forced Confluent to slow down and rethink how senior living communities are developed and designed.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
- What challenges Reinsma sees ahead in senior living development
- The origin of Confluent's new "Whole Health Standard" design concept
- When elevated building material costs might come down
- How Confluent is growing in 2021 and beyond
It’s been said that the Covid-19 pandemic has put much of the senior living sector back into lease-up --- Heritage Communities COO Amy Birkel knows this all too well.
For the Omaha, Nebraska-based senior living operator’s 14 communities, the pandemic has turned back the clock on occupancy to the point that Birkel says it's like managing a portfolio of new buildings. But she also believes that the pandemic's challenges have led to new practices that will help serve the company during its recovery. In this episode of Transform, learn: -- What Birkel learned after running a Covid-19 "war room" in the early days of the pandemic -- How Heritage plans to attract and retain workers in 2021 amid growing staffing headwinds -- Why Heritage made wellness a bigger part of its operations during the pandemic -- How and where Heritage is expanding in the months ahead
Marquis Companies CEO Phil Fogg, Jr. has a philosophy: anything that improves outcomes for long-term care residents is worth owning and doing.
That helps explain why Marquis has its hand in so many service lines, from senior living and long-term care to rehab and an in-house pharmacy. Being a population health company has benefitted Marquis, and the organization is still expanding its capabilities to improve efficiency and quality of care.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
- Why Marquis became the diversified long-term care company it is today
- How Fogg sees the timing of pent-up demand for assisted living
- Marquis' growth plans in the senior housing space
- What managed care really means, and how Marquis is approaching it
Senior living providers will need to come up with a new playbook to attract the baby boomers in the post-pandemic world — and boutique hotels could provide a roadmap for that reinvention.
Danette Opaczewski, executive vice president of resident experience and COO at Revel Communities -- the senior living brand of The Wolff Company -- knows this better than most. She joined Revel in January 2020 after a long career in the hospitality industry, and believes the industry can learn from the boutique hotel sector.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
- What Revel is doing to attract the baby boomers
- Why Opaczewski believes there are some senior housing rules worth breaking
- How Revel is trying to break the senior housing mold with tech-forward operations, “staycation suites,” and a seasonal rental program.
This episode of Transform is sponsored by Medication Management Partners. The Crestwood, Illinois-based company provides medication management and is a dedicated pharmacy partner for assisted living, memory care, and behavioral health communities across the country. Over the past few months, MMP has helped its senior living partners hold vaccination clinics --- and Director of Partner Success Patrice Johnson was a lynchpin in that effort.
Listen to this episode of Transform to learn:
- Johnson's advice for holding a successful senior living vaccination clinic
- What comes next in the senior living vaccination efforts
- How MMP plans to handle vaccinations after the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program ends
Pacific Retirement Services (PRS) was in talks with eight different universities last year when the pandemic hit, putting forward progress on ice.
But the Medford, Oregon-based organization's new CEO, Eric Sholty, believes demand for these types of projects will come back when conditions in the senior living industry return to normal. In addition to its portfolio of 12 CCRCs, PRS is looking for smaller, single-site providers seeking to affiliate as a result of the pandemic’s pressures. And the organization also plans to grow its portfolio of 25 community housing properties that serve low-income adults.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
- How PRS is building census at its new Mirabella at ASU community on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe
- Why university-backed senior living projects could make a comeback after the pandemic
- When Sholty believes a wider senior housing recovery will take hold
- What the organization is focused on in terms of growth in 2021
Revera is one of the biggest names in North American senior housing, serving 20,000 older adults in long term care homes and retirement residences in Canada, and as the majority shareholder in Sunrise Senior Living.
Like senior living providers of all sizes, Revera was affected by the Covid-19 in myriad ways. In an effort to understand what happened in the pandemic’s first months, and to be better prepared for what is in store during the rest of this crisis, the company worked with a panel of medical experts to create a 90-page report.
In this episode of Transform, hear from Revera CEO Tom Wellner about:
— Key takeaways from Revera’s pandemic report — His take on the multi-brand strategy in senior living — An update on the search for a new Sunrise CEO
John Atkinson, Executive Vice President and Managing Director for Willis Towers Watson by Senior Housing News
Cadence Living entered 2020 thinking it would pursue some interesting acquisition opportunities. That was before the pandemic.
But Cadence managed to grow last year in other ways, such as by inking new third-party management agreements, according to Principal Rob Leinbach. Today, the Scottsdale, Arizona-based company has 26 communities in its portfolio and six more coming down the pike. Cadence is also piloting an innovative infection control technology that could act as an alarm system for Covid-19 outbreaks or other diseases.
In this episode of Transform, learn:
- What Cadence Living is preparing for in 2021 and beyond
- Whether the pandemic will make offering wellness harder in the future
- How Cadence Living plans to use its new outflow testing technology to detect Covid-19
When Chris Guay founded Vitality Living, he was frustrated at the industry’s slowness to innovate. Now, he believes that more operators have started “think differently” — and he anticipates that the next 10 years will bring significant, positive change.
Vitality itself is changing, by opening its first active adult project. The company is also taking stock of lessons learned during the pandemic to refine its operating model.
Listen to this episode of Transform to learn: — Why Vitality is bullish on active adult and its plans in the space — How the company leverages digital communication platforms — Why smaller markets are appealing for new development
Like other senior living providers, Generations LLC has faced lower occupancy rates and higher expenses due to Covid-19.
But Executive Chairman Chip Gabriel is optimistic about what is in store for the Clackamas, Oregon-based provider. In particular, he is bullish on its slate of intergenerational and middle-market projects. And he believes that future operating models shouldn't focus solely on Covid-19, but instead address the unique needs and desires of the incoming baby boomer generation.
In this episode of Transform, learn about:
- Why Generations is bullish on intergenerational and middle-market senior living
- How the company is preparing for a return to growth, and when that might occur
- The mental fatigue of Covid-19, and how Generations is combating it
Randy Bury, president and CEO of the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, is looking forward to 2021 for one simple reason: It has to be better than 2020.
More specifically, Bury is optimistic about the prospects for a Covid-19 vaccine, and is focused on restoring consumer trust and confidence. But in this episode of Transform, Bury is also frank about the challenges facing Good Sam and the industry as a whole.
Listen to learn: -- Why occupancy might recover more slowly than some people think and hope -- How Good Sam went from a "double-A baseball club" to the "major leagues" through its affiliation with Sanford Health -- How the nonprofit is planning for the Covid-19 vaccine
In the post-pandemic age, prospective residents and their families will crave more information than perhaps ever before.
In turn, providers should prepare to be more transparent about infection rates, safety protocols, vaccination rates, and other quality indicators, according to Marvell Adams Jr., COO of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania-based The Kendal Corporation. Adams has been working to safeguard residents and associates, while also striving to build a more transparent and more diverse organization.
In this episode of Transform, learn about:
- What increased transparency for the senior living industry might look like
- Kendal's plans to build a more diverse management team
- How Kendal is preparing for the one-two punch of flu season and a spike in Covid-19 infections
Covid-19 has made risk management more critical for senior living operators — but, challenges that existed prior to the pandemic have not gone away.
Arbitration agreements, fall reduction and response, communication and documentation practices, and early claim resolution are among the “Risk Management 101” topics that Tara Clayton, senior claim consultant at Willis Towers Watson, addresses in this episode of Transform.
In this episode, learn about: — Tips for utilizing arbitration agreements — Best communication practices and how providers slip up — Covid-19 risks and efforts to shield providers
Ascension Living knows the value of health care services in senior living.
The organization, the senior care subsidiary of St. Louis-based health system Ascension, has leaned on its parent organization for help sourcing crucial resources and broadening telehealth access for its residents during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ascension Living is also evaluating its communities for new opportunities to best serve older adults in the pandemic age, and looking to innovate with new care models, according to Ascension Living President Danny Stricker.
In this episode of Transform, learn about:
- How health system integration helps mitigate the pandemic's challenges
- Why telehealth will play a larger role in senior living in the future
- Stricker's thinking on middle-market and rehab-to-home models
Mitigating the impact of Covid-19 is no easy feat, and the senior living industry has been forced to adjust and innovate a rapid pace in 2020.
But for Pegasus Senior Living co-founder Chris Hollister, there’s no substitute for executing on the basics. Hollister believes that common sense and consistency can go a long way in keeping residents healthy and safe amid the pandemic. And, it helps to maintain the crucial flow of move-ins.
He also is drawing from his own family's experience to think about the value proposition that senior living holds for consumers, and the best ways to reach and serve future residents.
In this episode of Transform, learn about:
- How having an experienced clinical head helped Pegasus navigate through the early days of the pandemic
- Covid-19's effect on senior living turnarounds, and what Pegasus sees ahead
- How the pandemic is changing consumer preferences, and the promise of new housing and care models
Regularly testing senior living residents and staff for Covid-19 is not cheap. And yet, it is among the industry's best tools for limiting the disease's spread.
Just ask Lynne Katzmann, Founder and CEO of Bloomfield, New Jersey-based Juniper Communities. She believes that senior living providers must test their residents and associates early and often in order to develop an effective battle plan --- and doing so has been a key component to Juniper's successful infection prevention and control strategy.
In this episode of Transform, learn about: - Juniper's $100,000 per week strategy to test its residents and staff - How Juniper "bubbled up" its communities and what it learned doing so - Why more financial support is needed for private-pay senior living providers
Vi President Randy Richardson is an optimist, but he finds it hard to maintain a bright outlook in the midst of Covid-19 -- in fact, he fears that the worst is yet to come for senior living.
But Richardson is still bullish on the industry's long-term prospects. Vi was able to adapt its operations, sales and marketing in order to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 to its 10 high-end CCRCs. All told, the company's occupancy has only dropped about 1%.
In this episode of Transform, learn about:
- Why Richardson thinks worse days may come in the Covid-19 fight
- How the pandemic has impacted Vi's bottom line
- If Vi still plans to return to rental senior living
- Why Richardson is still bullish about Vi and the industry
Covid-19 could act as an accelerant for senior living trends that were already underway. For example, these challenging times could prompt more non-profit providers to find new and creative ways to affiliate or partner, or to increase annual technology budgets.
Ingleside, a Rockville, Maryland-based senior living nonprofit, is currently exploring ways to do both. The organization invests 3% of its annual budget on technology, but has made it a goal to increase that investment to as much as 10%, according to President and CEO Lynn O'Connor. And, it's working with several other innovative nonprofits on new ways to collaborate.
In this episode of Transform, learn about:
-- How Covid-19 could drive consolidation among nonprofit providers -- Ingleside's vision for technology investment -- How the pandemic has affected the nonprofit's thinking about the care continuum
Scott Stewart, Founder and Managing Partner of Capitol Seniors Housing by Senior Housing News
Avanti COO Lori Alford strove to be an unflappable leader when Covid-19 first struck. But her approach changed as the pandemic taught her valuable leadership lessons.
By embracing transparency and authenticity Alford was able to bolster the culture during a tough time for the provider, based in The Woodlands, Texas. Avanti is now seeing its lowest levels of overtime and call-offs in the company's history.
In this episode of Transform, learn about:
- How Covid-19 tested Avanti's operational model and culture
- Alford's efforts to keep morale high during the Covid-19 pandemic with authenticity and transparency
- Why Alford believes the senior living industry must use its collective voice to receive more recognition
- Avanti's efforts to keep Covid-19 out of its communities, and why that can be a frustrating effort at times
Senior living providers across the country have seen their expenses rise and their occupancy rates drop as the Covid-19 pandemic drags on.
Sunshine Retirement Living, a Bend, Oregon-based provider with 32 communities spread throughout 16 states, is no exception. Though Sunshine has taken a hit to its bottom line amid the pandemic, it has not experienced a major outbreak in its communities. Still, the lockdown is not sustainable in the long-term, and the industry must find a way to return to some semblance of normalcy, according to Sunshine Retirement Living's president and CEO, Luis Serrano.
In this episode of Transform, learn about:
- Sunshine Retirement Living's origins in working with Holiday Retirement
- Why Sunshine focuses on the middle-market, and how Serrano thinks the pandemic could affect demand for that sector
- Sunshine's approach to testing residents and staff for Covid-19
- Why countries like South Korea and Sweden might offer a blueprint for reopening the industry
The Covid-19 pandemic is something every senior living provider must tackle head-on --- but doing so comes at a significant cost.
The Springs Living, a McMinnville, Oregon-based provider with 17 communities throughout Oregon and Montana, expects to spend more than $500,000 amid the Covid-19 pandemic. But that money is well worth it if the company is able to stop the deadly disease from spreading, according to The Springs Founder and CEO Fee Stubblefield.
In this episode of Transform, learn about:
- Successful campaigns The Springs launched to stop the spread of Covid-19
- How the provider is mitigating the financial hit
- What The Springs has learned testing more than 260 of its residents and workers for Covid-19
- The opportunity awaiting senior living providers in the post-pandemic landscape
The senior living industry needs more resources in its fight against Covid-19 --- and is having to fight hard for that help.
Ohio Living CEO Larry Gumina learned that lesson firsthand as he struggled to procure personal protective equipment (PPE) for his organization earlier this month. While Ohio Living did eventually procure much-needed PPE, Gumina was "infuriated" by the situation, and how easy it was for a large senior living provider to slip through the cracks.
In this episode of Transform, learn about:
- Ohio Living's search for much-needed PPE, and how Gumina channeled anger into action
- A new effort from Ohio Living and National Church Residences to test thousands of older adults for Covid-19
- An update on the Perennial Consortium Medicare Advantage initiative
- What keeps Gumina up at night as the pandemic drags on
Like senior living providers across the country, Seasons Living is facing a changed world and difficult situations due to Covid-19.
In this episode of Transform, Seasons President and COO Dan Williams speaks frankly about the fear, trauma and grief that Covid-19 inflicts. He shares his reactions to the news that, for the first time, one of company’s workers had been infected. In the midst of this dark, difficult time, he’s taking heart in how the industry is pulling together.
In this episode, hear: -- Reflections on the toll that Covid-19 takes on senior living workforces -- How Seasons has changed its operations due to the pandemic -- How Seasons is collaborating with other providers to acquire PPE and determine best practices
Senior Care’s next phase of response to the Covid-19 pandemic will be harder and will tax the industry’s resources in unimaginable ways, Dr. Bill Thomas believes.
And when the outbreak is finally contained, it will fundamentally change senior housing, how it is integrated into the health care continuum and accelerate ongoing trends.
In This episode of Transform, Thomas discusses: -- How Covid-19 will spur new middle-market development -- How the pandemic exposed the workforce pressures facing the industry -- What will happen with current development trends
The accelerating trend of bringing primary care into senior living communities might gain even more momentum as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
One innovative example of combining primary care and senior living comes from Illinois, where Oak Street Health recently brought its care model into four assisted living communities managed by Pathway to Living. Since being founded in 2012, Oak Street has expanded to nearly 60 locations across eight states — and now is making its first foray into senior living thanks to a partnership with industry veteran Brian Cloch.
In this episode of Transform, learn: — How Oak Street and Pathway are working together to face Covid-19 — What makes the partnership work and the early benefits being seen — Why new payment and health care delivery models are driving these types of collaborations
As the wave of baby boomer demand nears, senior living providers must be "all things to a lot of people," SRG Senior Living CEO Michael Grust believes.
Achieving this requires innovation and entrepreneurship at a time when operators face a “mosh pit” of challenges, but despite ongoing margin compression, Grust is bullish on the future of the industry.
In this episode of Transform, Grust discusses: -- How senior living providers are still "inventing a business" decades after the industry began -- The impact of new capital chasing senior living and the pitfall of "add water and stir" management companies -- Why current market conditions are both very challenging and invigorating
Relying on demographics to drive senior living occupancy in the years ahead is a recipe for failure, according to Robb Chapin, CEO of Seniors Housing and Medical Properties at Bridge Investment Group.
Consumers have an increasing number of options for where they live as they age, meaning senior living operators must be innovating to create a more desirable product, Chapin says on this episode of Transform.
Under his leadership, Bridge has been growing in new directions. Last year, the investment firm got into operations through its acquisition of Somerby Senior Living, which has been rebranded as Bridge Senior Living. Overall, Bridge’s senior housing fund deployed about $300 million of equity into the space in 2019, equating to about $1 billion worth of transactions.
In this episode, learn: — How Bridge is building occupancy through its “heels down the hallway” approach to management — How the firm is approaching transactions in an increasingly competitive marketplace — Why Chapin is focused on innovations related to the socialization aspect of senior living
For-profits and not-for-profits can and should work together to tackle some of senior housing's biggest challenges.
There is no perhaps no organization that exemplifies that concept better than Englewood, Colorado-based Christian Living Communities (CLC) and its for-profit management arm, Cappella Living Solutions. Both organizations are growing and finding new ways to stay one step ahead of potential disruptors, CEO Terry Rogers told us in this episode of the Senior Housing News podcast, Transform, sponsored by PointClickCare.
This year, CLC made headway on several innovative initiatives, including its participation in Medicare Advantage group The Perennial Consortium and in its efforts to create a development of small homes in partnership with Bill Thomas’ Minka.
In this episode, learn about: - CLC's plans to optimize and grow its owned and managed senior living portfolios - How nonprofits can compete with and partner with for-profit providers - Plans to build a small-home community with Minka - Progress on the Perennial Consortium
A senior living pioneer, Brandywine Co-Founder and CEO Brenda Bacon is now pushing the industry toward its next chapter.
Old capital structures and operating models must change to accommodate a new generation of consumers and a market in “full-risk territory,” Bacon believes. Through Brandywine’s own experiences, she has grown skeptical of triple-net leases, and she's embracing the “sea change” as senior living adapts to the rising demographic of aging boomers.
In this episode of Transform, Bacon discusses: — Why there might be a lot of money in senior living before boomer demand hits — How current challenges are compelling providers to embrace different capital structures — What she anticipates future residents will want and need, and how Brandywine is innovating
When he was just a child, Ken Jaeger made a vow that one day he would start a business that would make the world a better place.
That sense of mission not only spurred him to found MorningStar Senior Living, it has also proven to be good for business. In 2019, the company partnered with major real estate developer Hines on a pipeline of projects, and it was the shared values between MorningStar and Hines that cemented the relationship, Jaeger believes.
Today, Denver-based MorningStar operates nearly 30 communities and is working with Houston-based Hines to potentially add another 10-15 communities in Texas, the Rocky Mountain region, and as far west as California.
In this episode of Transform, MorningStar founder and CEO Jaeger discusses:
— How the partnership with Hines came about — Why he advises building smaller than market studies propose — How he’s collaborating with other senior living providers to share best practices and generate new ideas — MorningStar’s charitable work and his call to other leaders to think bigger about how they can use their influence to do good
2019 was a big year for Invesque. The Carmel, Indiana-based firm made a splash when it acquired operator Commonwealth Senior Living and 20 of its properties for $340 million. Today, Invesque’s portfolio numbers more than 120 buildings with a gross value of about $2 billion.
In this episode of Transform, hear from Scott White, Invesque’s chairman and CEO. Learn:
- How the Commonwealth deal came together, and why Invesque wanted to own an operating company
- Why White thinks the industry’s workforce crisis is going to get worse before it gets better
- How industry leaders sometimes focus too much on short-term problems rather than taking a long-term perspective
On Nov. 21, Buckner Retirement Services held the official grand opening for Ventana, a $240 million, high-rise continuing care retirement community in Dallas. Even as Buckner is launching this new addition to its portfolio, the organization closing on the sale of its historic East Dallas campus, originally opened in 1954.
In this episode of Transform, hear from Charlie Wilson, a senior Vice President with Buckner International, who leads the nonprofit’s retirement services business. Learn: — How Ventana is partnering with a high-profile chef, a large health system, and a wellness pioneer — Why Buckner sold its East Dallas property with an eye toward the future — Why nonprofits need to find ways to “compartmentalize their risk” and explore more diverse financing options to gain scale and innovate
New Perspective Senior Living has its work cut out to accomplish ambitious goals, and it has a new CEO leading the way.
The Minnetonka, Minnesota-based senior living provider has set a goal of serving 10,000 older adults by 2025, and accordingly ramped up its pipeline in recent months. New Perspective also named Ryan Novaczyk as its new CEO earlier this year.
Novaczyk talked about his current plans for the company in the Senior Housing News podcast, Transform.
In this episode, learn about:
- How New Perspective plans to serve 10,000 older adults by 2025
- Why growth is at the forefront of Novaczyk's business strategy
- The company's beginnings in the basement of the Novaczyk family home
- What New Perspective plans to do in the face of strong supply and labor headwinds
It's either an exciting or a scary time to be in the senior living industry, depending on who you ask. For Aegis Living Founder and CEO Dwayne Clark, it's the former.
The senior living provider is opening unique communities with themed designs, and all the while building a corporate team that includes former leaders from companies such as Starbucks and Nordstrom, Clark said in this episode of the Senior Housing News podcast, Transform.
In this episode, learn about:
- Why Aegis Living wants to stop using the term "assisted living"
- How Clark sees the provider as a "patchwork quilt" of different industries
- Why Aegis doesn't hire any of its general managers from other senior living competitors
- What Clark learned traveling the globe looking for the keys to longevity and healthy aging
Senior living operators must change with the times — but for Integral Senior Living, this year has been more about execution than new initiatives.
In fact, it’s been an “initiative-free year” for the company, CEO Collette Gray explains in this episode of the Senior Housing News podcast, Transform.
Following busy years that saw a lot of changes, it was time to hit pause and focus on execution, Gray said. Still, ISL is not treading water. Rather, it’s taking a breath to prepare for the big push to meet a new consumer demographic, respond to major workforce challenges, and seize new opportunities to expand the already sizable portfolio of about 75 communities in 18 states.
In this episode, learn:
- How ISL approaches the “transactional” marketplace for third-party operators, to manage both new developments and turnarounds
- Why ISL created a new corporate role to address workforce challenges — a move that Gray would not have anticipated four years ago
- How Gray’ is working to bring more women into the leadership ranks of senior living
Addressing the growing demand for middle-market senior housing is one of 2019’s top issues in senior living, but HumanGood CEO John Cochrane says that the industry first needs to realize there is no simple solution, as middle-market senior housing encompasses varying product types and price points.
Cochrane, who is in his 11th year as head of the Pleasanton, California-based provider, shared his insight during a recent interview for the Senior Housing News podcast Transform. Transform focuses on the people and ideas shaping the future of senior living.
In this episode, Cochrane shares his thoughts on:
- HumanGood’s recent affiliation with Presby’s Inspired Living and his plans to build a national portfolio
- How he sees the senior living consumer changing over the next decade
- How nonprofit senior living providers are competing against their for-profit counterparts
- How HumanGood approaches the build vs. buy equation
- How HumanGood is evaluating its portfolio to meet the demand for affordable senior housing while maximizing value
Senior living is changing at a rapid rate, and CEO Doug Leidig has been focused on keeping Asbury Communities ahead of the pack.
Leidig is now in his fifth year at the helm of the Frederick, Maryland-based provider, which has a portfolio of seven CCRCs as well as an affiliated technology services company and other lines of business.
In this episode, Leidig shares how the nonprofit's culture has changed to support ongoing growth and innovation — without huge spikes in anxiety among its workforce. Learn more about:
-- How "co-opetition" has replaced competition in senior living -- Plans for Asbury's new CCRC management technology platform -- How Asbury is repositioning for tomorrow's consumer
New York City is undergoing a senior living renaissance, with high-profile projects coming together all across the area. One such project is Maplewood Senior Living's $300 million Inspir community, on Manhattan's Upper East Side. When it opens, Inspir promises to bring with it a bevy of cutting-edge tech features designed for residents' safety and quality of life.
In this episode, you’ll hear from Brian Geyser, chief clinical officer for the Inspir brand and Maplewood’s vice president of clinical innovation and population health. Learn more about:
- How Maplewood sees technology fitting into its senior living operations
- How residents of Inspir can use Amazon Alexa and other new technology
- Virtual reality tech and its uses in senior living
- What up-and-coming tech trends might change the face of senior living in the future
The massive opportunity to serve the middle market has been one of the hottest senior living topics in 2019, thanks to new findings from NIC and university researchers.
There is a tremendous business opportunity for providers that find a winning middle-market formula, NIC Founder and Strategic Advisor Bob Kramer explains in this episode of Transform. But, if a sustainable formula is not found, there could be a crisis for public health and government insurance programs.
In this episode, learn more about: - The magnitude of the middle-market challenge and opportunity - Concepts for making senior living more affordable - The role major providers of managed care could play in driving down senior living costs in the future - How public and private sector coordination is crucial to serving tomorrow’s seniors
The continuing care retirement community model is changing to account for boomers’ wants and needs, and to make CCRCs more important players in the U.S. health care system.
To hear more about where CCRCs are headed, listen to the latest episode of Transform, a podcast about the people and ideas shaping the future of senior living, sponsored by PointClickCare.
In this episode, you’ll hear from Kendal Corp. President and CEO Sean Kelly, and Summit Vista CEO and Executive Director Mark Erickson. Learn more about:
— How and why Summit Vista partnered with health care system Intermountain — Kendal’s involvement in a $300 million CCRC being developed around Zen principles — The role that skilled nursing will play in the CCRC of the future — Whether partnerships and technology can lead to more affordable offerings
Two new senior living operators are creating multi-brand portfolios — a common practice in the hotel industry that is gaining traction in senior living.
To hear more about Phoenix Senior Living and Solera Senior Living, including how they are using multi-brand strategies as they expand, listen to the latest episode of Transform, a podcast about the people and ideas shaping the future of senior living, sponsored by PointClickCare.
In this episode, you’ll hear from Phoenix Founder and CEO Jesse Marinko, and Solera Founder and CEO Adam Kaplan. Learn more about: - Why they decided to start operating companies after serving in the leadership of large senior living providers - How they’re taking two different approaches to creating multi-brand portfolios - The smaller-scale product that Phoenix is bringing to its more rural markets - Interesting partnerships in the works for Solera
Affordability is a hot button topic in senior living.
The ongoing focus on developing market rate housing development is leading to a supply-demand imbalance for seniors seeking middle market and low income housing, and housing inventory.
But there are a growing number of developers looking to meet the need for middle market and low income senior housing across the country, allowing seniors with tight budgets to age in place and with dignity.
To learn more about the developers addressing the need for middle market and low income senior housing, listen to the latest episode of Transform, a podcast about the people and ideas shaping the future of senior living, sponsored by PointClickCare.
In this episode, you’ll hear from Sustainable Housing for Ageless Generations (SHAG) Executive Director Jay Woolford and Prime Senior Housing Group President of Development Debra Maynard. Learn more about: - What are the target markets for middle market and low income senior housing - The current state of affordability in senior living - Leveraging partnerships with local organizations to help seniors age in place - What they consider “middle market” and “affordable” - How operations are the linchpin to successful middle market and affordable communities
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Smart home technology is becoming a must-have in senior living.
Thanks to the pairing of individual smart home devices with home systems such as Amazon Echo and Google Home, senior living residents can turn up the thermostat, dim the lights, find out what’s for dinner and get reminders about what programs they’re signed up for, all with the sound of their voice.
To learn more about the rise of smart home technology, listen to the latest episode of Transform, a podcast about the people and ideas shaping the future of senior living, sponsored by PointClickCare.
In this episode, you’ll hear from Kisco Senior Living CEO Andy Kohlberg and Vincentian Collaborative System CEO Nick Vizzoca. Learn more about:
- How smart home technology is quickly becoming a resident expectation, not an afterthought
- How these systems can improve resident satisfaction, reduce staff burdens and drive savings on energy costs
- Tips for implementing smart home technology across various levels of care, and which features are most popular with today’s residents
- One operator’s cost of smart tech on a new $19 million project, and why implementing this tech on new construction provides vast cost savings over retrofitting
- What the future holds, such as predictive analytics to flag at-risk residents based on how they interact with in-unit technology
Senior living providers are increasingly seeking to differentiate themselves from the competition with exceptional culinary offerings. From fresher ingredients to more sophisticated dishes, to more varied dining venues and experiences, senior living is constantly raising the bar — even in the face of staffing challenges, occupancy pressures, and the need to carefully manage the bottom line.
In this episode, you'll hear from Marjan Kodric, vice president dining services at Brookdale Senior Living, and Carrie Chiusano, executive director of the Dementia Care Center of Excellence, Presbyterian SeniorCare Network. Learn about:
- How Brookdale tries to balance culinary efficiency with creativity and customization across its large portfolio
- Meeting rising demand for local and organic ingredients
- How Brookdale executives reacted to a taste-test of pureed memory care dishes — How Presbyterian SeniorCare Network engages memory care residents in everything from holiday meal planning to food preparation
- ...And much more!
Senior living providers and developers are more focused than ever on creating buildings and operational models that bring people of all ages together.
To take a deep dive into this trend, tune in to the latest episode of Transform, a podcast about the people and ideas shaping the future of senior living, sponsored by PointClickCare.
In this episode, you’ll hear from Patricia Will, CEO of Belmont Village, and Bob Turner, a development management consultant for Otterbein SeniorLife. Hear what’s driving intergenerational senior living and the approaches being taken by these two providers. Learn:
— How Belmont Village has forged university partnerships to create intergenerational communities — Why co-located senior living and student housing might be the future — What “New Urbanism” is and how it could benefit seniors — How the intergenerational movement will lead to more collaboration between senior living and all-ages developers