During the 2023 Environments for Aging Conference + Expo, April 15-18 in Charlotte, N.C., Environments For Aging’s Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Kovacs Silvis led a discussion with senior living leaders on where the industry stands today, where it’s heading next, and how the architecture community can help shape the industry’s path.
The panelists included Tammy Sealer, Chief Administrative Officer, Immanuel; Justin Schiff, Director, Project Development, Shell Point Retirement Community; and Steve Lindsey, CEO, Garden Spot Communities.
Staffing concerns
Kicking off the discussion, the panelist dove into one of the industry’s biggest hot topics: staffing. Shell Point Retirement Community’s Schiff said that there’s a big focus on employee retention at his organization, which has more than 1,000 employees. “We’re seeing a tight labor market in all areas,” he says.
Sealer added that while the topic is always top of mind, “The past few years, it’s been at a whole new level.” Specifically, she noted that the industry had been making strides in the area when the Covid pandemic hit, which resulted in a lot of turnover and people leaving the industry. Furthermore, she’s noticed a shift in what employees are looking for in a career and caring more about a company’s corporate culture than ever before.
In response, she said her organization has not only raised its pay above minimum wage for positions such as healthcare, dining, housekeeping, and transportation to be more competitive with other sectors, but also moved toward a more family-like culture. The organization is also focused on improving staff areas, including break rooms and outside areas, to support staff respite.
Looking for design solutions to support retention efforts, the panelists emphasized a need for designs that better support staff in their work. Traditionally, senior living communities have been designed to appeal to prospective residents and families, Lindsey noted. “We need to design to market to future staff,” he said.
The speakers also expressed desire for designs that allow staff to have more contact with residents, such as gardens where residents can come outside to help gather herbs for cooking or fresh flowers to make centerpieces.
“It can be an accumulation of the small things,” Sealer said.
Meaningful outdoor spaces
Next, the discussion turned to meaningful outdoor space, including both quiet and active spaces, which are “critical for residents,” Lindsey said.
However, it’s not just a matter of providing beautiful and pleasing areas outside but also creating opportunities for all residents to socialize and use them.
For example, Schiff says Shell Point Retirement’s locale in Florida enables its communities to provide outdoor dining and weekly food truck events. “All these things get people outdoors, which is good for their well-being,” he said.
As such, the speakers stressed the importance of early planning and thinking about appropriate adjacencies to outdoor amenities, including access to other buildings and the location of nearby bathrooms.
One pain point in particular, Sealer says, is providing outdoor settings where residents with pets can safely take their furry ones outside during any weather condition. Solving issues like this, she noted, “allows residents to keep the things they want to keep [after they move in].”
Building resiliency
The third topic panelists discussed was resiliency and the importance for planning for events and what-if scenarios related to climate change as well as future pandemics.
Sharing a range of experiences, from having to move residents during a hurricane in Florida to addressing the impacts of wild fires in the Pacific Northwest, they said senior living projects should be focused on current as well as future needs.
For example, Sealer said her organization had two projects under construction in spring 2020. Building on lessons from the pandemic around infection control and air quality, the projects were modified to include more entrances and larger HVAC systems. Lindsey noted that Garden Spot recently installed combined heat and power plant to serve as an independent power source, reducing its reliance on the existing electrical grid.
Design for flexibility
Last but not least, the panelists discussed doing more with less. In terms of the built environment, Sealer said there’s a need to design spaces to accommodate different activities throughout the day.
“It’s making sure some spaces don’t stay vacant 90 percent of the time,” she said.
Schiff said his organization is making underutilized spaces more productive, such as a banquet space into a wellness center, as well as adding new programs for residents. One idea: a driver-on-demand service to address less parking capacity at communities.
Lindsey noted that operators need to be careful about adding that “shiny object” and instead create for longevity. For building design, he said that means designing with an idea or the ability to transform an area into a new use after the current one is done.
In wrapping up, speakers noted the importance of staying open to new ideas and activities, including hosting listening sessions with residents and staff to gather input. “It gives us hints on the things we should lean into,” Sealer said.—Anne DiNardo, executive editor
