Under the theme “Be The Voice,” speakers, keynote presentations, and educational sessions at LeadingAge Annual Meeting and Expo, November 1-4 in Boston, drove home the idea that in order to transition the senior living market to meet the needs of today’s seniors and tomorrow’s Baby Boomers, we need to listen.
“The aging boomers have in fact aged,” said Kathryn Roberts, chair-elect of LeadingAge's board of directors. “Are we ready for their new way of thinking?”
Roberts says the industry is undergoing “a necessary transition” where communities need to better listen to current and prospective residents on their needs and desires and then evaluate their living environments and amenity offerings to decide where they need to adapt and change their business models. She says the transition has begun already in some areas, such as dementia- and age-friendly communities. “We’re starting to solve problems for aging seniors where they live,” she said.
Keynote speaker, Dr. Atul Gawande, a practicing surgeon and author of the book Being Mortal, recalled how when he last spoke at the conference, he was just starting to dig into what happens at the end of life. “I was in the middle of investigating why when we came to a natural event in people’s lives, I felt responsible for suffering.”
One of the issues he discovered in his research was that he and colleagues weren’t asking the right questions to patients facing terminal illness or decisions about palliative care. “People have priorities beyond living longer,” he said. “We need to ask them what matters to them most.”
Through hundreds of conversations with patients and residents in senior living communities, he found that the end goal of life wasn’t a good death—it was a good life all the way to the end. Communities can help deliver on these desires, he said, by providing environments that allow residents to have choice, a sense of purpose, and autonomy.
“Autonomy is the ability to be the author of your own story, even when you have diminished capacity,” he said.
Communities that asked such questions as “What are your goals?” “What’s your biggest fear about aging?” and “What are your priorities and goals for your health?” were the locations where he saw the happiest residents.
“The baby boomers are not going to retire the way the previous generations has,” he said. “They won’t put up with being institutionalized.”
Throughout the conference, several project teams presented case studies that further illustrated the importance of listening to guide renovation or new construction projects to meet seniors’ evolving expectations. Here’s a recap of some of those projects:
- Going greener: Kendal at Oberlin started incorporating sustainability initiatives in the mid-2000s in response to residents’ desire for an environmentally friendly campus—a value that aligns with its location in the college town of Oberlin, Ohio. Recently, the community embarked on an energy policy plan with the goal to reduce the community’s carbon footprint and promote the use of sustainable resources. Rey Carrion, director of facility services at Kendal at Oberlin, said the process involved evaluating four clusters of independent living (IL) units, with one building serving as the base with no changes; another undergoing insulation upgrades with caulking added to windows and doors; a third building installed an air-to-air heat pump unit; and the fourth added a ground-source geothermal heat pump. The process allowed the operator and residents to evaluate what programs worked best and offered the best ROI, ultimately guiding the development of green standards for its buildings. In 2013, Kendal kicked off a multi-phased renovation project, starting with 10 cottage units in 2013, 16 in 2014, and 16 units in 2015. The community expects to see an estimated $33,000 savings the first year and a reduction of 345,821 kWh of electricity per year. “You want to stay in tuned with the needs of the overall community,” he said.
- Modern color: At The Osborne, in Rye, N.Y., the owner was faced with declining occupancy rates and an interior living spaces where the “bells and whistles were missing” “In assisted living, you can get caught up in the need factor,” says Christa Daniello, vice president, sales at The Osborn, during the session, “Repositioning Outdated Interiors.” “But that’s not the case—you still need to ‘wow’ them.” To start, the project team began updating the IL and AL units, which average 300 square feet, with new kitchen interiors, remodeled bathrooms, gas fireplaces, and walk-in closets. The project also updated the corridors and public spaces with new decorative lighting, updated furniture and finishes, with pops of color added in certain spots to create points of interest, whether near the front desk or at the elevator lobby. “Don’t fear color,” said Gregory Scott, partner, RLPS Architects (Lancaster, Pa.). “It’s the least expensive thing to replace.” The efforts have paid off with 100 percent occupancy since completion of the project.
- Curb appeal on a budget: Rose Villa in Portland, Ore., had not made improvements to its 22-acre campus since opening in the 1960s. “It had no curb appeal,” said Vassar Byrd, CEO of Rose Villa Senior Living Community, during the session, “Affordable Redevelopment: A Balancing Act.” To move it forward, the owner sought to balance renovation and expansion while maintaining affordability for middle-income seniors. Among the changes were the replacement of row house-style IL units with pocket neighborhoods. Craig Kimmel, partner with RLPS Architects, says the project faced several challenges, including a lack of hierarchy of space and gathering areas. The new design took advantage of the hillside location to create pocket neighborhoods of seven houses that all open out onto a common garden space. The site orientation also provided opportunities to bring more daylight and open views into the resident homes. The project, scheduled for completion in June 2016, also focused on improving the amenities by adding a pool, wellness program, performing arts center, and different dining options, including grab-and-go, a formal restaurant, and a casual bistro. A new Main Street is also being created to serve as a town center and appeal to the residents’ desire for a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood that supports healthy living. Byrd said occupancy rates are up and there’s growing interest in the cottages as well as the new loft-style apartments that are being added above the storefronts on Main Street. “It’s like living in a small village,” she said.
