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April 2017 — Health Care Properties Quarterly — Page 23
Senior Housing & Care
E ach new generation of seniors
comes to the senior living
market with a very different
and evolving set of desires and
are now see-
ing the second half of the silent gen-
eration as the dominant market cus-
tomer for the service-enriched (inde-
pendent living, assisted-living) market.
This is a consumer whose ideals for
retirement are more closely related to
the baby boomers. Maintaining their
connections to the at-large commu-
nity, a focus on health and wellness,
less age segregation, diversified edu-
cational opportunities, and more and
newer technologies are all on the wish
list. So, what are some of the strategies
for senior housing that we should be
considering as designers and providers
of these environments?
Maintaining Community Membership
Industry surveys show that each
newer generation of older Americans
have less desire to be segregated and
more desire to maintain connections
and involvement in the community at
large. I have observed that some of the
best performing projects, and those
that are able to attract a wider age
group, are those that are located in the
mainstream of the community, wheth-
er it’s suburban or urban. For example,
we recently completed a project in
LoneTree that was strategically located
in the heart of a suburban town cen-
ter.The site location affords residents
immediate access to a variety of retail
and restaurants, a performing arts
center, a library, hospital and a host of
other community
amenities.This proj-
ect is experiencing
an extremely high
presale and lease-
up performance
from a more diver-
sified age group.
This is principally
attributed to the
fact that residents
have numerous and
ready options for
community partici-
pation and all-age
interaction.
Consistent with the new desires for
community connectedness, nondwell-
ing amenity spaces within the build-
ing should be designed to be versatile
and flexible enough to accommodate
a variety of functions that could
include the community at
should be thinking about establish-
ing the senior living environment as a
community destination.While host-
ing community activities is a change
in the way we traditionally operate
senior housing, providing these flex-
ible spaces will allow operators to
adapt to changing demands and pref-
erences of newer and coming genera-
tions.
Fitness, Health and the Outdoors
Architecture is a powerful tool in set-
ting expectations. Large, well-appoint-
ed fitness centers are associated with
health, fitness and vitality. Surveys
show that prospective residents rank
fitness centers among their top priori-
ties when considering a senior living
community. Placing these functions in
prominent locations within the devel-
opment, and creating an all-age non-
senior image, along with the inclusion
of holistic health and spa services,
is an important strategy that aligns
with evolving lifestyle preferences in
America.
Evidence-based design studies
prove that daylight and access to the
outdoors offers significant benefits to
overall health and well-being. Also,
we have evolved to a more outdoor
lifestyle in America. This all points to
the fact that responsive design should
include consideration for improved
outdoor spaces and opportunities
in our built environments. Outdoor
exercise areas, covered activity decks,
outdoor lounges and dining areas, fire
pits and extensive walking paths are
all successful design practices that
are proven to be responsive to today’s
newer generation of residents.
Less Age Segregation
As we provide for the current mar-
ket, and prepare for the coming baby
boomer generation, we should be
considering the “apartment for life”
concept that allows residents to age in
place. These could be in intergenera-
tional developments or age-restricted
buildings that are strategically situated
in community mainstream locations.
A variety of a-la-carte health and con-
venience services are delivered to the
residents in their home.While all this
directly relates to new generation pref-
erences, it also closely aligns with new
and coming health care policy, which
promises to continue to direct funding
toward outpatient health services.
Another consideration that supports
this concept for the next generation is
that lack of financial resources among
the boomers. Residing in market-rate
apartments, or staying at home and
accessing health care and concierge
services from the community, is often
a less expensive alternative.
Technology
The new senior is tech savvy and
demands competent and current tech-
nologies to be made available to them.
Access to the digital marketplace,
social media, educational opportuni-
ties and concierge services are on the
technology wish list. Much like the
goal to be responsive in the program-
ming and design of our buildings, we
must be positioned for digital respon-
siveness.
Conclusion
As architects, we learn early on that
the best buildings are those that are
most responsive to the needs, desires
and expectations of its occupants
and users. This is especially true in
designing for seniors. Understanding
the wish lists for new and coming
generations of seniors, and providing
fresh and innovative design responses,
should be our goals. It is the dynamic
of consumerism we must focus on,
and it’s not a static exercise, it requires
understanding, innovation and ambi-
tion for us to continue to provide suc-
cessful and thriving environments.s
While the Colorado Real Estate Journal continues to run a healthcare and senior care
news section in each issue of the newspaper, Health Care Properties Quarterly
features the most interesting projects and people, trends and analysis, and covers
development, investment, leasing, finance, design, construction and management. The
publication is mailed with the Colorado Real Estate Journal newspaper, a 4,000-plus
distribution that includes developers, investors, brokers, lenders, contractors, architects
and property managers.
es toournorthDenver com- m-
Smith,presidentofSt. JosephHospi-
tal,whichwasbuilton the siteof itsnneighbor-
Photo courtesyCooperthwaite Photography and Productions
s anumber ofhospitality-like amenities in its design.
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