CREJ - Healthcare Properties - January 2022
As the aging population continues to grow, senior living communities must be designed for future consumers who are more active- -- adults seeking their next living adventure. Serving this demographic will require a shift in mindset among designers, builders, providers and developers – moving toward “lifestyle housing” rather than “care-type housing.” We may begin to look at this new environment as “independent living light.” Why are we seeing a shift in senior care housing? Simply put, lifestyle penchants of the boomer generation are changing. It currently is estimated that there are 945,000 people over 85 years old who fall into the middle-income demographic. By 2050, that number is expected to increase to 2.8 million. Studies show that this growing and aging baby boomer population of active seniors prefers a more dynamic and integrated setting located in a more vibrant area of their community. Not only does this new lifestyle housing concept provide residents with choices in a campus-type setting, it also provides access to nearby amenities such as retail, restaurants and other services. We are seeing designs that include proximity to shops, galleries, pharmacies, health care facilities and open spaces. Active adults are tech savvy and well-versed with a range of devices, using them frequently to support their lifestyle. Within these campuses, we’ll see the addition of theaters, fitness, wellness and aquatics centers, activities and venues for lifelong learning, as well as various dining options. As today’s senior residents are older and healthier, they are socializing more with their adult children, grandchildren and other community members in spaces such as pubs, restaurants or open spaces where they can enjoy each other’s company. Resident unit sizes will need to be balanced to account for in-home socialization as well as for larger amenity spaces to provide room for more activity and socialization. The campus-style design should fit well within the context of the surrounding community, incorporate universal design features and allow for accessibility throughout. Providers are moving into this new product type for multiple reasons – ranging from demographic shifts and insights from referrals to existing care communities to evolving business models. As we know, this emerging cohort of aging seniors is looking for a “best-in-class” support system for a healthy and functional lifestyle for years to come that allows them to socially engage in their surroundings. Designing and developing these new lifestyle communities will require new concepts and more thought to accommodate active aging. These communities should be interest-based, goal-oriented and allow for more interaction while satisfying the resident’s expectations, all while meeting the financial needs of the developer and operator. There are both opportunities and challenges for residents, developers and operators to consider as this new senior living concept emerges. To achieve higher densities and more assembly spaces, parking requirements, access to sites for services, zoning restrictions and building costs may increase. It also is important to plan for infrastructure that is flexible to change with new technologies and possibly new care settings. This includes providing adequate space for equipment, including power and environmental concerns. Benefits of this type of lifestyle housing include increased revenue from retail services to offset additional building or infrastructure costs for the developer. Other benefits include walkability of the site, promoting a healthy lifestyle by encouraging wellness and socialization for residents, partnerships with nearby service providers, and entertainment, sporting, events venues and other services that reduce the need for some of these resources within the campus. Developers and operators must be open to focusing on the desires of this generation of older adults with revenue-generating spaces that resonate with this demographic. Where possible, social spaces need to be programmed to generate income while catering to the needs of the residents. To achieve this, we are seeing higher density communities with building and operational budgets shifting in certain areas, such as adding retail components, to accommodate these changes. Design of these new active adult lifestyle communities will be guided by trends from across many design typologies - incorporating inspiration from the hospitality industry and borrowing design concepts created for health and wellness and multifamily/mixed-use, centered around bring resident centric with a sensitivity towards active ageing. As future consumers are looking for an authentic experience with connectivity, independence and choice, the design and operations of these communities will evolve to enrich the lives of the residents. This effort will include a variety of new offerings for enhanced socialization, health and wellness and other lifestyle programming considerations that promote the goals and objectives for longevity, independence and connectivity for healthy active seniors. gprager@hcm2.com