One of our clients in the Senior Living industry recently shared the following with us:  "I woke up one day and realized that I was tired of trying to sell something nobody wanted.  So I re-focused my energies on a product that would succeed.”

We know that our clients are experiencing changes in the Senior Living market, some due to the economy, and some due to the changing demographics of the elder population.  As Market Partners, we want to be sure that we are providing our clients with the right services to help them adapt effectively to the market changes.  To that end, we would like to pose the following questions…Join in on the discussion - let us know what you think and what you are seeing, by contacting us today.

Before the recession, did you see any significant changes in your clientele?

• Did your occupancy rates go up or down?
• Did you see a shift in demand for one type of housing or one type of care-service versus another?

>> Did you begin to see a different type of resident, with different needs and   expectations?

• Are there changes that need to be made to your physical plant to accommodate these market changes?
• Larger (or smaller) units
• Conversion of one unit-type to another
• More (or less) common area
• Change of use for common areas

Is the current economic situation affecting your facility or community?

• Do you see this as an opportunity to reposition your facility or community for the long-run?
• Are certain service packages or housing options being affected more than others?

>>If residents’ ability to pay is the driving factor, which services and amenities are the least essential?  Which would have the biggest impact on reducing cost, if dropped from the program?

• What changes can be made to your physical plant to improve the economics of your operation?
• Improved efficiency of HVAC systems (eg. maintenance and monitoring)
• Energy-saving program (eg. occupancy sensors for light fixtures)
• Water-saving program (eg. low-flow fixture controls)

Looking beyond the current economy, do you feel that your existing facility or community needs to change in order to remain competitive?

• Will your community be attractive to the “Baby Boomers”?  What do you think they want, and what changes will you have to make to accommodate them?
• What will your time-table be for beginning to make these changes?
• Do you think that being a “green” community will matter enough to the “Boomers”, that they would be willing to pay a premium to achieve a higher level of sustainability?

>>If you are considering changes to your physical plant, are they cosmetic or systemic in nature?  Are you looking at new models for delivering housing and care services?

• “Green House” model
• Multi-generational “houses”
• Clusters instead of corridors
• Sustainable and sustaining environments

Does the strategic plan for your organization include future new development?

• Would you plan to replicate what you have already done successfully, or would you try to identify and fill a new niche in the Senior Living market?
• Do you plan to expand on your existing campus, or to look for new sites?
• Would you consider developing in an urban location, either a new building or an adaptive re-use of an existing building?
• Are there buildings on your existing campus which are obsolete?  Can they be “recycled” for other uses? 
• Do you know that Historic Tax Credits can be used to help finance the renovation of certain structures?
• Are you aware that some jurisdictions provide financial incentives to design “green” buildings, and that many jurisdictions now require a minimum level of sustainability for all new construction?

More about KANN Partners and Senior Living

Cass Gottlieb, KANN Partners principal and head of the Senior Living Studio, has published an excellent article on designing residences for aging-in-place. It sums up her philosophy, and ours, for maintaining each and every resident's dignity in a living environment. We invite you to download the PDF here. In short, maximizing quality of life for senior residents means maximizing their independence which, in turn, requires sensitivity to their diminished or diminishing physical and mental capabilities. Therefore, major design considerations in senior housing and senior care facilities must include types of finishes and furnishings, use of color and graphics, size and quality of signage, type and color of lighting, lighting levels and reduction of glare. Most importantly, the design of a senior living facility must provide residents with choice: choices for relaxation, choices for activities, choices for interacting with other residents and forming relationships.

In fact, when designing for senior living, every element of the built environment needs to be considered in a different light, from showers and tubs, to door hardware and floor surfaces; from indoor lighting to outdoor planting beds. We consider all of it. We encourage you to read Designing for Aging-In-Place.

KANN Partners Memberships

KANN Partners is proud to be a member of the following senior living organizations: HFAM, LifeSpan, and VANHA.