As senior dwelling operators look to serve a future technology of older adults, they’re in flip designing communities to go larger on themes equivalent to luxurious, wellness, and intergenerational connectivity.
Operators, designers and builders need to designs with open-kitchen ideas, high-end finishes and biophilic design to maintain their communities engaging and full sooner or later. However as they achieve this, they’re additionally balancing these designs with the necessity to maintain lease inexpensive for the newborn boomers. .
Few know that lesson higher than senior dwelling operators, together with Dan Lavender, CEO of Naples, Florida-based Moorings Park.
The group received the highest spot within the Greatest Unbiased Residing class within the 2023 SHN Structure and Design Awards because of a brand new enlargement that added a constructing generally known as the “Grande Lake Clubhouse,” serving each as a clubhouse and an impartial dwelling residence. Located on the heart of a 55-acre campus, this addition acts as a vibrant central hub, bringing residents collectively.
Child boomers have lived their complete lives with individuals catering to their tastes. And looking out forward, Lavender stated the trade should more and more serve members of the “Have It Your Means” technology.
“Luxurious is an enormous pattern, and we wanted to create significant experiences,” Lavender stated.
Attracting a brand new technology
In 2024, way of life actions and constructing ties inside native communities by means of intergenerational dwelling or public-facing retail or wellness choices stay drivers of senior dwelling designs meant for the incoming technology of child boomers.
Though facilities like pickleball and film theaters are nonetheless mainstays, communities now are being designed with a wider array of eclectic options – together with a bowling alley, within the case of Vivante Senior Residing’s Vivante Newport Heart group in Newport Seaside, California, which took the no. 2 spot within the Greatest Assisted Residing class.
“It’s an exercise that will get individuals out of the room,” stated Cynthia Shonaiya, principal of senior dwelling Hord Coplan Macht.
HKS Principal and Senior Designer Grant Warner additionally famous an increase in small “maker areas” at communities, the place residents can work on hobbies or different artistic pursuits.
“After we wish to create one thing that’s slightly bit extra thrilling and slightly bit extra versatile, we’re seeing a beautiful rise in curiosity in holistic wellness, together with mind well being,” Warner stated.
Moorings Park Grande Lake reimagined its clubhouse with doctor entry and different healthcare companies simply accessible for residents, with the second flooring of the clubhouse devoted to socialization and group occasions.
Moorings Park targeted on “two elements of luxurious”: creating nice consolation for residents and crafting “extravagance” into on a regular basis resident life by upgrading impartial dwelling residences with luxurious finishes, and taking “cues from nature” by maximizing lakefront views and emphasizing out of doors connectivity.
By elevating the resident expertise, he added Moorings Park was shifting away from the notion that senior dwelling is just for individuals who want well being care.
Moorings Park is constructing on what it discovered within the IL venture with a brand new assisted dwelling wing that can add1,600 square-feet of assisted dwelling with full kitchens with expertise to help residents within the occasion a range or oven must be turned off remotely, Lavender stated.
“It’s a must to begin considering it’s impartial dwelling plus reminiscence look after us,” Lavender stated.
Some operators are approaching the subsequent technology by creating intergenerational communities, from university-based senior dwelling to mixed-use elements as a part of a broader growth push.
Senior dwelling operators are additionally fostering volunteerism amongst residents to assist construct group ties with the broader public.
At Moorings Park, Lavender stated resident-led enthusiasm can assist drive way of life facilities on a campus, having just lately fashioned an orchid greenhouse because of resident passions for gardening, now flowering over 600 orchids. An extra Moorings Park group additionally has a microbrewery on-site after residents confirmed a love of craft brews.
“I believe generally we attempt to design all of it within the entrance home, however we’ve got to have the pliability to let residents generally lead a few of these cool facilities,” Warner stated.
One other approach panelists stated operators might appeal to the subsequent technology of senior dwelling resident can be by means of pricing choices and reaching middle-market affordability.
“Affordability is among the challenges that we’re all searching for methods to deal with within the trade,” Shonaiya stated.
Know-how drives tomorrow’s designs
Within the final 4 years, senior dwelling corporations have taken steps to develop expertise choices and IT infrastructure. Now, operators are utilizing expertise to enhance operations whereas additionally enhancing the resident expertise.
From implementing new in-unit well being sensor expertise to robots within the eating room, operators are discovering methods to enhance operations by means of tech enablement. Moorings Park will use robotics “as very best” in an upcoming eating room renovation to help eating workers.
“It’s a must to make robust decisions,” Lavender stated. “It’s a must to have the infrastructure prepared as a result of all these applied sciences are going to come back down and value similar to each different piece of expertise.”
Shonaiya stated senior dwelling design tendencies are additionally being formed by expertise, with an emphasis on expertise integration into the personal residence at a group. From bundling in-unit choices like voice-assisted expertise, together with Amazon’s Alexa, to integrating non-invasive well being displays, operators are bettering dwelling areas by means of expertise.
Creating tech hubs and areas for hobbies or lifelong studying are different methods operators are getting ready to serve the subsequent technology, Shonaiya stated.
“Individuals have lots to share and are connecting on totally different platforms, so I believe all of that makes everyone extra linked,” Shonaiya added. “The concept of lifelong studying and interactions goes each methods.”
Resident security at larger acuity ranges in assisted dwelling and reminiscence care will also be aided by expertise, particularly by implementing digital lock methods, Shonaiya stated.
“Know-how could make the standard of care extra private,” Shonaiya stated.
