Enhancements within the final yr are propelling non-profit Lifespace Communities into its subsequent chapter after 50 years serving older adults.
Within the final 5 years, Lifespace has bolstered its operations and made enhancements in staffing, in keeping with CEO Jesse Jantzen. He touted the truth that the operator elevated impartial residing occupancy within the final six consecutive quarters and optimistic ranking motion by Fitch Rankings as proof that it has the wind at its again in 2025. Right this moment, the group operates 16 persevering with care retirement communities (CCRCs) and serves practically 6,000 residents throughout seven states.
“The Fitch Rankings motion was actually an affirmation of what we’re doing proper,” Jantzen stated. “In 2025, we now have that basis to proceed into the longer term.”
In 2025, Jantzen is positioning the group for future development through acquisitions and strategic affiliations. The corporate is also increasing its expertise platform toenhance staffing effectiveness and assist extra linked, environment friendly operations for each staff members and residents.
“When you take the Lifespace 5 years in the past and Lifespace in the present day, we’re a unique group. We’ve come a great distance in strengthening our basis and positioning ourselves to be a compelling accomplice for individuals who need to develop with us,” Jantzen stated.
Positioning for future development
Within the final two years, small to medium-sized operators have joined forces to carry operational experience collectively and create scale.Sooner or later, Jantzen believes that pattern will proceed, with Lifespace searching for to affiliate with different operators as a part of the corporate’s development technique.
“We are able to both be consolidated or turn out to be a platform that leads consolidation, and our objective is to draw robust, thriving organizations, not simply these going through challenges,” Jantzen stated.
In 2022, Lifespace acquired three Texas communities and a 257-unit CCRC in Geneva, Illinois in 2023. Right this moment, Jantzen stated the nonprofit is actively cultivating potential future companions to hitch a platform that’s “absolutely built-in, value-driven and designed for long-term effectivity and influence.”
As he prepares the group for development, Jantzen is effectively conscious of a “disruptive mind-shift” underway within the preferences of incoming senior residing residents. Excellent care represents “desk stakes” in 2025, and the “differentiator is within the resident expertise, together with holistic wellness, he stated.
Lifespace has begun mapping the resident journey to higher perceive key moments that form their expertise and to uncover alternatives to raise how residents have interaction “with the group all through their time with us,” Jantzen stated.
“We have to perceive what really drives residents to decide on a group,” Jantzen stated. “As we collect extra knowledge and deepen our connection to the voice of the client, we consider we will personalize experiences all the way in which all the way down to the person stage.
Senior residing operators within the final 5 years have made adjustments to their staffing fashions by infusing new expertise, and that’s no completely different for Lifespace. After stabilizing from the Covid-19 pandemic, Jantzen stated the group was in a position to enhance staffing by way of expertise investments and engagement.
Jantzen stated LIfespace is concentrated on showcasing how employees can “do their life’s work with out limits” to spotlight the tales and pathways for profession development and influence. Supporting this effort is the corporate’s worker model marketing campaign referred to as “Our House” which reinforces a dedication to fostering group and private development.
A current firm survey confirmed that the overwhelming majority of staff members really feel their roles are important to Lifespace’s success and that they need to have a robust, optimistic connection to the group’s mission.
“It galvanized our staff members to take possession and really feel empowered within the course of,” Jantzen stated.
‘Knowledge is gold’
To enhance connectivity and communication throughout its 12 CCRC campuses, Lifespace invested practically $13 million so as to add Wi-Fi protection in all indoor and outside areas in communities. The corporate additionally added tech concierge companies to help residents with expertise use and set-up.
“We’re centered on leveraging expertise to higher serve our residents,” Jantzen stated. “It’s actually about asking ourselves: ‘How can we proceed to evolve to finest meet the wants of these we serve?’”
The group started using a knowledge science staff 18 months in the past to disclose new patterns in operational knowledge and make higher knowledgeable selections. For instance, Lifespace makes use of its knowledge insights to enhance gross sales and advertising and marketing by narrowing down leads and creating “precision advertising and marketing” campaigns.
“We are able to’t simply have a broad-brush method, our advertising and marketing staff is aware of how one can begin calibrating to the markets they’re in,” Jantzen stated. “You possibly can higher match what we now have to supply in every specific group to the potential pursuits of the residents coming in.”
Lifespace is within the technique of upgrading its enterprise useful resource planning system, integrating with functions throughout its expertise platform. This shall be accomplished within the first quarter of 2026, Jantzen stated.
That’s so necessary as a result of it types the muse for every part we’re working towards,” Jantzen stated. “We all know that advances in expertise and operations rely on having the correct infrastructure and this addition completes the sturdy tech stack we’ve been constructing.”
To Lifespace, “knowledge is gold” however it’s true worth lies in making it accessible and actionable for staff members, Jantzen stated. The objective is to streamline insights from massive datasets so employees can spend extra time with residents delivering high quality care not tied behind a display, Jantzen stated.
