Serving a brand new era of older adults hinges on the senior dwelling business’s potential to provide them what they need. However to get there, operators should first perceive them.
In a nutshell, “every thing has modified” with the arrival of the boomers, based on Viva Senior Dwelling Chief Technique Officer Heather Terhark. In contrast to the era previous to them, the boomers are bringing with them new concepts about dwelling their golden years. Not solely that, they’re additionally bringing their tech like good TVs, telephones and different gadgets.
“We now have to alter how we’re strategically providing to shoppers whose wants are altering,” Terhark mentioned.
To push the business ahead, Viva Senior Dwelling Chief Working Officer Chris Metternich and Terhark consider suppliers, together with Viva, should additionally assume in a different way concerning the individuals who work of their communities, and maybe extra importantly, the place they’re in search of them. If the senior dwelling business hopes to develop for the boomers, operators will want many extra staff of their buildings, which is why Viva recruits expertise from exterior industries and builds staffing pipelines with native faculties.
“We need to give the chance to the leaders in our discipline to have the flexibility to be cell and transfer inside our firm and have a power,” Metternich mentioned throughout a current recording of the SHN Rework podcast. “We would like it to be actually owned and operated by our leaders beneath, who’re driving the enterprise on a each day scale.”
Viva Senior Dwelling surpassed 40 communities beneath administration in 2025 because of an acquisition technique that prioritized each impartial dwelling and high-acuity assisted dwelling and reminiscence care properties. To organize for a future through which acuity continues to stress working fashions, Viva has prioritized scientific care coordination and care supply as central elements of its working mannequin.
“We see the longer term and we’re embracing that way forward for the scientific requirements of our area,” Metternich mentioned.
This, Metternich and Terhark mentioned, has led Viva to align its staffing methods to satisfy excessive acuity calls for, one thing the pair consider the business should do in an effort to seize the complete scope of the demographic-driven demand led by the inflow of child boomers into the market.
In 2026, Viva leaders will work with newly acquired properties to combine properties into the Viva working mannequin whereas additionally persevering with to hunt new administration acquisitions and new, ground-up growth.
To attain easy integration of the brand new properties, Viva leaders have embraced know-how not just for operational effectivity however for transparency and engagement, setting clear expectations with group degree management, Terhark mentioned. Clean integration of latest properties into the fold requires transparency and buy-in from group employees as Viva implements new methods, typically bringing a property from an analog, paper-and-pen rhythm to be digital-first.
“We deliver plenty of issues in-house that these properties have by no means had in-house earlier than,” Terhark mentioned. “It adjustments how that group operates for the higher.”
Hearken to the most recent Rework episode right here.
Editor’s observe: The next transcript has been edited for size and readability.
On current development:
Chris: I like the truth that we didn’t rush our development. We took our time to construct {our relationships}. So when people are seeing us develop—like this month, we’re rising one other 4 properties—as we’re talking proper now, Austin, we really onboarded as of final week, and we’ve two extra approaching board. One shall be in fiscal 12 months ‘25, one other shall be within the early a part of ‘26. That’s all growth of the relationships we’re constructing: who will we need to work with, what kind of companions will we need to be with, do they see the panorama the identical approach we see it, and will we see it the identical approach they see it? And finally, what’s the imaginative and prescient?
I’ve had a really tough 12 months personally. My spouse has been extraordinarily ailing all 12 months, and it made me replicate lots. And it’s bizarre, as a result of I’ll be 50 this 12 months. It makes me understand that the following 10 or 15 years of my life are essential. What am I fascinated with? What do I need to do? That’s vital to me. So what we’re constructing right here needed to have an significance to me, and I actually needed to be way more reflective this 12 months. As a result of I mentioned to myself, oh my God, we’re human. What we do at present is vital for our future, nevertheless it does take us from our households, and it does have an effect in your complete life. So I took an evaluation of that.
One of many issues that we did final 12 months, and we’re doing this 12 months, was: not solely will we need to develop and have nice companions and develop the best way we do, however what’s an important issue of our firm? And I actually needed to wrestle with that. My piece of this was: I grew up within the discipline. Heather grew up within the discipline. Most of my workforce did. And we need to give the chance to the leaders in our discipline, from eating employees one up, to have the flexibility to be cell and transfer inside our firm, and to have a power.
We would like it to be actually owned and operated by our leaders beneath, who’re driving the enterprise on a each day scale. Even our final occasion—the entire occasion shouldn’t be a “Viva occasion.” The entire occasion is about our executives, our leaders on the facility degree, rising as people. So we give a e book yearly to our people. Everybody will get a studying alternative to assist develop themselves and their enterprise. We query lots with regard to their goals and aspirations, and we hope to see them translate that at their facility ranges, the place they’re getting the chance to develop and develop. We would like them to have the identical alternative.
We’re fascinated with our model rising, however we additionally see this business rising. Precisely what I did see during the last 20 years of my profession is we misplaced plenty of fabulous expertise to different industries, people that have been great scientific individuals, however typically had problem translating scientific to enterprise. And now we’re beginning to see that we are able to converse each side of the language and get the returns we’re in search of on each side: be robust clinicians, have a powerful scientific product, whereas additionally leading to an actual robust backside line. And if we are able to carry up our people in that approach, I feel it makes us a stronger firm.
So for me, the reflective piece this 12 months has been huge development; completely excited, all deliberate. This isn’t like we simply got here in and anyone threw one other set of properties at us each two months. No. We develop {our relationships}. We turned down plenty of properties all through the final couple of years. It’s simply all beginning to mature.
However together with that, I wished myself as a frontrunner, and the remainder of my people round us, to mature with it. We have to perceive that this can be a enterprise, however we are able to’t lose the truth that an important issue of our enterprise is our workers and our residents. And we have to develop each side of that equation to be a very robust firm that lasts sooner or later.
On new development alternatives:
Heather: I’m so enthusiastic about what we have been in a position to accomplish in 2025, and it got here from plenty of planning, as Chris mentioned. It got here from plenty of dedication from all of our workforce members, and plenty of arduous work.
My function was being concerned from the bottom up. I received to assist consider, for our buyers, whether or not a group or portfolio was funding to tackle. Chris will let you know, and he’ll inform all of our buyers, we flip down as many as we are saying sure to, as a result of we by no means need our buyers simply to take a position, to take a position. We would like it to be one thing that offers again to our workers, our residents, and our relations, and in addition makes an impression on the exterior group the place that senior dwelling group is.
So I received to be concerned in all of that, or as Chris would name it, going out, kicking the tires, it, doing mini-competitor market evaluation, and a few thriller procuring. However I additionally received into the granular, the technique on market charges, and whether or not the programming, after we took on that group, was actually the place we must always place it. As a result of we’re not positioning the group for what it’s at present. We’re positioning it for the following two, three, 5, even 10 years, as a result of our client has modified.
I’ve mentioned this on a distinct podcast, however I actually consider it. Every thing has modified. All of them have Wi-Fi, all of them have computer systems, all of them have subscriptions to Netflix. That outdated mannequin of 1 laptop in a library, I bear in mind while you designed assisted dwelling and put in little laptop stations, that’s not one thing you do anymore. They’re coming with their good TVs. They’re coming with know-how. So we’ve to alter how we’re strategically providing to shoppers whose wants are altering.
And it’s been probably the most thrilling 12 months of my life. I’m so excited for what Viva goes to do in 2026 and 2027, as a result of we all know growing old in place issues. Individuals don’t need to transfer. And we all know we are able to clinically deliver a lot to them that hasn’t historically been in assisted dwelling.
How Viva selects future capital companions to help development:
Chris: I feel the toolbox that we provide to the investor could be very totally different. I hope most administration firms in our area are beginning to have a look at it in a different way as effectively. As we start to establish who’s going to be the suitable match, and Austin, I like while you’re speaking, as a result of we discuss lots and also you’re enthusiastic about our business, we’re seeing funds circulate into this business that we didn’t see in years previous. People are getting excited concerning the business, and a part of that’s that we’ve to layer on the requirements of having the ability to analyze learn how to enter it.
It’s not the outdated approach the place you have a look at efficiency or a portfolio as a monetary piece and say, “Yeah, these numbers look good, we consider the return shall be this,” and that’s it. After I say “kick the tires,” we do. And I’ve to let you know, I’m on a platform of speaking about NIC MAP all day lengthy, on daily basis. I like what they’re doing. We discuss with them lots. We use their knowledge like you wouldn’t consider. However we use it for directionality, not as the bottom of our determination. It places us in place directionally. We are able to say to our investor, “Sure, we like the place you’re pondering, we just like the mission you’re .” However now it’s time for us to go kick the tires, and we return to old fashioned.
We go to the market. We secret store. We have a look at totally different communities in that market to see what it actually appears to be like like. We fly there. We stay there for a minute. We need to get a way of, does this have some legs to it? And we try this in each market we go to.
So routinely, I can’t let you know what number of instances we get on with an investor they usually’re excited for a property, it appears to be like nice on paper, and I get on the decision and I’m like, “No, guys, no. Your runway goes to be this lengthy. I don’t assume that is the trajectory you have been in search of for a property reminiscent of this. I feel you’re in search of this.” You must know what your investor is in search of. You must know what their trajectory is.
I don’t assume we’re in a market at present the place most are coming in with a brief maintain. Again up to now it was extra like maintain for 3 years. Now we’re seeing a longer-return thought course of, and persons are beginning to give attention to one thing that an operator like me loves. There’s worth within the precise operation. What you do for the consumer is efficacious, and finally what that backside line is. It’s not simply the property being evaluated at the next worth in 10 years. The worth of the operation is what’s going to maintain the worth for our business, and within the final 12 months you’re beginning to see extra focus there.
So the discuss round HPPDs [hours per patient day] and applied sciences and all that, that was by no means in senior care earlier than. That was in expert, however not in senior care. Now we’re bringing that into the measure.
How Viva conducts integration of latest properties:
Chris: Step one of our integration is all the time first recognizing what they’ve completed effectively. While you buy a property and also you first stroll in as a administration firm, the very first thing many people do is assume we’re smarter than the people which can be there. That’s fully unsuitable. You’re shopping for the property for a purpose.
For us, and our buyers, we have a tendency to purchase extra stabilized properties with , robust future base. They’re money flowing already, however a few tweaks and we’re going to be in a greater place. So after I first are available in, I acknowledge the leaders and I deal with them as CEOs. We study them up instantly, so our very first thing is, let’s discover out the place they’re after which deliver them the place they must be. Some are phenomenal at studying financials. Some are extra phenomenal at being clinicians. Some are nice entrepreneurs. We take their strengths, we acknowledge the power, after which we begin to add within the toolbox that’s going to be required of them to be a powerful, standalone chief.
What we educate our CEOs on day one is fake your facility is sitting by itself and it doesn’t have a myriad of sister services that would help it. If you happen to have a look at your online business from that perspective, you deal with it prefer it’s your personal. I want to ensure my home is nice always.
The second piece is the contact level you require. We met with the employees. We now have giant communication conferences with them, and we stroll them by Viva in order that they’re not fearful. We would like them to know what the longer term goes to be coming with us, and we enable them to interview us. We would like them to know who we’re, have a face, and know that we have been workers in a constructing as effectively.
The final piece, a few month in, we be sure that we discuss to the households. We are going to by no means, ever have the administrator converse for us. We are available in, we give one level of contact with the household from us, after which we give it again to the administrator after that. We expect we owe the households a couple of minutes of our time to reply questions on our group, who we’re, and what our thought processes are. These three elements are actually, actually vital.
Then we roll in what I feel is extraordinarily vital. Missouri is one which we’re speaking about, so I’ll use it for example. We would like everybody to ship in resumes for various positions. We create tremendous positions, like an excellent [regional director of operations] RDO, tremendous eating companies, and so forth. And we interview everybody. We don’t care who sends the resume in. We don’t care in the event that they’ve by no means had expertise in it. We would like them to be interviewed, as a result of every thing we do is to provide suggestions to the individuals which can be being interviewed.
One, they should have consolation with us. Two, if I had that in my profession, youthful, the place I had that a lot suggestions concerning the route I might have taken, that might have been nice. In order that’s our preliminary dialog, please ship a resume. If you happen to’re not chosen now, it’s not since you’re not good at what you’re doing. We are going to let you know what you’ll want to get there. Allow us to clarify what the schooling shall be, as a result of we need to empower you to succeed in the targets you need to be. I don’t need you to simply be a dreamer. I need them to consider and be capable of execute a future plan. Now the second piece, which I feel is so thrilling proper now, is that to be a powerful executing CEO, you’ll want to have your knowledge at your fingertips. So we need to create an app. Our touchdown web page could be very easy. It reads like a monetary. It’s a easy single digit in every class, and it simply goes purple and black. That’s it. Quantity, purple, black. In the event that they need to go deeper into the quantity, they will.
The way in which I’m organizing the app is that it begins with census, ends with EBITDA, and all of the levers within the center have purple and black. So when the operator wakes up within the morning, they have a look at their telephone they usually’re in a position to see if every thing’s black, we’re in place. They use that as the middle level for his or her morning conferences.
I need my purchasers to have it as effectively. I need to be a very clear operator with my consumer. They open it up, they see it, reds and blacks too. The best half is that they’re not ready for a P and L [statement] on the finish of the month. We’re all operating inside an energetic P and L. I need to be in actual time making actual time choices and actively attacking figures earlier than the numbers are hardened up in a revenue and loss [statement].
Everybody all the time says we seem like a lodge. It’s not. It’s very totally different. With scientific, we’re going to have scientific circumstances that go on within the constructing and different issues that get in the best way of the constructing functioning on the highest ranges. This knowledge set permits me to speak to my buyers in actual time, and permits me to talk to my operators in actual time, to speak about what interventions we are able to get forward of with regard to something that’s impacting them. It actually makes them assume like CEOs. Everybody’s pondering with knowledge. After which we constructed a script round this language so everybody’s talking the identical set of questions.
Heather: A lot of them have by no means been taught that mindset, that I’m operating a small enterprise proper right here from begin to end, and I’m accountable for every thing. So we’re educating them learn how to be chief advertising officers. We’re educating them learn how to be concerned in understanding these numbers that result in that revenue and loss, and the app.
What it does is it enriches the enterprise, as a result of individuals purchase in while you say you don’t must do it cookie cutter. You’ve talked to us so many instances, Austin, we’re not cookie cutter in any of our buildings. We don’t use the identical brochures. We don’t use the identical technique of programming.
Our charges are geared to that group they stay in. They begin to embrace it. They arrive again to you with concepts like, what can we do know-how sensible? You see very excessive social media utilization from our communities as a result of they embrace that, whereas earlier than it might have been managed by an outdoor supply. So we deliver plenty of issues integration sensible in home that they by no means had in home earlier than. It adjustments how that group operates for the higher.
On Viva’s 2026 staffing priorities:
Chris: It’s the way forward for our enterprise, creating new staffing fashions and having the ability to entice people to our business. Let me begin with this. We now have zero company in our complete firm. We now have 40 services. We picked up a brand new facility within the final two months that has company, so 39 have zero, and one has company.
One of many first issues we do is speak about staffing alternatives. I instructed you, Austin, I’m very boring. I ask the identical collection of inquiries to everyone in several classes, and staffing is one in every of them. The very first thing I say is, I’d wish to see your staffing line, entrance to again, daytime to nighttime. I need to perceive it. Inform me what number of open positions you will have. Usually, I get crickets. What number of open positions do you will have? Crickets. “We now have to look into that.” Nicely, how have you learnt you’ll want to use company when you don’t know what number of openings you will have? And let me second that query, the place are the openings?
I’ll provide you with an instance. I’m on a name with the constructing we simply took on, they usually have been utilizing company closely. Very first thing that goes on the decision is, “Oh, we overstaff within the daytime,” as a result of the census is declining within the constructing. Lengthy story quick, by the point we received completed with the decision, someday later my RDO and the administrator name me and inform me, “Oh my God, we by no means wanted to have company.” They took their morning employees, shifted them, then checked out all the brand new hires they’d within the final two to a few weeks, and all of the holes have been stuffed. Nobody took the time to have a look at the issue first.
So I’m an enormous believer that if you wish to grow to be refined in your profession, we are able to’t simply have a look at a bit of paper, see a problem, and hearth, put it out. We have to ask plenty of questions, as a result of there are other ways to have a look at one thing earlier than you act.
The second piece of the puzzle relating to staffing is normally the largest one I hear. “I’ve no employees. I feel I’m going to have to lift all salaries as a result of we’re not in a position to entice anybody. By the best way, I’m not towards market fee changes.
So what we do is develop a plan. First is, what are we doing to outreach, to draw the worker? Then, what will we do to retain the worker? If you happen to’ve by no means labored in reminiscence care earlier than and also you’re coming in as a dietary worker, we must always in all probability prepare you for a pair days so you realize what you’re going to see. You could have by no means labored with anyone who has cognitive points. You’re serving a dish they usually’re not responding the identical approach, and that may throw you off. We need to be sure we don’t lose an worker as a result of they’re fearful as soon as they begin.
As soon as we ask these questions, that is the explanation why we don’t have company, as a result of we all know what our drawback is. We all know the place. We all know the load of which we have to have in a constructing. And each constructing has a distinct HPPD. Anyone placing an HPPD throughout the spectrum, that’s not true. It depends upon the acuity ranges within the constructing and precisely what their wants are. You might have a base state regulation, however the true want of the constructing is what we’ve to get to, after which we employees that. And as soon as I do know that, it’s not as arduous as everyone thinks it’s.
Heather: I feel Chris actually hit on it when he talked about bringing individuals from exterior different industries. What number of instances will we hear from individuals, our Uber drivers, that they received laid off, and while you say well being care to them, they don’t perceive. They don’t perceive learn how to care for folk, to Chris’s level. However in addition they don’t perceive the advantages, the enjoyment of being in a group, how workers grow to be like households to those residents, and the reward you get by being in senior dwelling.
It continues to be a aim into 2026 of how we deliver individuals from different industries. The beauty of our mannequin is while you deliver individuals in from different industries and the way they’ve completed issues, there’s lots we are able to study in well being care, as a result of well being care can typically be in its personal bubble. While you hear about issues that Amazon has completed as a result of they used to work for Amazon, we are able to study and develop.
In order that’s an enormous focus, not only for Viva, however for many people throughout the business, learn how to entice extra individuals into our business. Everyone knows the inhabitants development. You hear about our Viva development. If we don’t deliver workers from different industries in, we’re not going to achieve success. So it’s an enormous technique to proceed to work.
On new growth for Viva’s development:
Chris: I’m a egocentric operator. I wish to develop what’s simple to work in, and I like when an investor is coming in they usually’re enthusiastic about tasks. They’re in an space trying to construct, and the largest factor I see unsuitable 85% of the time is that they both construct the unsuitable dimension, the unsuitable make-up of a property, or they don’t really perceive the market they’re attempting to construct in. After which once they do perceive the market, they don’t construct the property that’s going to maintain that marketplace for the long run.
So one of many issues we wished to do was assist information people by that course of, right down to the drawing part of the property, after which finally take it proper by the lease-up interval and stabilization. It’s good, since you develop a very robust partnership with the investor from the bottom up, speaking by what we predict are the weedier sections.
And I’ll let you know, for us as a company, it’s a really great amount of my time. The event piece means I’ve to go to land use board conferences, meet with architects, have authorized calls. There’s lots that goes into these tasks. As an example, we’re demoing a property within the subsequent two months, and simply making ready for that demolition is plenty of discuss time to get your self ready.
However look, our business is in want of extra property. All of us see the expansion. Two issues stand out in my thoughts. One is the inhabitants coming, the bow wave coming into senior communities, and we simply don’t have sufficient unit area.
Heather: What new growth or redevelopment provides us the chance to do is give attention to a pair particular areas, and reminiscence care is one in every of them. People need that continuum of care and the flexibility to age in place that we speak about lots. However there are totally different ranges of reminiscence care, and what that reminiscence care appears to be like like. New growth and redevelopment give you a chance you didn’t see as a lot up to now in assisted dwelling and reminiscence care. You possibly can have multiple neighborhood, and it may possibly serve totally different ranges of acuity and various kinds of wants. That’s one thing we do in all of our new growth, as a result of we all know, sadly, Alzheimer’s and dementia are a part of that rising inhabitants.
The opposite element is we all know shoppers need more room. That 250 to 300 sq. foot studio shouldn’t be interesting. At this time’s shoppers, these one bedrooms are extraordinarily vital to them. New growth provides us the chance to have a look at effectivity and methods to nonetheless give them area, however configure it in a approach that is sensible for the constructing and what the constructing is price.
So there are tendencies that come again to the technique you get to do while you redevelop or do new growth, to satisfy again to that dialog we had about what the buyer needs.
