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INSIGHTS

 

Explore the challenges faced by the senior living industry and the evolving needs of older adults. Addressing the challenges faced by the senior living industry is crucial for empowering providers to adapt to shifting demographics and operational dynamics. Explore our blog, articles, interviews, and peer-reviewed publications.

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INDUSTRY ARTICLES

Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities: Friend or Foe?

 

A 2023 Harvard report reveals that Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs), neighborhoods where older adults cluster without formal age restrictions, house more seniors than all traditional senior housing types combined. Though often lacking amenities, NORCs offer a dense, underserved prospect base with strong local ties. For developers and operators, they represent a strategic opportunity for market selection, outreach, and service extension.

 

Related services: Research Design & Management and Competitive Strategy.

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Reimagining Demand: From Demographics to Dynamics

 

As senior housing occupancy rebounds post-COVID buoyed by a construction slowdown and high interest rates, developers must rethink traditional market analysis. A 2023 NIC report underscores the shift: population growth among older adults is strong, yet demand for senior housing behaves more like a luxury good than a necessity. This means prospects have choices, and providers must respond accordingly. This necessitates a move beyond static demographic and supply metrics to assess psychographics, lifestyle preferences, market structure, and price sensitivity, crafting strategies that align with real-world consumer behavior and drive occupancy in a changing landscape.

 

Related services: Demographic Analysis, Competitive Strategy, and Demand Analysis.

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Measuring Labor Productivity Can Lead to Powerful Insights

 

Labor shortages in senior housing are a long-standing challenge, rooted in the industry's high-touch, operational nature. But solving this issue isn’t just about headcount. It’s about productivity. Unlike hospitals, hotels, or restaurants, senior housing has seen persistently weak labor productivity growth, even declining in most years between 2000 and 2019. This gap signals a strategic opportunity. Improving productivity means measuring inputs like hours per resident, benchmarking outcomes such as satisfaction or margins, and iteratively testing operational changes. Owners, developers, and operators each have roles to play, from aligning community design with staffing models to investing in scalable renovations and tracking performance. Unlocking productivity gains may be essential to expanding access and reaching underserved market segments like the “forgotten middle.”

 

Related services: AI & Analytic Consulting and Research Design & Management.

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ACOs, Bundled Payments, Readmissions - Oh My!

 

Skilled nursing facilities are navigating a wave of regulatory and payment reforms, ranging from accountable care organizations to bundled payments, that are pushing for better outcomes at lower costs. Success in this shifting landscape depends on more than hospital alignment. It requires a clear-eyed view of local market dynamics. Evaluating new or existing SNF opportunities means analyzing hospital readmission penalties, discharge patterns, post-acute provider networks, and how well a facility’s rehab offerings align with patient needs and market preferences. Providers must assess their competitive position, potential partnerships, and whether services like home health or therapy gyms best support care delivery across acuity levels.

 

Related services: Competitive Strategy.

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How to Evaluate Memory Care Opportunities

 

Memory care presents a growing but underserved opportunity in senior housing, especially as residents live longer with more complex conditions. Identifying viable markets for stand-alone memory care involves three key steps: using simple, focused assumptions to estimate need, affordability, and current utilization; gut-checking those estimates with local context, amenities, and stakeholder input; and exploring strategic partnerships with hospitals and post-acute providers. High-performing operators aligned with healthcare systems are better positioned to serve this rising demand, particularly as hospital systems seek partners to reduce readmissions tied to poorly managed chronic conditions in seniors with cognitive decline.

 

Related services: Demand Analysis.​

PRESENTATIONS

"Restaurant AI Simplified: Tools, Tactics, and Real Results." Wisconsin Food and Hospitality Expo, Wisconsin Restaurant Association, March 2025.

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Panelist.  Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute and HERA Faculty AI Summit, "Lightening Talks - Domain Applications of AI," November 2024.

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"Using AI: From Basics to Practical Applications." Wisconsin Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers Annual Conference, November 2024. 

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“The Price Elasticity of Senior Housing Demand.” National Association for Business Economics Annual Meeting, October 2022.

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Panelist. InterFace Conference Group’s Seniors Housing West Conference, “Getting Good Data,” March 2019 & February 2020.

 

“Buildings Matter.”  TELS Summit, Financial Performance Sessions, May 2017.

 

“Finding Your Niche.”  American Society of Consultant Pharmacists Conference, Business Solutions Session, November 2015.

 

Panelist.  Direct Supply’s Quarterly Meeting, Senior Living Trends Panel, October 2015.

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