SeniorTrade’s recent Top 10 Trend Report, based on interviews with leaders in the field an a select advisory board, made it clear that widespread change and innovation are the way of the future. Here is what the group identified as the top trends:
- A greater focus on aging in the right place to maximize wellbeing, promote a sense of purpose, and encourage social connections.
- Senior living will evolve as a service with an emphasis on efforts to support older adults throughout the aging continuum.
- There will be more attention to solutions for the “forgotten middle” with an emphasis on affordable housing.
- Watch for more intergenerational living opportunities that bring people of all ages together and increase diversity and inclusion.
- Residents want a sense of purpose, and communities will have to find ways to enable residents to use their skills, talents, and passions.
- Age-tech ramps up. Watch for a tidal wave of new technology and innovations to enable older adults to stay safe at home, connect with family, friends, and practitioners even when they can’t leave their homes, exercise and participate in physical therapy, and much more.
- During the pandemic, seniors got a taste of food delivery; and they loved it. Watch for pop-up stores, walk-up windows, food trucks, ready-to-prepare meals, restaurant delivery, and more. Residents will want a variety of options, and facilities will need to accommodates these with limited space and staff.
- Expect more efforts to wipe out ageism and remove negative perceptions of aging. Stereotypes around older adults will be increasingly unacceptable and likely to influence peoples’ choices about where they live.
