senior living

Back in the day – 2009.  Seems like, uh, 17 years ago.  Long before the arrival of AI.  Long before smartphone ownership by seniors took off.  One year before the introduction of FaceTime. Back in the day of a new wearable chest strap or belt clip from Halo monitoring that could detect a fall. Back in the introduction day of Healthsense eNeighbor for environment monitoring.  The question that blog post raised was whether it was more important to monitor the person (with a wearable) or the place (in the environment).

Flipping the script on aging – an interesting concept.  No surprise that Dolly Parton and Cher, both now age 80, exemplify the script flip. That flip includes the substantial cosmetic work that each has had to produce a new (and then newer) face.  Both are still performing – as are numerous other 80+ rock stars like Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney.  Good for them. I guess.  Is this an aspiration to be shared by the millions of baby boomers headed toward or arrived at 80?  Is playing pickleball the standard by which 80-year-olds want to be measured?  How about drug-facilitated weight loss?

If your older family members are like most, they do not want to move to senior living. Life expectancy for the 65+ is another 20 years (both men and women).  For those who love their homes, there is no appeal to spending that 20-year life span in a senior living community, even if viewed as affordable – a view not shared by most.  In fact, according to a Harvard housing study, only 13 percent can afford an assisted living facility in their area. And when asked, senior housing industry execs agree that the so-called middle market option never really materialized, though they offer hope: “From an industry perspective, these trends point to the need to keep evolving to address affordability and access while communicating the value of senior living as a proactive solution, not a last resort.”

Recent research highlights AI opportunities for care-related organizations. The recent report AI and Older Adults – What’s Now and Next in 2026 highlights problems and potential for the uses of artificial intelligence in organizations that serve older adults. While caution is warranted and barriers are visible, senior living and home care firms will likely move forward in the near term on AI initiatives. Why? Because worker shortages, stretched staff and ultimately customer demand will mandate change. This includes AI agents to help improve efficiency, screen applicants more effectively, and free up more time to better serve clients. From the report, here are possibilities for both home care and senior living organizations.

Aging in place makes the senior living industry anxious.  A new article from Caring.com scopes out the cost differential between aging in place (in some states), replete with home modification requirements and related costs.  It identifies the 10 states where assisted living is actually cheaper than aging at home, with South Dakota as being the most reasonable by comparison to staying at home. Hmmm. Average temperature in South Dakota in February is, let’s say, too cold to go for a walk. But no worries, the median age in South Dakota is 38.5 and only 5% are aged 80+.  So it may be cheaper to age in place there, but virtually no one is doing it.