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.”
Sorry, moving to senior living IS viewed as a last resort. Working families with aging parents face a dilemma – their parents who may not live nearby do not want to move. As a result, everybody waits until they can wait no longer. The average move-in age to assisted living is 85, average age of residents is 87. The move is typically precipitated by a crisis that cannot be ignored. The aging parent’s dementia is worsening, a fall has occurred, a spouse has died. While daily care at home may be more affordable, according to the Harvard study, it may not be viable for the adult children. They may struggle to find an in-home caregiver, especially if they live in the most costly care geographies like Boston or Washington DC.
Does tech support play a role in improving the appeal or experience of senior living? Maybe visible and available tech support can smooth the move-in and help set up connections between residents and their long-distance family. Most residents enter the community with as many as 7 different pieces of technology that require care and feeding. Perhaps the senior living tech support world is beginning to catch up to this need (see Candoo Tech). Without adequate tech support, staff and family members are left to deal with complexity. As a result, communities will struggle with the need for continuous retraining due to endless upgrades and obsolescence. But times may have changed – see Argentum’s 2025 report on Tech adoption in senior living.
Some companies believe tech is integral to their appeal and ultimate success. Here are a few examples: Watercrest, touting tech for staff and residents; Sequoia Living (which received an award for its tech use). Other companies, like Inspiren, believe that AI-enabled wall-mounted tech will transform a senior living company’s ability to be proactive in its care of residents. For families, providing tech visibility to a family member’s status, or reducing the risk of falls among a population whose average age is 87, may be the type of reassurance that will help make the move more viable, even make the product that no one wants to buy more appealing.
