Older adults are demanding more from their long-term living environments today. No longer willing to settle for a place to simply reside, today’s seniors are looking for activities, amenities, and design features that support their desires for life-long learning, community engagement, and modern conveniences.

Kasey Burke, president, Meta Housing Corporation (Los Angeles), a developer of affordable and market-rate apartment communities for seniors and families, recently shared his thoughts with Environments for Aging on the trends he’s seeing in senior housing and how his residences are adapting.

Environments For Aging : What’s the biggest change happening in senior living communities right now?

Kasey Burke: One of the biggest changes we’re seeing is an increased focus on active living.  Developers are moving beyond the old senior living model to create environments where seniors don’t just live, they thrive. Newer communities are focused on delivering lifelong learning and active engagement.


In response to this demand, must-have amenities in our locations include thoughtfully designed spaces for community participation, such as classrooms, digital arts studios, outdoor gathering areas, art galleries, and even theaters. Class offerings include poetry, screenwriting, digital editing and photography, music, painting, sketching, water aerobics, yoga, and meditation, among others.

However, it’s essential to design these spaces not only for those residents who will actively participate, but also for those who are interested in engaging with others, but not on the same scale. So in addition to large community rooms, we’re also including smaller areas where residents can congregate in more intimate groups. This can include gardens, walkways, balconies, and side yards that are designed to accommodate small group engagement.

What site considerations are important when looking to open a new residence?

When examining a site for a new project, the foremost consideration is how deep the need may be for senior housing in a particular area. This is especially important in urban areas to ensure that a project we are developing is well-aligned to meet their housing needs.

Then we begin to consider specific site attributes that are important to the overall success of a housing project, such as being pedestrian friendly and close to public transportation, as well as grocery stores, pharmacies, hospitals and entertainment.

The final consideration is how we can integrate the amenities that make our properties stand apart. For example, our senior art colony projects, including Burbank Senior Artists’ Colony, the NoHo Senior Arts Colony, and the Long Beach Senior Arts Colony, feature spaces that provide the opportunity for integration with the local community, including art galleries, gardens, and theaters.

What do you think the market will look live five years from now?

The seniors of today are no longer satisfied with just a community room and bingo. They want to live in communities that keep them young and engaged. We see the concept of active living continuing to grow and become increasingly implemented in senior housing communities throughout the U.S.


Kasey Burke