As part of Perkins Eastman’s year-long The Clean Slate Project, co-sponsored by J+J Flooring Group, the firm is exploring the senior living market through fresh eyes, looking to other sectors to inspire unforeseen innovations in this industry.

In this article, the second in a four-part series, we’ll focus on the increasing number of older adults—baby boomers in particular—who are choosing to age in place. Regardless of whether seniors’ homes are in the country, the suburbs, or dense urban settings, this trend poses significant challenges to CCRCs as well as other senior living community types.

Traditional models of care for older adults have advanced over the past two decades, gradually evolving from more institutional facilities that were largely cut off from their communities to CCRC communities that focus on fostering cultures of whole-person wellness with greater ties to the surrounding area. These communities better enabled care providers to work with residents to ensure they aged well and had access to diverse programming. One of the drawbacks, though, is that all services, from residential care on down, remains centralized and siloed.

Most older adults today would rather remain in their existing homes and communities than relocate to a CCRC or other type of senior living community, and there’s plenty of data to back this up. Whether the contributing factor is the familiarity of home, proximity to family and friends, the ability to access more services remotely, or some combination of these, it’s clear that the industry will have to respond in new and innovative ways to not only attract residents but also provide services to those who stay at home.


Several factors are enabling older adults to make this choice. For starters, technology is playing a much larger role. Advances in the ride-sharing economy, virtual reality, and mobile healthcare, for example, are empowering a new generation of older adults to maintain their independence longer. These services also allow them to hold onto their place in the community, which helps combat the social isolation that often comes with limited physical mobility.

However, for seniors with limited financial means, it can prove far more difficult to access such resources. But there are a number of new housing concepts that are disrupting the marketplace and providing a viable alternative.

One example is the village movement, which basically acts as a union for older adults with similar needs and lifestyles. Village members pay an annual fee (typically a few hundred dollars), which goes toward an office and a small staff of local caregivers who provide basic care needs (but not acute healthcare needs, as of yet). Some services are offered, as well, such as car rides to the grocery store or doctor’s office or even planned social events. There are approximately 200 villages around the country.

Another relatively new concept is cohousing, which features small intergenerational communities comprising 20-40 single-family homes that are clustered into a neighborhood with common areas and open space. The benefits of this type of intergenerational living translate to more socialization among residents, which in turn adds to a greater sense of community, wellness, and mutual support.

Larger initiatives like the World Health Organization’s Age-Friendly Cities, AARP’s Age-Friendly Communities, and the non-profit Dementia Friendly America are taking a macro approach to helping seniors age in place, focusing on reinforcing communities’ infrastructure and tackling concerns like inclusive design and accessibility, equitable housing and development, and responsible eco-conscious living.

Also important to staying at home are necessary modifications to existing structures, whether it’s installing a stair lift or remodeling a first-floor space to become a master bedroom. A growing variety of small standalone housing types, like accessory dwelling units (aka “granny pods”), tiny houses, and the open house prototype (an adaptable and hyper-efficient home model with movable walls and multifunctional furniture designed by architect Pierluigi Colombo) are also providing some exciting housing alternatives for seniors. The underlying idea is to appeal to residents who want to be close to family and friends and remain an active member of a community that supports them.

Faced with the financial realities and changing lifestyle preferences of the boomer generation, the senior living market is at a crossroads. Will independent living be replaced by village living or tiny houses? Are some of the more traditional models flexible enough (physically and institutionally) to adapt to modern consumer desires? These questions and more will decide the future of the senior living marketplace.




Emily Chmielewski is senior associate at Perkins Eastman (Pittsburgh). She can be reached at e.chmielewski@perkinseastman.com. Max Winters is an associate at Perkins Eastman (Pittsburgh). He can be reached at m.winters@perkinseastman.com.

Read the other articles in this series:
Making A Connection With Technology
Redefining The Golden Years