2025 Senior Living Trends to Keep on Your Radar

Americans are living longer now than at any other time in history, and the aging population is expanding at an unprecedented rate. In fact, between 2012 and 2022, the number of Americans age 65 and older grew by 34%. By 2030, the youngest of the Baby Boomers — the second-largest generation — will have reached retirement age. As the demand for senior housing options grows, it’s important we understand the market trends will shape the senior living landscape for older adults and their loved ones in the years ahead.

Just as the demographics of the U.S. population begin to trend older, the rapid acceleration of new technology is also impacting how senior living will evolve in 2025 and beyond. Here, we’ll look at some of those top trends and learn how staying ahead of them can help your senior living community provide the best care and services for your residents and their families.

Key Senior Housing Trends for 2025

It’s no secret that occupancy rates took a major hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. While those rates have rebounded, they haven’t quite reached pre-pandemic heights. However, with the anticipated growth in the senior population over the next few years, it is expected that demand will increase significantly and occupancy will once again be on the upswing. How can you prepare your senior living community or continuing care retirement community for this shift? By being ready for these key trends:

Increased Use of Technology

The impact technology will have on your senior living community cannot be understated. The way you use technology affects your residents, but it also affects the way senior operators provide care and services. You can expect to see technology used in many new ways throughout your senior living or assisted living community, including:

• Wearable devices to monitor vital signs, fall risks, medication management, and more
• Smart home features that give residents more control and autonomy in managing their environment
• Telehealth and remote healthcare services that allow greater access to care without increasing the burden of mobility and transportation
• Apps and family portals to keep loved ones connected and improve social interaction
  
  

Focus on Wellness and Holistic Health

As life expectancy continues to grow with every new medical advancement, older adults — Baby Boomers in particular — are planning not just for their long-term health and physical well-being, but for their overall quality of life. Residents are not content to simply exist for as long as possible — they want their long lives to be fulfilling, meaningful, and fun. This means residents and their families are seeking independent living communities or senior housing options that focus on a holistic approach to health and wellness. They want nursing homes and senior living communities that provide services that address residents’ emotional, mental, social, and spiritual wellness just as much as their physical wellness. Holistic care and services could include:

• Peaceful outdoor spaces like gardens, walking, and biking trails
• Personalized menus and nutritional support based on residents’ dietary data and preferences
• A focus on physical strength with age and ability-based classes, sports, and fitness centers
• Multigenerational spaces including retail, dining, and social options that allow residents to mingle with loved ones and/or members of the public
• Aging-in-place options that give residents access to independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, and memory care in one home-like setting
• Engaging activities designed to appeal to residents’ personal goals and interests
  
  

Resident-Centric Care Models

The emphasis on holistic health mentioned above flows seamlessly into this next trend, which focuses your senior living community business model where it really matters — on the residents. This requires collecting and leveraging the data from your senior living community to create an experience that feels customized and personalized to each resident. The technology used in your senior living community can be monitored to identify gaps in your services, determine when residents feel disconnected and unengaged, and find effective ways to address these challenges. For example, if your senior living software shows that attendance is lagging for social activities, you can survey your residents to uncover the reasons behind the lack of engagement and work to build a solution that appeals to their wants and needs. 

Sustainability Initiatives

Baby Boomers didn’t necessarily grow up with the green movement, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t interested in the environment and, as a result, your community’s sustainability practices. A commitment to sustainability can reduce your carbon footprint and ease the burden that large communities can place on the environment. However, sustainability can also lower costs by creating solutions that are more energy efficient and better for the health and well-being of your residents. Working toward greater sustainability can take many forms, from updating your facility infrastructure with energy-saving systems to looking into adaptive reuse, which involves repurposing existing spaces instead of building new ones.

Enhanced Staff Training and Retention Strategies

The staffing crisis in healthcare is ongoing, and it isn’t expected to improve in 2025. That means your senior living community will need to get creative when it comes to talent sourcing, recruiting, and retention. You may want to look at reskilling or upskilling for existing staff members. Cross-training employees can better utilize their abilities, ensuring you have coverage when it’s needed and providing opportunities for career development. Training is also getting a technological overhaul in many senior living communities, with virtual training and education making it more accessible than ever. Incentivizing staff can also be a way to improve retention, whether that’s through financial compensation, increased PTO, perks and benefits, or gamification and shout-outs that encourage them to always reach higher.

Further Integration of Artificial Intelligence

AI is on the tip of everyone’s tongue these days, and it’s going to be even more prominent as we head into 2025. Many senior living communities are already leveraging AI for predictive analytics and automated administrative tasks. However, as artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, we expect to see new applications, including:

• Health and medication monitoring for residents
• Social and activity planning
• Menu planning and personalized dining options
• AI-based security systems for resident safety
• Automated management of chronic health conditions like diabetes
• Companionship from virtual pets and AI assistants
• AI-driven smart devices for spatial control and cognitive support
  
  

Changing Designs in Living Spaces

Tastes and trends will always be evolving, and that will be apparent in the way many senior living communities are designed, both inside and out. Most communities have started to shy away from institutional designs that offer cookie-cutter living spaces with a sterile feel. Instead, senior housing is following current architectural and style trends, with spaces that are safe and ADA-compliant while still being visually appealing and welcoming. Many senior living communities will focus more on the outdoor spaces residents can access, like gardens, patios, or al fresco dining options. Additionally, designs will become more flexible and adaptable to changing needs as residents continue to age. This may include living spaces that evolve from independent living to assisted living to long-term care or memory care as needed. 

Adaptive repurposing also makes a reappearance in this trend, with some senior housing operations looking to partner with existing community establishments like shopping centers and college campuses to create vibrant, multi-use environments that integrate senior living into broader community spaces.

How Eldermark Is Keeping Up with Senior Housing Trends

Staying on top of these trends can take quite a bit of effort, but with the right senior living software solution, your community can be at the forefront of anything that lies ahead. Eldermark NEXT is a comprehensive, end-to-end solution for senior living communities, with tools that empower you to lead in the trends mentioned here, and in all aspects of senior care. With Eldermark NEXT, you can:

• Collect powerful data to identify or forecast challenges and make informed decisions to avoid or resolve them
• Integrate all your technologies for seamless communication, accuracy, and efficiency
• Staff by acuity and ensure employees are properly trained and given the support they need to succeed
• Build more personalized services and care plans for residents and their loved ones
• Manage scheduling of doctor appointments, medication, telehealth, communication with care providers, and more
• Build robust activity calendars to keep residents engaged and satisfied
• Communicate more effectively both internally and with residents and families
  
  

Understanding the Fundamentals of Eldermark NEXT

Ready for your senior living community to be a real trendsetter in 2025? Ring in the new year in style by shifting your tech stack to Eldermark NEXT’s suite of senior living solutions. Training and onboarding are hassle-free, and your staff will be welcoming 2025 with a platform that supports their goals and makes their jobs simpler and more satisfying. Getting started is easy — schedule an exploratory meeting today.