As the number of elderly population requiring living facilites rises the new preferences of those older adults will drive changes to assisted living communities in the future, according to a new report on Assisted Living. The report identified 4 ways these communites could change in the future for elderly residents and their providers.
The report, Real Trends. The Future of Real Estate in the U.S. identified technology, demographics and policy as some of the significant areas that will eventually alter the way industry professionals conduct business. The report also highlighted the development of “intergenerational compounds” in suburbs, where due to financial constraints on private individuals and Medicare, family members will care for older adults who have reduced mental or physical capabilities.
Here are the 4 ways the report addressed the future of the assisted living for seniors.
1. More services being automated such as sensors, automatized pill and intravenous drug dispensers, robots and other technologies. This would be due to the growing number of older residents needing care and the decrease in competent workers available to provide care.
2. Larger and more complex facilities to take advantage of economies of scale in the provision of care.
3. A shift away from the number of ‘suburban type” isolated, standalone assisted living communities and seniors housing to more urban centered environments.
4. “In addition to serving our elderly, such future civic centers have the promise of facilitating social interactions across age groups, anchoring smaller local retail and entrepreneurial activities, providing a sense of identity, and facilitating leisure opportunities and active lifestyles,” the authors write.
