Summary of senior living trend takeaways:
- The emphasis for all innovation is on personalized wellness, particularly for VBC models
- The industry is embracing creative use cases for AI, with agentic AI starting to be introduced
- Senior living executives are implementing smart technology adoption strategies for sustainable returns
We just wrapped a high-energy events season, attending over a dozen senior living conferences and trade shows in the last three months alone. These events are an invaluable opportunity for us to connect with partners, and find out the evolving needs, priorities, and innovations shaping the future of senior living.
As we head into a slower summer stretch, we’re reflecting on the senior living trends that have defined the year so far. Here are the themes that stood out.
Wellness and personalization at the forefront
Older adults today aren’t just seeking support; they’re seeking fulfillment. They want to stay active, independent, and connected, and they expect wellness to be woven into the fabric of their communities.
The International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) is a champion for active aging, and their seven dimensions of wellness—physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual, vocational, and environmental—offer a strong foundation for holistic older adult care. A central theme at their Wellness Think Tank was how operators can align wellness programming with financial sustainability. Sessions explored how partnering with healthcare providers, ACOs, and insurers can bring wellness programming into communities’ value-based care (VBC) equation.
This theme carried across the Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference, where sessions emphasized the importance of proactive care and personalized engagement as tools for improving outcomes.
The shift is clear: operators are evolving from service-based models to value-driven approaches, where wellness and purpose are no longer “nice-to-haves,” but central to success. When wellness frameworks are embedded in daily life, communities drive better health outcomes and help reduce long-term healthcare costs.
AI moves from buzzword to business strategy
In our last senior living trends roundup, we said AI is becoming essential infrastructure. While this still holds true, the conversation is maturing. Q2’s events revealed a new level of fluency and imagination around AI; not just what it can do, but how it fits into broader operational strategies.
At the LeadingAge Leadership Summit, our CMO Paige Mantel shared how AI is already transforming resident onboarding, wellness personalization, staff workflows, and even friend-matching. These applications aren’t theoretical—they’re helping teams do more with less, reduce burnout, and spend more quality time with residents.
Adoption of AI is accelerating, and executive teams are driving it. At the Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference, Paige joined Holly McMurray, Senior Vice President Care and Compliance at Cogir, and LifeLoop Customer Success Manager Jason Sanchez to lead a session on tech rollout pitfalls. The main takeaway: implementation success depends on more than just selecting the right tools. It requires leadership buy-in, cross-functional alignment, and a clear feedback loop that keeps the process iterative.
At the same event, LifeLoop CTO Dylan Conley and New Perspective Senior Living Vice President of Innovation and Optimization, Brandon Tabbert, discussed how AI-driven activity calendars are enhancing engagement at scale. NPSL is a pioneer in AI adoption thanks to Brandon’s visionary leadership, helping free up staff time while delivering personalized programming that meets resident needs in meaningful ways.
Agentic AI—systems that act with autonomy—is also emerging as a frontier worth watching. While AI familiarity varies, operators embracing it are seeing results: more personalized experiences, improved clinical outcomes, and stronger financial performance.
Tying it all together: care, creativity, and connection
Across the Q2 events season, it was evident that senior living leaders are rising to meet new challenges—staffing, rising acuity needs, tech integration—with flexibility and focus. The best operators are leaning into innovation while staying grounded in their mission: creating environments where older adults receive personalized care and engagement.
We ended the season at the Senior Living Innovation Forum (SLIF), a favorite for its candid conversations and outside-the-box programming. In true Jack York fashion, the original iN2L founder made sure to keep us entertained with some wild guest appearances during his session.
Who said senior living is boring? This events season was a reminder that our industry is far from stagnant, and is abundant with opportunity to infuse innovation, joy, and fun while delivering exceptional community experiences.
Want to stay plugged into industry trend conversations? Register for our next Flourishing Communities webinar to hear first-hand insights from leaders who are navigating industry changes and redefining senior living.
