The Silver Wave, the Silver Tsunami, the Silver Surge — whatever you want to call it – isn’t just coming. It’s already here and senior living communities across the country are preparing for what comes next.
At the Senior Housing News Sales and Marketing Conference, editor Tim Regan noted: “Boomers are not just thinking about what they are going to do in the next few years — they are starting to make their move. It’s an opportunity but also a challenge.”
This new class of senior living residents is gearing up to start the next chapter of their lives and are bringing with them clear expectations for their futures – and who can blame them? The Boomer generation is known for building long-term careers, engaging in social activism, and remaining resilient in the face of great cultural, environmental and technological upheaval. They don’t want their retirement years to look like those of their parents. They expect more – more engagement, more options, more purpose.
During sessions at the SHN Conference, panelists from communities across the country reflected on how the industry must respond to these demands and prepare for this incoming generation of residents.
Senior Living Communities Must Offer More Than a Building
Many senior living communities face a good problem: high occupancy. Residents may have originally been attracted to the community for any number of reasons. Perhaps the community has always been known for stellar dining options and access to higher levels of care. But over time, one selling point may have become less favorable: location.
Senior living communities can change many things, but location is rarely one of them. Relocating to a new site is possible, though it is unlikely to be the first option for communities looking to reinvigorate their brand.
Senior living communities that were built in less trendy cities or regions are challenged with attracting seniors to live in these locations. To contend with this challenge, senior living communities are making living spaces as attractive as possible while promoting the experiences and lifestyles found within the facility. Lifestyle-forward communities are able to appeal to senior residents by emphasizing that the community itself is not simply a place or a building; it is a vessel for a lifestyle and an experience.
Building a reputation as a lifestyle-centric senior living community can be accomplished through consistent messaging and strategic communications. Many organizations partner with a public relations firm or PR agency that understands the senior living sector and can help shape how the community is perceived. For example, AKCG works with senior living organizations to highlight the amenities, resident engagement and lifestyle offerings that differentiate their communities. As a public relations agency specializing in senior living communications, our work focuses on helping communities tell those stories in ways that resonate with residents, families and prospective residents.
Experience Is Becoming the Defining Factor for Senior Living Communities
A panelist shared in-house research that doubled down on the Boomer generation’s desire for more. A focus group participant noted, “the thought of eating every meal in one dining room for the rest of my life is a miserable thought.” Even the most beautiful dining room is not enough. They want experience. They want autonomy, decision-making power and purpose.
Today’s prospective residents are evaluating communities based on experiences such as:
- Variety in dining and social spaces
- Opportunities for lifelong learning and engagement
- Autonomy in daily routines and activities
- Access to wellness programs and community life
Communities that demonstrate these kinds of experiences through their services and offerings will resonate with future residents. Senior living communities can do this through targeted media relations efforts that focus on telling stories that highlight these experiences through the eyes of residents, staff members and organization leaders.
Senior living communities also are using social media, primarily Facebook, to serve as a hub for storytelling about resident life so that prospects can see the type of experiences they, too, could have in the community. Social media should be used intentionally to shape how a community is perceived through strategic messaging and visuals.
Senior Living Communications Must Start With Knowing Your Audience
While Facebook is an important channel for Boomers and Generation X, marketing and communications teams should focus on the channels that reach their audiences. For example, panelists shared that while TikTok is popular with Millennials and Generation Z, they have yet to see return on investment after deploying resources on that platform in recruitment campaigns. Similarly, while AI like ChatGPT and Gemini are popular, adoption among seniors is still relatively low. Instead of investing resources to influence AEO/GEO, many marketers are focusing on channels more likely to reach prospective residents.
In marketing and public relations, audience is everything – otherwise we’re doing it for its own sake. This is where an experienced public relations firm can help communities identify the right media outlets, storytelling channels and communications strategies.
At AKCG, we believe that good media coverage is only as good as who it reaches. If a niche podcast reaches 5,000 highly engaged listeners in your target audience, that is more valuable than a media outlet whose audience is wider and more broad.
Those seeking senior living for themselves or for their loved ones are well-researched. Spend the time to identify what channels they use and focus your resources marketing and engaging in PR in those channels.
Reputation and Messaging for Senior Living Communities
Senior living communities — regardless of where they fall on the cost spectrum — must know their value proposition and communicate it with confidence. From the top of leadership to the sales counselors interacting with senior prospects, all spokespersons should be practiced in communicating the community’s key messages.
Panelists also shared that at times, sales teams may face a challenge when a prospect has a certain perception of the community before they take a tour or meaningfully engage with the community.
Communities can address these perceptions by monitoring conversations about their brand, engaging in media relations to shape the narrative, and preparing to respond when issues arise.
As senior living communities prepare for the next generation of residents, reputation will play an increasingly important role in attracting them. At AKCG, we partner with senior living organizations to build, preserve and restore reputations through strategic public relations. If you are interested in learning how our team can support your community’s goals, contact us here.
