Senior Housing News Recap: Top Stories of 2014

Senior Housing News kept readers in the front lines of pivotal and breaking senior living industry happenings in 2014 — from billion dollar mergers and acquisitions, to new and innovative practices among providers, to advancements in memory care dining and cutting edge senior housing designs. 

Here’s a list of Senior Housing News‘s most popular posts this past year, culminating with the single most-read article of 2014:

#10. April 30 — Dished: Grind Dining Redefines Menus in Memory Care

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For a proportion of the aging population who suffers from memory impairment or lack of cognitive function, meals often consist of highly processed foods and/or require the use of utensils, but a new style of dining — Grind Dining — is giving memory care residents the opportunity to enjoy the flavors and textures of foods they love.

#9. September 15 — Mystery Shopping Reveals Failing Marks for Senior Living Sellers

Despite senior living communities’ ongoing efforts to improve their outreach and marketing campaigns, the fundamental basics of their marketing strategies are still seen largely as flawed, mystery shops completed by students in senior housing administration at George Mason University reveal.

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#8. June 22 — CCRC Spearheads New Pocket-Style Approach to Senior Living

One Oregon continuing care retirement community is transforming its existing campus into a weaving outdoor walkway that leads to a series of neighborhoods within the larger community. This “pocket-style” community design is the foundation of a $60 million redevelopment project that is changing the way residents interact with their neighbors at Rose Villa Senior Living, a Portland-based nonprofit CCRC.

#7. January 13 — Five Coolest Senior Care Tech Unveiled at CES 2014

Tech companies from all over the world gathered at the 2014 CES tech convention at the start of 2014 to showcase new innovations in the field. The top technologies catering toward senior care included those that boost social connectivity, track vitals and streamline health data information among physicians and other care providers.

#6. February 11 — Best of Senior Housing Design 2013: Not Your Parents’ Nursing Home

Wellbrooke of Westfield, a skilled nursing and assisted living community in Indiana, was one of the senior living communities spotlighted in the first-ever Senior Housing Design Awards 2013. The community’s sports mega-complex proves that sometimes athletics and senior living can go hand-in-hand.

#5. May 4 — EB-5 Funding Booms for Senior Living Development

The Immigrant Investor Program—call EB-5—is contributing millions of dollars in capital for some senior living developers. Omega Communities and RockBridge Senior Living are among the senior housing developers using EB-5 to get low-cost funding for at least three new projects located in the Southeast.

#4. June 10 — 5 Must-Haves for Repositioning a Senior Living Community

Gone are the days of the “if you build it, they will come” development strategy. Providers looking to maximize occupancy at their communities and attract tomorrow’s resident must consider amenities that cater to wellness, culinary, technology, transportation and health service amenities. 

#3. February 20 — [Update] Emeritus to Merge with Brookdale Senior Living in $2.8 Billion Deal

Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE: BKD) and Emeritus Corporation (NYSE: ESC) agreed to merge in a transaction valued at $2.8 billion. As a result of the merger, the companies created “the only nationwide network of senior living communities with fully integrated ancillary services across the continuum of care,” and the largest senior living platform in the nation.

#2. January 9 — Top 5 Senior Living Design Must-Haves For 2014

Amenities once considered “nice-to-haves” became “must haves” in 2014, including customizable spaces, on-site services and the assisted living rehab hotel, technology upgrades and more.

#1. January 15 Top 10 Trends in Senior Housing for 2014

As senior living continues to evolve within a rapidly changing health care landscape, money and health set the stage for the top 10 trends in senior living in 2014. SHN predicted that where previously the main assets of retirees, home equity and investment portfolios were the anchors of decision making in years past, 2014 would usher in a new anchor grounded in realistic, responsible lifestyle choices. Check out SHN’s list of 2014 trends and see how many you have noticed this year.

Editor’s note: The top stories list is based on traffic data received on Senior Housing News content compiled beginning on January 1, 2014.

Written by Cassandra Dowell

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