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Senior living operators are preparing for the baby boomer generation by outfitting communities with more sophisticated wellness offerings through new designs and technology.

Both architects and senior living operators are considering how they can better integrate wellness features such as biophilic elements such as natural materials and natural lighting, enhanced social features and better fitness centers into communities to put additional emphasis on a resident’s physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

In 2024, wellness is more than having fitness centers or nutritional programs, according to Darla Esnard, senior communities studio co-director at design firm Ankrom Moisan.

“It is being discussed in a more holistic way around everything from light and air and how residents get more of it, to how they interact with each other and have more choice,” Esnard said. “It’s not just about your physical well-being and wellness, it’s about everything that makes you well.”

Solana Beach, California-based Senior Resource Group (SRG) incorporates wellness through things like biophilic design, which brings nature inside a community with natural light and natural elements such as wood and plants, according to Daniel Perez, vice president of real estate development and construction.

These elements help mitigate stress and sense of isolation, Perez said. Additionally, the company is looking to make its communities more accessible and promote independence for residents.

Bolstering wellness for a new generation

New development has remained tough in the last 12 months, and in response some operators have taken a new look at the features and amenities within their own communities in an effort to prepare for senior living’s future customers.

Liberty Senior Living is regularly updating its wellness offerings for residents, both in terms of building structure and programming, most of which is brought about by garnering resident feedback on their wants and needs, according to Haley Kinne-Norris, who is the operator’s regional wellness and enrichment program coordinator.

The Wilmington, North Carolina-based operator builds into its community designs and amenities such as fitness centers and locker rooms that are as large as possible to accommodate accessibility and other needs. The operator also builds in ways to reduce noise from those amenities so residents and guests aren’t bothered.

SRG’s Maravilla Scottsdale community in Scottsdale, Arizona, exemplifies the company’s biophilic design philosophy. The community undertook an expansion that included more natural materials, natural lighting and enhanced social spaces in an effort to update its look and uses for the incoming baby boomers.

“There’s a new generation of seniors that are more active and they’re more technology-driven, and so we have to respond to that,” Perez said. “That project is going to be a good case study of the results of the implementation of those things.”

Greg Hunteman, president of Pi Architects, said it’s common for communities to locate physical therapy offices right next to fitness centers to offer an additional service for residents in an effort to encourage good health and wellness.

Hunteman noted that senior living operators are separating large dining halls into multiple smaller more intimate venues, which often include more varied fare and casual offerings like grab-and-go meals. He said that approach can be seen in a recent project that Pi was involved in with operator Forefront Living. The community, Presbyterian Village North in Dallas, now has a “strong wellness focus” thanks to integrating a wellness clinic and spa environment to focus on the body, mind and spirit.

“It was a little bit more like a health club and more of a country club when you come in,” Huntemann said. “It had a healthy options cafe, it had a really cool gym with specialized equipment, it had a great aerobics pool … [and] group fitness classes that can be divided up for multiple classes.”

Esnard said she is heartened by the use of materials such as safe paints and natural woods in senior living community construction projects. Doing so may also help appeal to the baby boomers, who she said are attracted to more sustainable building practices.

“I think that we are going to see more and more of that with the next round of residents coming in,” Esnard said. “We’re excited about it, because it’s something that we have been looking at as designers for many years.”

Technology further enables wellness

In addition to building more wellness-focused designs into communities, senior living operators are also using tech in a variety of ways to bolster their wellness programs and offerings.

Liberty makes use of “high-tech” exercise equipment which helps show residents the proper way to utilize the equipment to get the most out of their exercises, Kinne-Norris said. Additionally, they noted that Liberty communities offer “tech Tuesday” group activities where residents can learn skills such as using printers or ordering food on an app.

SRG gives residents control of functions such as lighting and air conditioning using an app, which helps promote relaxation and better sleeping habits while allowing for more control over their preferred environment.

“Some things are going to be evolving to manage their own homes, even from cooking, turning on the oven, turning the lights on and off, or controlling the air conditioning system, particularly regions like Arizona, when in the summer they really need to control their temperatures,” Perez said.

Wearable technology is not a new trend in senior living, and operators have for years given residents things like pendants and watches to help track their health. But it is still a way that operators are meeting wellness needs, she said. Esnard also said her more recent projects have included fitness centers with screens that help self-guide residents through activities. For example, that is seen in video technology allowing residents to lead classes for others in other distant communities.

By adding in more of these elements, Esnard believes it is a marketable benefit for residents.

“I think the idea of choice and flexibility in our communities really, to me, speaks to wellness for residents, giving them the dignity to be able to make those choices for themselves, even though they live in a community where maybe some of those choices are made for them on the daily,” she said. “I like to really look at it from that perspective.”