The Future Leaders Awards program is brought to you in partnership with PointClickCare. The program is designed to recognize up-and-coming industry members who are shaping the next decade of behavioral health, senior housing, skilled nursing, home health, and hospice care. To see this year’s Future Leaders, visit https://futureleaders.agingmedia.com/.
Chris Teigen, vice president of architecture and senior living at Ryan Companies, has been named a 2024 Future Leader by Senior Housing News.
To become a Future Leader, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be a high-performing employee who is 40-years-old or younger, a passionate worker who knows how to put vision into action, and an advocate for seniors, and the committed professionals who ensure their well-being.
Teigen sat down with Senior Housing News to talk about how his background set him up for success in senior housing, how affordability is a priority of his for the future of the industry and how technology will shape senior living moving forward.
What drew you to this industry?
A couple of factors influenced my decision to enter the senior living industry. My previous experience with housing, hospitality, and healthcare design provided a great foundation for working on senior living communities. Observing the significant need for high-quality environments and care in senior living, along with the fulfilling experience of being a small part of meeting that need, made it a clear option for me to get more involved when the opportunity arose.
What’s your biggest lesson learned since starting to work in this industry?
One of the key lessons came early on from a conversation with an operator that we partner with. They shared how moving residents into their communities often leads to significant improvements in social engagement and health outcomes. That flipped the script for me and opened my eyes to the positive impact that thoughtful design can have on enhancing the quality of life for seniors.
If you could change one thing with an eye toward the future of senior housing, what would it be?
Removing barriers to affordability and finding ways to make great senior housing environments more accessible to everyone is high on my list.
What do you foresee as being different about the senior housing industry looking ahead to 2025?
I think we are going to see more technology, particularly AI and predictive health tools. We can expect to see a broader range of product types, such as active adult. Additionally, there may be shifts in who is in the industry in terms of owners, operators, and developers. Finally, as demand continues to grow, it’s likely that we will see progress in overcoming barriers to expanding housing supply.
In a word, how would you describe the future of senior housing?
Different.
What quality must all Future Leaders possess?
Curiosity. To solve for the senior housing needs of the future, we need folks who are willing to ask questions, think outside the box, and find solutions from unlikely sources. Being curious helps with all those things. And of course, we need folks with the dedication to turn those solutions into reality.