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/.
Joshua Bentley, regional vice president of sales and marketing, The Aspenwood Company, 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.
Bentley caught up with Senior Housing News to talk about how senior living operators must shift the sales process to be more about the emotional connection operators can make with prospects, along with how technology integration will push the industry forward.
What drew you to the industry?
I have a distinct passion for helping others. Personally and professionally, I have understood the challenges that those who walk through the journey of senior care face. When one goes through this chapter of their life, they are in a vulnerable state, and often, one they have not prepared for. My intrinsic motivator is when I can be a resource, guide, and light for someone during this time in their life.
What’s your biggest lesson learned since starting to work in this industry?
The first word that comes to mind is to be ‘malleable.’ In the context of this industry, we are put in a position to support others. Yet, our capabilities are skewed without the ability to flex or adapt to the situation we are presented with. If a professional finds peace in being linear, they will struggle to support the complex dynamics that are posed in the industry.
If you could change one thing with an eye toward the future of senior living, what would it be?
For some time, we have recognized the process of moving individuals into senior care as one that is rooted in the transaction. Yet, this process should be different as it needs to be focused on emotion, the support that can be provided, and one’s readiness. We must build better relationships to enhance the connection families have to our brand, encourage longer lengths of stay, and influence positive associations in this industry.
What do you foresee as being different about the senior living industry looking ahead to 2025?
I believe that the senior living space will continue to evolve with technology through a lens of research. From an operations, sales, and resident experience perspective, technology can enhance the way we do business.
In a word, how would you describe the future of the senior living industry?
Innovation
What quality must all Future Leaders possess?
A Future Leader must possess a vision. When one understands where the organization is today and where it should go, innovation, success, and creativity can be amplified.