Transform

2Life Communities President and CEO Amy Schectman knows too well how easy it is for middle-income older adults to fall between the cracks. That's why she and 2Life have come up with a new senior housing concept aimed at filling the middle-market "abyss." The concept, called Opus, is meant to reduce senior housing rates for older adults through a mix of volunteerism, centralized locations and partnerships with other health and senior care providers. In this episode of Transform, learn: - Why 2Life is branching out beyond affordable senior housing to serve the middle market - What Schectman believes it will take to significantly lower senior housing rent below market rates and how Opus will work - Why partnerships may be the key to keeping middle-market care costs low - How 2Life balances mission and margin in the age of Covid-19

Adjunct Lecturer, Georgetown University and Executive Director of The Virginian by Senior Housing News

Florida is the current epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S., but that has not translated into a lingering occupancy loss for Westminster Communities of Florida. In fact, the organization is maintaining an occupancy rate at around 91% amid those challenges. CEO Terry Rogers says the key to the organization's ability to maintain stable occupancy is the fact that, in many residents' eyes, the provider's communities are safer than the places where they live. And while the spread of the delta variant does concern Rogers, he also sees other tailwinds that could counteract its challenges. In this episode of Transform, learn: - How Westminster Communities of Florida is working to keep residents safe as the delta variant spreads throughout the state - Why Rogers is exploring branching out into Minka homes or active adult communities - What Rogers thinks is the next chapter in the senior living industry's ongoing recovery

Steve Lindsey, CEO, Garden Spot Communities by Senior Housing News

Jerry Finis, Pathway to Living CEO by Senior Housing News

To reach the baby boomers, senior living operators are going to have to offer them something more than engagement. Instead, the baby boomers will want the flexibility to make their own choices about how they live their lives. That's the belief of Watermark Retirement Communities President David Barnes, and the thesis behind the company's Elan and Elite collections of luxury senior living communities. In this episode of Transform, learn: -- How Watermark is preparing to meet the demands of the boomer generation -- Why Barnes sees Watermark as an "associate-centered" company -- What the provider is seeing in terms of recovery in its markets and how long that might last

John Reinsma, Managing Director, Confluent Senior Living by Senior Housing News

It’s been said that the Covid-19 pandemic has put much of the senior living sector back into lease-up --- Heritage Communities COO Amy Birkel knows this all too well.    For the Omaha, Nebraska-based senior living operator’s 14 communities, the pandemic has turned back the clock on occupancy to the point that Birkel says it's like managing a portfolio of new buildings. But she also believes that the pandemic's challenges have led to new practices that will help serve the company during its recovery.   In this episode of Transform, learn: -- What Birkel learned after running a Covid-19 "war room" in the early days of the pandemic -- How Heritage plans to attract and retain workers in 2021 amid growing staffing headwinds -- Why Heritage made wellness a bigger part of its operations during the pandemic -- How and where Heritage is expanding in the months ahead

Larry Cohen, CEO, Trustwell Living by Senior Housing News

Phil Fogg Jr., CEO of Marquis Companies by Senior Housing News

Danette Opaczewski, COO, Revel Communities by Senior Housing News

This episode of Transform is sponsored by Medication Management Partners. The Crestwood, Illinois-based company provides medication management and is a dedicated pharmacy partner for assisted living, memory care, and behavioral health communities across the country. Over the past few months, MMP has helped its senior living partners hold vaccination clinics --- and Director of Partner Success Patrice Johnson was a lynchpin in that effort. Listen to this episode of Transform to learn: * Johnson's advice for holding a successful senior living vaccination clinic * What comes next in the senior living vaccination efforts * How MMP plans to handle vaccinations after the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program ends

Pacific Retirement Services (PRS) was in talks with eight different universities last year when the pandemic hit, putting forward progress on ice. But the Medford, Oregon-based organization's new CEO, Eric Sholty, believes demand for these types of projects will come back when conditions in the senior living industry return to normal. In addition to its portfolio of 12 CCRCs, PRS is looking for smaller, single-site providers seeking to affiliate as a result of the pandemic’s pressures. And the organization also plans to grow its portfolio of 25 community housing properties that serve low-income adults. In this episode of Transform, learn: - How PRS is building census at its new Mirabella at ASU community on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe - Why university-backed senior living projects could make a comeback after the pandemic - When Sholty believes a wider senior housing recovery will take hold - What the organization is focused on in terms of growth in 2021

Paul Griffin III, Founder, CEO, and President of Griffin Living by Senior Housing News

Revera is one of the biggest names in North American senior housing, serving 20,000 older adults in long term care homes and retirement residences in Canada, and as the majority shareholder in Sunrise Senior Living. Like senior living providers of all sizes, Revera was affected by the Covid-19 in myriad ways. In an effort to understand what happened in the pandemic’s first months, and to be better prepared for what is in store during the rest of this crisis, the company worked with a panel of medical experts to create a 90-page report. In this episode of Transform, hear from Revera CEO Tom Wellner about: — Key takeaways from Revera’s pandemic report — His take on the multi-brand strategy in senior living — An update on the search for a new Sunrise CEO

John Atkinson, Executive Vice President and Managing Director for Willis Towers Watson by Senior Housing News

Rob Leinbach, Principal at Cadence Living by Senior Housing News

When Chris Guay founded Vitality Living, he was frustrated at the industry’s slowness to innovate. Now, he believes that more operators have started “think differently” — and he anticipates that the next 10 years will bring significant, positive change. Vitality itself is changing, by opening its first active adult project. The company is also taking stock of lessons learned during the pandemic to refine its operating model. Listen to this episode of Transform to learn: — Why Vitality is bullish on active adult and its plans in the space — How the company leverages digital communication platforms — Why smaller markets are appealing for new development

Like other senior living providers, Generations LLC has faced lower occupancy rates and higher expenses due to Covid-19. But Executive Chairman Chip Gabriel is optimistic about what is in store for the Clackamas, Oregon-based provider. In particular, he is bullish on its slate of intergenerational and middle-market projects. And he believes that future operating models shouldn't focus solely on Covid-19, but instead address the unique needs and desires of the incoming baby boomer generation. In this episode of Transform, learn about: - Why Generations is bullish on intergenerational and middle-market senior living - How the company is preparing for a return to growth, and when that might occur - The mental fatigue of Covid-19, and how Generations is combating it

Randy Bury, president and CEO of the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, is looking forward to 2021 for one simple reason: It has to be better than 2020. More specifically, Bury is optimistic about the prospects for a Covid-19 vaccine, and is focused on restoring consumer trust and confidence. But in this episode of Transform, Bury is also frank about the challenges facing Good Sam and the industry as a whole. Listen to learn: -- Why occupancy might recover more slowly than some people think and hope -- How Good Sam went from a "double-A baseball club" to the "major leagues" through its affiliation with Sanford Health -- How the nonprofit is planning for the Covid-19 vaccine