A significant number of senior living companies have implemented diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging programs in the past year, indicating that more owners and operators are “leaning in” to those initiatives to meet strategic goals, according to new industry research.

But the authors of the report about the results of the 2023 Senior Living DEIB Survey, which was released Wednesday, say it’s time for operators to focus on actions aimed at improving retention in addition to recruiting.

“Organizations should establish a holistic vision for what they are trying to achieve through their DEIB efforts,” they wrote. “It is time to move beyond the focus of just recruiting diverse talent. Companies must foster inclusive work environments that provide a sense of belonging, so that they can retain the talent that they work hard to attract.”

The survey, which continued to track the industry’s progression addressing DEIB initiatives, was conducted by Ferguson Partners and sponsored by the Senior Living DEIB Coalition, a two-year-old partnership among Argentum, the American Seniors Housing Association and the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care.

Although more work lies ahead, Argentum President and CEO James Balda said that it is important to acknowledge the progress to date.

“It is exciting to note that this year’s survey showed an increase in the percentage of companies with formal DEIB programs, from 27% to 40%, which indicates a growing recognition within the industry of the importance and positive impact of promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging among employees and residents,” Balda said in a statement. “A formal DEIB program is an important step to foster a culture of diversity, equity, including and belonging, which also bolsters employee engagement.”

Recommendations

The survey, however, also revealed that well more than 80% of executive positions are held by white employees, presenting a “huge opportunity” for racial/ethnic parity at the executive level with employees of color. More work also is needed at the mid-management level, with women of color leaving at twice the rate of their promotion, according to the report. 

“Senior living is about creating communities where everyone feels welcome and valued,” NIC President and CEO Ray Braun said. “The results of this survey provide us with a roadmap for furthering our DEIB initiatives and creating an industry that is truly inclusive for all.”

DEIB trends

The results also provide a market overview of how the senior living industry is addressing DEIB, according to ASHA President and CEO David Schless. 

“The data collected provides valuable insights into current industry trends, best practices and areas of improvement for those looking to further their DEIB efforts,” he said.

Survey participation increased 36% — from 44 to 60 companies — from 2022. 

According to the results, 40% of respondents have a formal DEIB program in place — up from 27% in 2022 — and 37% have implemented some DEIB initiatives or policies. In addition, 93% of respondents said they are taking steps to recruit potential employees from underrepresented groups, and 95% said they are taking steps to increase retention and promotion rates of members of underrepresented groups.

Other findings:

• The majority of organizations focus on gender (91%), race/ethnicity (98%), sexual orientation (89%) and age (83%) as dimensions of diversity.
• 73% of senior living professionals are women.
• 50% of employees are white, and 46% are people of color.
• 14% of executive management is people of color, and women make up 50% of executives.

In most cases (57%), DEIB initiatives originate in the C-suite (57%), although some initiatives are developed by the human resources department (17%) or by a dedicated DEIB committee (13%).

An executive summary of the survey results is available on Argentum’s website.

During our final session, we tried to help them pare back their goals, but they fell into the problem many companies are facing. They were struggling to prioritize and, against our advice, they felt that they needed to begin to address each item all at once. 

Senior living business leaders and companies are facing a very similar challenge in 2024, and should they fail to focus and prioritize addressing the greatest issues they face, they will soon find themselves asking how they didn’t make any headway in 2024 and what to do about it in 2025.

This can prove challenging, as these companies aim to meet immediate financial targets and operational goals while they also need to lay the groundwork for sustainable growth, innovation and quality improvement in the long term. To cut through the noise, leaders must strategically focus and prioritize the right challenge by determining its urgency over its relative standing in the hype cycle.

So, let me help with that. Here are the four challenges and their implications that leaders and companies could face that must be addressed if they are to not only survive 2024 but thrive.

1. Today’s trendiest AI isn’t everyone’s best tool

Senior living businesses have arrived at a crossroads in 2024. Integrating artificial intelligence into general business practices has become an imperative and an untenable obstacle course.

Many companies are moving forward with the misguided hope that the benefits will outweigh the upfront costs, and that can be true. AI can personalize care, customize resident plans, provide predictive analytics and tell you what your budget could be next year.

Companies, however, will need to make smart choices, as not all AI models are built and, more importantly, trained, equally. Choosing the wrong model means a potential for a closed-loop input system where the model does not consider outside needs of potential future customers other than what it was trained on.

To make the most of AI, businesses should prioritize models that have transparency and ones that can help them fix their fragmented data. Siloed records, notes, charts and schedules in multiple platforms that lack interoperability means there will be limited value in the analytics from a model only able to pull from one source of data. The integration challenges are real, but the potential is transformative.

2. The demographic cliff

It’s not news to you that senior living businesses are facing the stark reality of the increasing number of potential residents and a lack of talent to care for them. As baby boomers continue to age and look to move into active-adult or various other tiered classes of caregiving, not only are the communities lacking or nonexistent, but so are the caregivers. Flexible working options and higher pay elsewhere are fueling resignations.

To address those challenges, businesses need to consider new development routes for staff and properties. Considerations for creativity in how administrative roles are staffed and developed through training and upskilling local community members is one way to start.

Long term, the labor shortage may mean rethinking on-demand workers over full-time hires. Also, there is the potential for modular construction, and investors looking to be recession-resilient could mean new forms of capital that could allow for the right-sizing of the units and technologic improvements needed.

3. Transparency versus personalization versus privacy

Senior living companies have leaned heavily on personalization to drive engagement. Data collection can provide unique offerings, especially with the advent of wearables, which can help customize meal plans, activities, amenities and medicine, but consumers and clients have begun to demand more privacy and protection of their data.

Businesses must become more transparent about where they collect data, where outside data are being used and what is done with them. If done successfully, the transparency can bolster engagement and increase communication between the residents and the communities, another potential data perk.

Equally important will be open communication on issues such as sustainability, social responsibility and employee well-being. Today’s residents and families expect more transparency. Companies that honestly address their practices and shortcomings will build trust. 

4. Inflexibility in your future direction

Operators facing these pressures often suffer from a lack of agility and flexibility in their planning. Anticipating future challenges in healthcare and demographics is crucial yet challenging, especially with limited resources, as those challenges constantly move.

Even with prioritized challenges to address, however, leaders must be open to being nimble enough to adapt their hardened three- to five-year plans while also realizing that type of planning needs to shift to become 10- to 15-year planning. This change will allow them to be ready for shifts in behaviors, to grow as digital health evolves, residents’ preferences morph and staffing dynamics shift.

Allowing for re-perception of the challenges and trends that are faced throughout the year will allow companies to be proactive instead of responsive. Most companies lack this flexibility, which ultimately means they stay the course when they need to pivot and, in doing so, become obsolete to the whims of their clients and residents.

In 2024, these challenges and trends are not just obstacles but also catalysts for innovation and improvement. For business leaders, particularly in the senior living industry, addressing these challenges head-on is not just about survival but also about thriving in an ever-changing landscape. By doing so, you can ensure sustained growth, improved service quality and enhanced operational efficiency, ultimately leading to long-term success and a positive impact on your communities.

Mark Bryan is the senior foresight manager at the Future Today Institute, an advisory firm specializing in strategic foresight aimed at driving corporate strategies that lead to long-term success and resilience. The institute partners with leaders of Fortune 500 companies, world governments and other major organizations to help them pivot, adapt and thrive in the face of disruptive change.

The opinions expressed in each McKnight’s Senior Living guest column are those of the author and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Senior Living.

Have a column idea? See our submission guidelines here.

Lifelong learning has seamlessly integrated into both my personal and professional life, serving as the driving force behind my belief that senior living communities should offer and ensure access to a wealth of opportunities for expanding the minds of their residents.

The quest for knowledge is a never-ending journey — that’s a belief that lies at the core of my mission. Since joining The Kensington at Walnut Creek, my primary goal has been to ensure that age never becomes a barrier to enriching one’s mind.

Lifelong learning is about so much more than keeping your mind intellectually sharp; it plays a vital role in maintaining a high quality of life. It’s the key to nurturing both a healthy mind and a healthy body, and it can significantly contribute to warding off cognitive conditions, such as dementia, while promoting social connection.

In senior living communities, recognizing the significance of offering a diverse array of social activities tailored to residents’ varying needs is paramount. Providing a multitude of opportunities that span across emotional, occupational, physical, social, intellectual, creative, nutritional and spiritual dimensions of wellness can foster an environment where growth and self-improvement remain continuous pursuits.

Encouraging residents to participate in activities aimed at cognitive enrichment is essential. Those activities may include hosting discussion groups, trivia nights, history lessons or an outing to the latest art exhibit. Empowering residents to influence their learning experiences by enabling them to suggest topics they are passionate about also can prove beneficial. Doing so offers them a meaningful way to keep their minds engaged and curious.

In the modern digital age, maintaining connectivity also is so important. Providing residents with access to technologic resources and the support to use them can help them enrich their online presence, facilitating increased engagement and connection in an increasingly digital world.

A dedication to lifelong learning is in harmony with a broader philosophy that prioritizes the well-being of residents. This philosophy offers a personalized approach to wellness, tailored to meet the unique needs and priorities of each resident. It includes offering programs that encompass various aspects of well-being, including daily fitness classes, cardio programs, nutritional consultations and opportunities for residents to give back to the community through philanthropic activities. Those carefully crafted programs should go beyond being mere offerings; they should be designed to be evolving experiences that adapt to the changing needs and desires of residents, ensuring that their well-being remains a central focus.

Lifelong learning begins with those who genuinely care about providing people of all ages with ongoing opportunities for growth. By fostering a lifelong pursuit of self-enrichment, we empower individuals to embark on journeys of self-discovery and intellectual expansion, regardless of their age. This commitment serves as a transformative force that shapes lives and nurtures an ever-curious and engaged community.

Joseph Villanueva is executive director at The Kensington at Walnut Creek, a Kisco Senior living community in Walnut Creek, CA.

The opinions expressed in each McKnight’s Senior Living guest column are those of the author and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Senior Living.

Have a column idea? See our submission guidelines here.

Nominations for the Rising Star, Veteran VIP and Hall of Honor categories (described below) that are submitted by that date will have an $89 entry fee. Nominations submitted Saturday, Jan. 6, to Tuesday, Jan. 9, the final deadline, will carry a $119 entry fee.

The program, now in its sixth year, is coordinated by McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care. Nominations opened Nov. 7.

Since the program began in 2019, 252 women in the fields of senior living, skilled nursing or home care have been honored across multiple award categories.

Eligible for recognition are women working as direct care providers, managers, executives, corporate executives and owners in independent living, assisted living, memory care and life plan communities, as well as those working in those capacities in skilled nursing facilities and in home care, home health, hospice and palliative care. 

Women who serve the fields indirectly — for instance as association staff members, academicians or thought leaders — also are eligible for recognition. Individuals working for vendor companies serving the industry are not eligible.

The nomination categories:

• Hall of Honor: Candidates should be senior-level professionals in the C-suite or at a level equivalent to vice president or higher and should have made a significant impact on their organization or the industry.
• Veteran VIP: Candidates should have more than 15 years of experience making an impact in long-term care and should be at a level lower than vice president or its equivalent. Whether as a community/facility administrator or executive director; or as a director of nursing, health/wellness or activities; or through some other position, they must have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the senior living and care industry through their accomplishments.
• Rising Star: Candidates must be aged 40 or fewer years or have fewer than 15 years of experience in the profession. Also, they must have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the senior living and care industry. Those achievements/accomplishments may include, for example, managing a project, developing a campaign or contributing to the field via research or thought leadership.
• Spirit Award: This award recognizes inspiring caregiving and service provision efforts. Eligibility is open to women who have demonstrated acts of bravery, courage, perseverance, dedication, determination — or other noble gestures.

Nominators for the Rising Star, Veteran VIP and Hall of Honor categories should be prepared to share detailed qualitative and quantitative information about nominees’ work histories, exceptional achievements and contributions or service, and anything else the judging panel should consider.

Nominators for the Spirit Award should be prepared to detail the actions that qualify the potential honoree for the recognition. Nominations for the Spirit Award will be accepted at no charge.

A Lifetime Achievement Award winner also will be named.

All honorees will be celebrated at an in-person event on Tuesday, May 14, in Chicago that also will recognize inductees from previous years. Some information about the event, which also will include educational sessions, is available now at mcknightswomenofdistinction.com. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

For more information about the awards, or to submit a nomination for them, visit mcknightswomenofdistinction.com.

Questions should be directed to Amanda Hassler, director of events for Haymarket Media, the parent company of McKnight’s, at amanda.hassler@haymarketmedia.com.

Read about previous award winners here. See lists of previous classes of honorees here and here.

Sponsors of the 2024 McKnight’s Women of Distinction Awards and Forum program include Curana Health, DirecTV for Business, Healthcare Services Group, PharMerica and Priority Life Care.

Nominations for the Rising Star, Veteran VIP and Hall of Honor categories (described below) that are submitted by that date will have an $89 entry fee. Nominations submitted Jan. 6 or later will carry a $119 entry fee.

The program, now in its sixth year, is coordinated by McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care. Nominations opened Nov. 7.

Since the program began in 2019, 252 women in the fields of senior living, skilled nursing or home care have been honored across multiple award categories.

Eligible for recognition are women working as direct care providers, managers, executives, corporate executives and owners in independent living, assisted living, memory care and life plan communities, as well as those working in those capacities in skilled nursing facilities and in home care, home health, hospice and palliative care. 

Women who serve the fields indirectly — for instance as association staff members, academicians or thought leaders — also are eligible for recognition. Individuals working for vendor companies serving the industry are not eligible.

The nomination categories:

• Hall of Honor: Candidates should be senior-level professionals in the C-suite or at a level equivalent to vice president or higher and should have made a significant impact on their organization or the industry.
• Veteran VIP: Candidates should have more than 15 years of experience making an impact in long-term care and should be at a level lower than vice president or its equivalent. Whether as a community/facility administrator or executive director; or as a director of nursing, health/wellness or activities; or through some other position, they must have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the senior living and care industry through their accomplishments.
• Rising Star: Candidates must be aged 40 or fewer years or have fewer than 15 years of experience in the profession. Also, they must have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the senior living and care industry. Those achievements/accomplishments may include, for example, managing a project, developing a campaign or contributing to the field via research or thought leadership.
• Spirit Award: This award recognizes inspiring caregiving and service provision efforts. Eligibility is open to women who have demonstrated acts of bravery, courage, perseverance, dedication, determination — or other noble gestures.

Nominators for the Rising Star, Veteran VIP and Hall of Honor categories should be prepared to share detailed qualitative and quantitative information about nominees’ work histories, exceptional achievements and contributions or service, and anything else the judging panel should consider.

Nominators for the Spirit Award should be prepared to detail the actions that qualify the potential honoree for the recognition. Nominations for the Spirit Award will be accepted at no charge.

A Lifetime Achievement Award winner also will be named.

All honorees will be celebrated at an in-person event on Tuesday, May 14, in Chicago that also will recognize inductees from previous years. Some information about the event, which also will include educational sessions, is available now at mcknightswomenofdistinction.com. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

For more information about the awards, or to submit a nomination for them, visit mcknightswomenofdistinction.com.

Questions should be directed to Amanda Hassler, director of events for Haymarket Media, the parent company of McKnight’s, at amanda.hassler@haymarketmedia.com.

Read about previous award winners here. See lists of previous classes of honorees here and here.

Sponsors of the 2024 McKnight’s Women of Distinction Awards and Forum program include Curana Health, DirecTV for Business, Healthcare Services Group, PharMerica and Priority Life Care.

“A Stronger Workforce for America Act delivers a long overdue update to the backbone of our workforce development system and will help ensure every American can benefit from our economic growth,” Scott said in a statement.

The bill is meant to improve upon the 2014 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act programs by expanding and improving the quality of skills development, providing services “disconnected youth” and helping formerly incarcerated individuals released from incarceration transition back to employment.

According to a fact sheet released in conjunction with the legislation, the bill would dedicate 50% of the adult and dislocated worker funding toward upskilling workers, emphasize employer-led initiatives that equip workers with the skill sets to fill jobs in critical industries and provide “robust skill development services” to workers displaced from their jobs through no fault of their own.

Fox said the bill will “help employees compete in today’s workforce, close the skills gap, provide accountability and, most importantly, facilitate the success of America.”

The US Chamber of Commerce is in favor of the proposed bill, the business organization said Friday in a press release.

“Building a skilled workforce is a top issue for the US Chamber. With millions of unfilled jobs, a shrinking workforce, and rapidly changing skill needs it’s imperative that our nation provide more opportunities and on-ramps for those seeking to develop the skills necessary for in-demand jobs,” the chamber said.

If the proposed bill makes it out of committee, it will need to be approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate before making its way to the president’s desk, “which could be tough in a narrowly divided Congress barreling into an election year,” according to the Society for Human Resources Management.

A Maryland-based continuing care retirement / life plan community operator is moving its green initiatives into the kitchen in an effort to reduce food waste and lower its carbon footprint.

Lutheran Social Ministries of Maryland has adopted a series of initiatives at its two communities, including reducing printed materials and food waste, and promoting the use of fewer disposable goods. The communities are Carroll Lutheran Village in Westminster, MD, with 500 residents, and Lutheran Village of Miller’s Grant in Ellicott City, MD, with almost 350 residents.

The CCRC began implementing green practices in 2021 — including transitioning to LED lighting, adding solar panels and installing electric vehicle charging stations — in an effort to preserve the “natural beauty” of its communities.

The culinary teams use the LeanPath program software to measure food waste — such as food scraps, expired items and overproduction — by means of scales and tablets. Since February, Lutheran Village of Miller’s Grant has reduced its food waste by 64%, and Carroll Lutheran Village has reduced its food waste by 28%.

The communities also moved from printing weekly menus to making them available in digital formats via email, a resident portal on its website and digital TV displays throughout the communities. The approach reduced Carroll Lutheran Village’s printing by 3,000 pages per week.

Lutheran Village of Miller’s Grant reduced the use of disposable containers in favor of reusable products almost a year ago. Residents were given reusable bags for carryout items in lieu of plastic bags, and the community’s restaurants recently began using reusable carryout containers made from 100% sourced bisphenol A-free plastic. Residents rinse out the containers when they are done with them and place them in a specially marked reusable bag outside their residence for staff to pick up, clean and sanitize for reuse.

Those culinary green initiatives have helped reduce the communities’ carbon footprint, according to LSMMD President and CEO Jeff Branch. 

“These initiatives not only benefit the environment but also empower our residents, team members and the broader community to actively engage in building a greener and more sustainable future,” Branch said in a statement.

For any green project, Branch told McKnight’s Senior Living, buy-in from team members and residents is crucial.

“While green projects like solar energy can provide large benefits to an organization, it’s often the programs like culinary green initiatives that resonate with residents the most,” Branch said. “Resident participation allows for ownership and creates a collaborative process with real-time results.”

Senior living organizations looking to start green initiatives should start small and at the community level, Branch advised.

“There has to be an understanding of the benefits, such as expense reduction, greenhouse gas reductions, etc., and how each person plays a role in achieving the desired result,” Branch said, adding that regular updates on progress can help everyone share successes and celebrate.

Jos Lelieveld, PhD, from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany, and colleagues estimated all-cause and cause-specific deaths attributable to fossil fuel-related air pollution. The analysis included data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study and observational fine particulate matter and population data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The researchers estimated that globally, there are 8.34 million all-cause excess deaths per year due to fine particulate and ozone air pollution. Most of this mortality burden is tied to cardiometabolic conditions (52%), including ischemic heart disease (30%) and stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (16% for each). Globally, an estimated 5.13 million excess deaths annually are attributable to ambient air pollution from fossil fuel use and therefore could potentially be avoided by phasing out fossil fuels (~82% of the maximum number of air pollution deaths). Rather than a complete phase-out, smaller reductions indicate that responses are not strongly nonlinear. 

“Phasing out fossil fuels is deemed to be an effective intervention to improve health and save lives as part the United Nations’ goal of climate neutrality by 2050,” the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Editorial

A recent Pew Research Center analysis of data from the US Census Bureau and other sources, found that women now hold 29% of the CEO and public administrator positions in the United States. 

The center also recently shared that the number of women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies reached an all-time high of 10.6% in 2023; 53 women lead the firms, according to the Fortune 500 list and Catalyst. Also, Pew said, the share of women who serve on the boards of Fortune 500 companies was 30.4% in 2022, up from 9.6% in 1995, according to Catalyst, Deloitte and Heidrick & Struggles.

It all sounds like positive news, and it is, and yet Pew also pointed out that “the share of women in top business leadership positions remains well below their share of the population.”

Some good news, according to a recent Pew survey, is that a majority of the public seems to support women in leadership positions. Fifty-five percent of respondents said they believe that there are too few women in top executive business positions (although this percentage is down from 59% in 2018), and 79% of those respondents believe that there should be an equal number of men and women in leadership roles (additionally, 10% said that it would be ideal if there were more women than men in these roles, and another 10% said that it would be ideal to have more women in the positions than there are now, but still not as many women as men).

Reading all of this news, my mind went back to 2019, when Juniper Communities’ founder and CEO Lynne Katzmann accepted the first McKnight’s Women of Distinction Lifetime Achievement Award and used her acceptance speech in part to call for more women at the highest ranks of organizations.

“Women make up an overwhelming majority of our consumers. They also make up an overwhelming majority of the workforce” in long-term care, she said at the time. “The ranks of CEOs really need to reflect that strong, dynamic group of women that we serve and that provide care and service to the people that are our residents.”

An even more important goal, Katzmann continued, is that company boards have appropriate representation of women.

“Gender-balanced boards are imperative, and gender-balanced boards get results,” she said.

Katzmann pointed to a report for Credit Suisse that found that companies with women directors, compared with those without, had higher growth, higher value and higher return on equity. In addition, she pointed to a study published in 2018 in the Harvard Business Review that “noted that gender-balanced teams achieved greater customer satisfaction and enhanced employee engagement,” she said.

There’s still more work to do, both overall and in senior living, until we see more women at the top. Along the way, we can ensure that women leaders get the recognition they deserve and tell their stories to inspire others to follow in their footsteps. And we can celebrate women at other points in their careers who are striving to make their organizations the best they can be.

Nominations for the sixth annual McKnight’s Women of Distinction awards program are now open. Get details here and make plans now to attend the May 14 awards ceremony and educational sessions in Chicago. It promises to be an exhilarating day where many more worlds of wisdom will be shared.

Lois A. Bowers is the editor of McKnight’s Senior Living. Read her other columns here.