Your grandmother’s assisted living isn’t going to be your assisted living, that’s for sure! In fact, the assisted living communities of today are sure to change to meet the demands, needs and desires of the Baby Boomers, Generation X and then again to meet those of the Millennials. One of the greatest trends in assisted living is that the trends are always changing and being modified by the current group of older adults living in them. The goal post keeps moving and the landscape is ever-changing within the assisted living industry.
What will Memory Care Look like for the Boomers and Gen X?
The nostalgic environments of today’s assisted living reflect the iconic images from the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Soda shops with black and white checkered floors, traditional barber and beauty shops, and classic movies featuring John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart in theaters within the senior community bring older adults back to their youthful years. These environments stimulate reminiscence and happy memories.
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Fast forward 20 to 30 years from now in the same assisted living community. On a movie screen, Arnold Schwarzenegger is fighting a cyborg image of himself or killing aliens in the jungle. A tribute band performs music from AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Metallica or KISS. Maybe another band a little less heavy belts out music of Elton John, Billy Joel, or Rod Stewart. The soda shop has been transformed into a Punk Rock pub. Barber shops are now spas. Everything has changed and will do so again when the Millennials start moving in.
All silliness aside, assisted living will continue to build upon the concepts of person-centered living, quality of life enhancement and new and improved ways of delivering memory care for individuals with cognitive problems. Of course, the memories will have to match the generation to be meaningful. Assisted living communities will double down on exciting the senses of sight, smell, touch, sound and maybe most important of all – taste. The point of memory care is to bring the older adult back in time to reduce stress, anxiety and to enhance mood.
Technology in Assisted Living Communities
We are becoming more and more attached to, reliant and sometimes addicted to technology. How did we ever live without smart phones and tablets? I’ll never know how I made it around town without a GPS. What’s trending in ALs today is that the current generation of adults living in them want hi-tech stuff. Boomers and Gen X, and oh my goodness, Millennials and the new Digital Generation, will demand it. Assisted living communities are also embracing technology more than before, especially wearable technology, senior-friendly cell phones, and remote control for room functions like adjusting thermostats, dimming the lights and opening the blinds. ALs are also trying to find the best technology to detect and respond to falls and create a geo-fencing area to prevent unwanted or dangerous wandering.
Person-Centered Living in a Group Setting
Person-centered care and philosophies have been around for some time and will continue to evolve within assisted living communities. Older adults can choose to live their lifestyle and maintain their hobbies, past-times and forms of enjoyment while being surrounded by like-minded cohorts. This is a great way to minimize loneliness and enhance socialization.
Assisted living communities are uniquely positioned to provide person-centered activities on steroids. Parties and programs both within the environment and outside in the community can take place throughout any given week. Social areas like bars, pubs, theaters, community rooms, libraries and coffee shops are wonderful places to hang out with friends and family. Entertainment will become increasingly person-centered. Dining will be cohort-focused and culturally driven.
Last Words on What’s Trending in Assisted Living
Society and culture are changing. Generations of older adults are shaping the way assisted living organizations design their environments and deliver person-centric services. Quality of life will be a major focus of everyday living. Technology is important now and will certainly influence the entire living experience within these communities. Life is good now and will only get better in assisted living environments in the future.
(NOTE: Interested in CEUs for Nursing Home Administrators? Checkout my Nursing Home Administrator CEUs on CEU Academy and try a FREE CEU today!)
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