As artificial intelligence revolutionizes industries worldwide, senior living communities stand at a pivotal crossroads. Technological innovations are rapidly reshaping both operational frameworks and physical environments within these communities, offering unprecedented opportunities to enhance personalization, boost staff engagement, and fundamentally transform care delivery models. Industry leaders at the forefront of this transformation are paving the way with strategic implementations that balance technological advancement with human connection.
What You Will Learn:
The landscape of artificial intelligence is evolving at a breathtaking pace. What began with chat-based generative AI in late 2022 has rapidly expanded to include multimodal assistants, agentic AI that performs tasks independently, and—possibly soon—embodied AI through humanoid robots. This progression points toward general artificial intelligence—a comprehensive form of AI that combines language understanding, visual perception, reasoning capabilities, and physical world interaction to solve complex problems with human-like versatility across multiple domains simultaneously.
"Things are not business as usual in the world of technology right now," remarks Joe Velderman, VP of Innovation at Cypress Living. "Strategic plans have to be really fluid going forward."
This acceleration presents both challenges and unprecedented opportunities for senior living providers. Communities embracing these transformations now will gain competitive advantages in addressing workforce shortages while simultaneously enhancing resident experiences through personalized interactions and streamlined operations.
Innovation doesn't materialize spontaneously—it requires deliberate cultivation throughout an organization. Velderman approaches this challenge through a comprehensive framework emphasizing four key elements:
"Innovation needs to be a culture, and it needs to engage the grassroots at every step of the way. But it has to be top-down led," emphasizes Peter Kress, Senior Vice President and CIO at Acts Retirement Communities, Inc. "If it's not top-down led, nobody feels they have permission to innovate. They are afraid they will have their hand slapped every time they step outside the lines."
This methodical approach yields measurable results. After implementing focused innovation initiatives, Cypress Living witnessed a significant shift—transitioning from needing to advocate for innovation's value to now fielding proactive requests from departments eager to explore new technologies and methodologies.
The most transformative aspect of artificial intelligence in senior living communities lies in its capacity to deliver unprecedented levels of individualized experiences. Advanced AI systems will revolutionize person-centered care through two foundational approaches:
"Person-centered care is the tip of the iceberg of what we're going to be able to do with artificial intelligence and with the data that we're going to collect," explains Velderman.
One particularly successful implementation, highlighted by both leaders, involves an ambient listening solution that automatically transcribes healthcare interactions, generating progress notes, visit summaries, and educational documents. This technology saves practitioners up to two hours of documentation time daily—not only improving operational efficiency but dramatically enhancing work-life balance and rekindling practitioners' enthusiasm for resident care.
"When we introduced this tool to one nurse practitioner who was struggling with documentation demands, she broke down in tears," shares Kress. "It transformed her ability to recover the passion of serving residents in her daily life."
This example illustrates the start of facilitating "meaningful moments"—the strategic gathering and assembling of contextually appropriate knowledge for all participants in an interaction. By capturing conversations naturally through ambient intelligence, teams can create more personalized and impactful experiences while freeing caregivers to focus on what matters most: genuine human connection rather than administrative tasks.
Physical infrastructure must evolve in tandem with technological advancement. Senior living campuses—often designed for 40-year lifecycles—require thoughtful adaptation to accommodate rapidly developing capabilities while maintaining flexibility for future innovations.
Forward-thinking design considerations for technology-ready environments include:
"Within seven years, communities will likely have more robots than employees in their buildings," predicts Kress. "These humanoid assistants will partner with empowered team members."
Velderman adds a more practical perspective: "With digital twins of residents, we should be able to accurately predict when a current resident is going to move out. Then use automation and agentic AI to proactively order the supplies that we're going to need."
Despite extraordinary technological acceleration, human connection remains paramount. The goal isn't replacing meaningful interactions but enhancing them. Properly implemented AI solutions should empower human intention, amplify personal agency, and support purposeful engagement—not dictate behaviors or diminish genuine connections.
"We aren't replacing human touch—we're augmenting it," emphasizes Kress.
This perspective positions artificial intelligence as a liberating force, redirecting valuable staff attention toward high-value resident interactions. As Velderman observes, "Think about what brings [staff] the most joy and the most engagement in their role. Is it sitting behind a computer screen, clicking buttons, and moving files from one place to the next? ...Or is it having a conversation with residents?"
Kress and Velderman both describe a future where AI handles documentation while monitoring key health indicators, freeing caregivers to focus on nuanced emotional needs and relationship building. This balanced approach addresses workforce challenges while simultaneously enhancing resident satisfaction through more personalized attention.
For organizations preparing to navigate this technological evolution, several actionable strategies emerge:
The vision emerging from forward-thinking senior living organizations emphasizes technology as an enabler of human potential rather than a replacement for compassionate care. Communities that thoughtfully embrace this technological revolution—focusing on enhancing relationships while streamlining operations—will establish significant competitive advantages in the coming decade.
This article was based on the session “A Vision for the Future of Technology & Innovation in Senior Living Communities Large & Small” presented by Joe Velderman, Peter Kress, and moderated by Carie Shingleton at SFCS’ 40th Annual By Design: Past. Present. Future. Conference on February 4th, 2025.
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