Senior Living Operators Embrace Personalized Services To Meet Shifting Wellness Preferences

Senior living providers are shifting their engagement and wellness to focus on personalization, independence and choice as the boomers arrive at their doorstep.

These efforts are improving resident satisfaction while reshaping community life, from dining to programming. Operators are now measuring resident satisfaction tied to engagement in programming, dining and routine feedback opportunities for residents and rebuilding wellness models around purpose, more unique programming and molding popular programs and events to meet a community’s collective preferences.

“The nice buildings and amenities matter, but what really makes people happy is when their days feel purposeful,” said Agewell Solvere Living Chief Wellness Officer Lorrie Kovac. “When they’re not just being cared for, but also connected, engaged and part of something.” 

The North Palm Beach-based senior living provider’s wellness model in memory care, known as “Valeo,” incorporates residents’ unique stories into their daily senior living experience to find “joy and purpose” in programming and daily activities, Kovac said. 

The program has been a “big difference maker” in memory care, able to connect with residents on a more personal level despite cognitive change. Programs within Valeo that have improved resident satisfaction and engagement are “Create and Compose,” using art and music to help residents express themselves and through “Legacy Kits” that allows families to share “meaningful items” held onto by residents that strengthen identity and build connections with staff.

Operators including AgeWell Solvere Living, Juniper Communities, Mather, Watermark Retirement Communities, Commonwealth Senior Living and Atria Senior Living are evolving wellness practices to improve resident satisfaction through increased personalization, autonomy and choices. 

Wellness ‘expectations have shifted’

It’s clear that senior living residents today demand more choice, independence and flexibility in choosing programming and amenities to engage with.

Evanston, Illinois-based Mather introduced a new, “person-centric wellness model” in 2021 to address the fact that wellness looks different to each resident moving into Mather life plan communities. Mather’s “ContinuWell” wellness philosophy ties into the organization’s programming that is designed so that residents can choose from guided, peer-led or self-directed options.

Mather pairs that with an assessment tool that matches residents with programming and wellness offerings that meet their personal needs or goals, according to CEO Mary Leary. This creates a wellness ecosystem that is “dynamic and responsive” to resident feedback and change.

“They want to co-create their wellness journey, not just participate in pre-designed programs,” Leary said. “Expectations have shifted toward immersive, interdisciplinary offerings that blend physical, emotional and creative wellness.”

Leary recalled a 90-year-old resident who participated in Mather’s equine classes told Mather leaders “more of this, and less of the card games.” As baby boomers and Gen X residents make moves into senior living communities, they are bringing with them a receptiveness to experiencing global culture and global wellness practices, Leary said. For example, residents participate in shinrin-yoku, a therapy practice that stems from Japan wherein someone “bathes” themselves in nature and the outdoors.

Mather’s ContinuWell programming has made an outsized impact on improving resident satisfaction, Leary said, blending personal preferences and peer-led programming to create experiences that are unique for all residents. Some examples of this include Mather’s musician-in-residence program along with the sensory symphony swim that combines sound baths, live music and floating on water by candlelight.

Based on the active lifestyles and feedback of residents, Mather communities offer percussive massage devices, compression sleeves, infrared sauna and vibro-acoustic soundwave beds, Leary added.

“Satisfaction is deeply rooted in the ability to choose how one engages with wellness,” Leary said. “Whether selecting group classes, one-on-one training, or immersive workshops, residents are empowered to shape their own path to well-being.”

In 2022, Juniper Communities launched Catalyst, a wellness membership health and well-being platform directly tied to personalizing senior living engagement and programming options for Juniper residents. Since its inception, the Catalyst program benefits from resident-led committees offering monthly feedback to staff spanning things from dining to programming.

“About 10% to 15% of all programming is resident-led and they take an active participation in the programming that results in greater satisfaction because it gives them greater purpose, and creates connections for them by having a louder voice in what’s being offered at a community,” said Catalyst Innovation and Implementation Specialist Rikki Goldenberg.

The Catalyst program starts at lifestyle management and scales up support and clinical integration as acuity needs change, Goldenberg said. Dining as wellness is another trend Juniper and other operators are adapting to, shifting menus to meet healthy lifestyles and providing more nutritional information for residents. For example, it could mean staff noting changes in residents not attending programming or not eating and alerting a community’s clinical team, Goldenberg added.

Resident expectations ‘higher, more individualized and more tech-enabled’

Incoming senior living residents expect a range of lifestyle amenities and programming options, spanning tailored fitness classes to mental health support.

Tucson, Arizona-based Watermark Retirement Communities uses its 360Well resident wellness program to help residents achieve “whole-person wellness,” supporting both physical and mental health of residents. Prospective residents and their families have the ability to build “personalized plans” that meet a resident’s specific lifestyle and self-care goals, according to CEO Paul Boethel.

Programs including Watermark’s Brain Cafe to improve cognitive skills and memory, Watermark University’s lifelong learning opportunities and the company’s “roadmap” courses to guide a resident’s experience have had a “tremendous impact” on improving resident satisfaction through wellness, Boethel said.

“These offerings engage residents intellectually, socially, and emotionally—creating purpose-driven opportunities for lifelong learning and growth,” Boethel added.

To get feedback, Watermark relies on surveys, resident councils to “close the loop” and communicate back to residents about how their suggestions led to changes, Boethel said. Watermark’s leadership, regional and community teams analyze quarterly survey results to learn what works and they must change in resident engagement.

Today’s senior living residents demand engagement opportunities that are “higher, more individualized and more tech-enabled,” and Watermark communities gather resident data and preferences and enter them into an operating system. This allows for prospects and families to build personalized experiences, Boethel said.

The influx of AI-supported devices is also reshaping senior living and providing operators greater insight into previously unseen moments of a resident’s day. From things like fall detection devices to engagement platforms that staff can review data on to improve resident experiences, data use can improve the overall resident experience, according to Paula Harder, who is the vice president of resident programs and memory care at Commonwealth Senior Living.

“Anything that allows a resident to remain as independent as possible for as long as possible will have a significant impact on improving lives and health and the experience of senior living,” Harder said.

Commonwealth communities conduct ongoing resident surveys to gauge resident satisfaction, and a critical period for improving resident satisfaction comes in the first 90 days of a resident’s stay, Harder said, where “planned and consistent follow up” regarding programming helps inform lifestyle teams.

Through an engagement platform, Commonwealth produces a “quality of life” score based on domains of “friendship, creativity, leisure and learning,” and if a resident’s satisfaction score is “low or declined over time,Commonwealth staff can adjust engagement plans with residents, ” Harder said.

Atria communities also emphasize feedback from residents in the first 90 days. The company’s Engage Life team meets one-on-one with residents monthly over the initial 90-day period to have meaningful conversations. This helps make sure residents can feel comfortable to voice concerns or give feedback. From there, Atria communities hold monthly resident meetings to receive feedback, according to Atria Vice President of Resident Engagement Justin Guest.

Today’s residents, many of whom are “older baby boomers,” are fully invested in their health, expecting active programming and engagement opportunities that “protect their independence.”

“That means more demand for strength-building classes, physical and occupational therapy, and balance programs to reduce fall risk. But it’s not just about exercise,” Guest said. “Residents want nutrition options that support their health, mindfulness programs to keep the mind sharp, and opportunities to continue lifelong passions.”

Wellness ‘can’t just sit with one person or department’ to impact resident satisfaction

Wellness programming and engagement “can’t just sit with one person or one department” in 2026. All staff play important roles, from dining staff and programming teams to clinical care workers, Kovac said.

Retention of staff also can improve resident satisfaction combined with engagement and programming, Kovac said. Wellness as a way to improve resident engagement and satisfaction must be a whole team effort, Goldenberg said. To bring successful wellness programming to bear, all departments and facets of each community must work together, Goldenberg noted.

“Staying in your lane no longer applies to us,” Goldenberg said. “Everyone is trained on Catalyst and expected to communicate daily observations.”

Watermark communities rely on “dedicated wellness leaders” that work with part-time specialists and cross-trained clinical staff to make sure wellness programming can be “both consistent and scalable,” Boethel said.

Recently, Atria communities have expanded training around wellness, fitness and exercise safety, while adding additional training for staff on how to lead group exercises. This helps keep wellness programming sustainable and consistent across all communities, Guest said.

“We’re seeing more professionals enter senior living with backgrounds in fitness, wellness and hospitality,” Guest said. “This diversity of perspective enriches our teams and helps us expand what we offer.”

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