A question about technology can quickly become a conversation about staffing. A discussion about construction costs can lead to questions about affordability, security, and the residents a community hopes to serve.
Those connections came through in a recent Raising Tech podcast conversation following LeadingAge in Philadelphia. Host Amber Bardon joined Kim Hoppe of KSH Consulting, Kristopher Powell of Pandion Development Management, and Matt Reiners of Parasol Alliance to compare what they heard and share their outlook for 2027.
Their discussion points to a practical priority for senior living leaders: decisions about technology, governance, and growth need to support one another. Here are the themes they brought home and the questions those themes raise for communities.
This LeadingAge conference recap considers senior living trends for 2027 through the perspectives of four people working with communities in different ways.
Senior living leadership needs room to respond
Kim described the pace of change as a recurring concern in conversations with executives and boards. Her challenge was specific: are organizations changing their own practices quickly enough to keep up?
That includes senior living governance. A board's meeting schedule, available expertise, and use of time all affect its ability to support timely decisions. Kim questioned whether familiar approaches, including meeting in person every two months, still give leaders what they need.
For a leadership team, a useful starting point is to identify where decisions repeatedly stall. Does the board have the information and expertise it needs? Are meetings focused on the issues that will move the organization forward? Those questions can help turn concern about change into a review of how decisions actually happen.
Technology strategy starts with the systems already in place
Matt described communities recognizing that years of individual technology purchases have left them with systems that do not communicate well. Staff may be entering the same information more than once or working around gaps between platforms.
That makes senior living technology strategy a question of how the existing tools work together. Before adding another product, leaders can ask what they already own, where responsibilities overlap, and which processes still require unnecessary manual work.
A review of existing systems also gives communities a clearer starting point for AI adoption. When the underlying workflow is understood, it becomes easier to identify a specific task that could benefit from automation and assess whether a new tool actually helps.
AI in senior living should leave more time for people
Kim said she is hearing a shift in how leaders talk about AI and staffing. The conversation is moving toward how teams can use technology to handle consistent tasks while people focus on work that depends on relationships.
Kristopher offered a useful example. When someone remembers your name or birthday, part of the meaning comes from knowing they remembered. A system can provide information, but the human connection still matters.
For AI in senior living, that distinction gives leaders a way to evaluate potential uses. Which routine task would the tool reduce? What would staff be able to spend more time doing? How would the change affect the resident experience? Matt also emphasized helping individuals become comfortable using AI, rather than assuming an entire team is ready to adopt it at once.
Middle market senior living needs different development ideas
From his development perspective, Kristopher described uncertainty in construction pricing as a challenge for communities trying to meet demand. He was especially concerned about what rising costs mean for middle market senior living.
His frustration was with returning to the same affordability question without finding a workable answer. He called for more creative approaches to senior living development as communities plan for future residents.
Kim also described interest in new models, including memory care that helps spouses remain close and different approaches to independent living. These examples reflect the panel's interest in designing around what people want from their later years. For communities considering a project, the discussion raises questions about who the development will serve, what residents value, and how much flexibility the organization will retain as needs change.
Cybersecurity belongs in resident and development planning
Matt raised a question that extends beyond protecting staff accounts and business systems: what are communities doing to help protect residents? He described increasingly elaborate scams and the need to consider education and other support for residents.
Kristopher connected senior living cybersecurity to development planning, sharing that ransomware attacks affecting organizations had delayed projects or created financial issues. He encouraged communities to include IT infrastructure and data security early in master planning.
Kim added a concern from her finance work: scams involving construction payments. She described attempts to divert large payments intended for construction vendors. For leadership teams, these observations are a reason to include finance, technology, and project leaders in the same security conversations. Resident protection and reliable project delivery both depend on planning beyond a single department.
Residents should help shape the conversation
One of Kim's favorite conference moments involved a resident who attended, shared her story, and enjoyed the experience enough to extend her stay. Kim spoke about the value of involving residents in decisions that affect them and future residents.
That story brought the discussion back to the purpose behind the planning. Decisions about AI, new buildings, governance, and staff workflows all reach the people who live in a community. Their perspective belongs in the process.
The panel's outlook for 2027 included predictions and open questions, rather than a fixed forecast. Their shared emphasis was on making thoughtful changes while keeping relationships central to the work.
Hear the full discussion in the Raising Tech episode 144 “What LeadingAge Revealed About Senior Living in 2027” at www.raisingtechpodcast.com. For communities reviewing how technology supports their plans, Parasol Alliance can help assess current systems and develop a strategic technology roadmap.