NIC and MIT AgeLab Launch Landmark Study to Reimagine Senior Living Options

The National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) establishes a multi-year collaboration with the MIT AgeLab to rethink what adults want in housing and care as they age  

The senior living industry is changing, and NIC is leading the research effort to meet that moment. As older adults bring fundamentally new expectations for health, housing, technology, wellness, and lifestyle, the senior living industry must rethink how it serves them. NIC has launched Reimagining the Future of Senior Living, a three-year collaboration with the MIT AgeLab to reshape how the industry understands and engages its future consumers.

The initiative will draw on the expertise of MIT AgeLab researchers, who apply consumer-centered thinking, engineering, design, and a cross-sector approach, to identify how senior living can become the more aspirational and holistic experience that generations increasingly value.

“Generational differences emerging over the next several decades will meaningfully redefine consumer wants, needs, and expectations, putting the senior living industry at a defining crossroads,” said Ray Braun, president and CEO of NIC. “The senior living sector must rethink its offerings now, so that future generations have real access and choice in communities they are proud to call home.”

The research approach will be expansive, spanning markets, demographics, and disciplines. It will include cross-sector data reviews, generational brand research, industry working groups, and roundtable interviews and national surveys with next-generation consumers.

Building on the AgeLab’s extensive expertise and mixed-methods research approach, the initiative will draw on perspectives from financial services, healthcare, hospitality, pharmaceuticals, retail, and technology sectors, so the senior living sector can adapt to systems and offerings that customers already prefer and trust.

The project will generate practical insights that help senior living providers design communities, services, and experiences that align with the preferences of older adults who value independence, convenience, wellness, and quality of life.

“Home is not just where a person lives. It is an extension of their lifestyle and a services platform that supports and rewards the next phase of their lives,” said Joseph F. Coughlin, director of the MIT AgeLab. “This analysis will uncover what consumers want in senior housing, care, and their overall aging experience. The hope is that our work will not only serve to enhance the successful offerings of today, but lead to expanded models and innovative services that excite and delight tomorrow’s older adults and their families.”

Reimagining the Future of Senior Living will incorporate views from both consumers and industry leaders. This project will drive the creation and refinement of practical paradigms the senior living industry can adopt or adapt. Findings will be shared publicly in research publications, at NIC conferences, and through other channels.

The collaboration is funded by NIC, with additional support from senior housing organizations Benchmark Senior Living, HumanGood, National Church Residences, Parker Health Group, Inc., Franciscan Ministries, Front Porch, Masonicare Corporation, Merrill Gardens, Presbyterian Homes & Services, Senior Living Transformation Company/Centered Care, and The Springs Living.