COVID-19 pushes seniors toward independent living sites
Senior living development expert Eric Dumont discusses the effects of COVID-19 on interest in independent living vs. nursing homes, repositioning, and development schedules. Read more at Grand Rapids Business Journal.
Has the pandemic slowed interest in independent living? According to Plante Moran Living Forward’s Eric Dumont and others interviewed in a Grand Rapids Business Journal article, no. In fact, it may have renewed it.
The impacts of COVID-19 on the senior living industry should not be oversimplified — while interest in independent living might still be strong, nursing homes continue to see the same decline in customer demand as was evident before the pandemic. Popular repositioning projects are centered around reducing the number of skilled nursing beds and replacing them with a variety of higher-demand independent living and assisted living housing options.
COVID-19 also has had an impact on providers who were in the middle of construction, but again, the situation should not be oversimplified. The effects really depend on the area of the country. Ohio and Michigan, with stricter shutdown orders than many states, did see some delays.
To read more about the effects of the pandemic on construction and consumer interest in senior housing, check out the full article at Grand Rapids Business Journal.
