Connectivity Trends for Senior Living in the United States (2024-2029), a report by Maravedit, reports…

The U.S. population continues to age rapidly, and this aging boom has a multifold impact on the senior housing industry. Baby Boomers make up an increasingly large share of the senior population and they are living longer and healthier lives than the generations before them. After the heavy drop experienced during the pandemic, senior housing occupancy rates are back to healthier levels. The National Investment Center estimates over 600,000
additional units will be needed by 2029 to maintain the current penetration rate.
Contrary to popular belief, seniors have become increasingly technology-savvy and are enthusiastic internet users. While senior residents continue to consume mainly
linear/cable television, online streaming is on the rise. Seniors also increasingly use mobile applications for banking, video chatting, gaming and engaging with their local community.
As active seniors move around their apartments and common areas, Wi-Fi roaming becomes important to maintain connectivity throughout the property, whether it be independent or assisted living. In short, senior residents’ expectations are rapidly changing.
The senior living industry has its share of challenges. It is marked by staff shortages, increased medical costs and low digitalization. The staff shortages create a domino effect,
leading to an overly taxed workforce and an increase in labor costs. Senior housing leaders are continuously asked to do more with less. This state of affairs represents an opportunity for technology and connectivity to play a vital role in improving operational efficiency through automation and better integration of legacy systems and facility IoT.
For caregivers and administrative staff, managed Wi-Fi is the foundational layer that enables them to serve the residents and better accomplish their duties. Wi-Fi makes it
possible to reduce residents’ isolation while facilitating the staff’s work in senior living.
Video calls, telemedicine, home automation systems — the list of innovations that improve the well-being of senior residents while optimizing the working conditions of care staff is growing.
On March 5, 2024, during the production of this report, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made a statement that may negatively impact bulk-managed Wi-Fi.
This is causing concern and uncertainty among the stakeholders, but it is too early to know the impact.
No matter what the FCC decides, it only makes sense for property operators to invest in a better connectivity experience for their residents and outsource their IT operations and WiFi to specialized managed service providers. We remain bullish that we are only at the
dawn of this emerging sector.