Residents are arriving with higher acuity, families are more engaged than ever and care teams are doing incredibly meaningful work every day. Meanwhile, operators are being asked to deliver stronger outcomes, better experiences, and more sustainable operations, all at once.

As someone who began my career at the bedside as a cardiothoracic nurse and now works closely with operators and care teams across the country, I see this moment as an opportunity – a chance to redefine what senior living can and should be.

Here are five predictions for 2026. Not as trends to watch, but as standards we can create if we’re willing to lead.

1. Proof, partnership, and proactive care will be the new family expectation

Nearly 9.5 million older adults receive care in senior living and long-term care settings each year - and for many families, it’s their first time navigating this decision. Entering care for the first time often comes with uncertainty, which is why families are looking for confidence grounded in what they can see and understand.

In 2026, they’ll want to see exactly how care is delivered and how their loved one is doing over time. It’s about having a clearer picture of how safety and well-being are supported day to day.

But transparency alone won’t be enough. Families will also want to understand how care plans change and what care teams are noticing along the way. They’ll want insight into how decisions are made and what steps might come next, especially before a situation escalates.

When families are included in the care journey this way, trust grows. Conversations feel easier and more collaborative. And care feels thoughtful and steady, rather than reactive.

2. AI-enabled awareness becomes a must-have for risk management

Most risk in senior living doesn’t show up suddenly. It builds gradually, often quietly, before it’s reflected in documentation or outcomes.

In 2026, leading communities won’t wait to react. They’ll seek systems that provide continuous awareness to help teams notice meaningful change earlier and respond with intention.

AI-enabled insight plays a key role here. By surfacing patterns over time, it gives care teams clearer context into what’s happening across the community. This does not mean we’re replacing people. It’s about extending each person’s ability to make a meaningful impact to residents, using visibility and data so they can feel confident in their care decisions.

As awareness improves, care feels calmer and more proactive. Fewer situations escalate, teams feel more confident in their decisions, and safety becomes something communities maintain every day.

3. Operational efficiency will come from turning data into action

In 2026, operational excellence will be rooted in clarity. Leaders will have a better sense of where attention is needed, where resources can make the biggest impact, and where things are already running smoothly. When insights are available in both real time and longitudinally, it becomes easier to anticipate needs for each resident and the community as a whole.

As a result, workdays feel more predictable. Teams feel supported. And leadership gains the space to think ahead.

Over time, that clarity builds on itself – improving quality, stabilizing operations, and creating communities that are easier to lead and are better places to work.

4. Senior living becomes a true extension of healthcare - and integration becomes non-negotiable

Senior living has long balanced hospitality and healthcare. In 2026, that line continues to blur, and in many cases, it disappears entirely.

Resident acuity rose 74% in the last 5 years. As acuity rises and more clinical services move onsite, communities increasingly function as coordinated care environments – places where both tools and teams revolve around the resident.

This evolution brings a clear expectation: systems must work together.

Data needs to move cleanly across platforms, workflows need to align, and care teams need a shared understanding of each resident’s story. Fragmented tools only add complexity to an already demanding environment. Technology and systems must work in a way where care teams actually want to use them, and actually benefit from doing so.

When integration becomes the norm, care will become more cohesive.

5. Care team experience becomes a competitive advantage for operators

As staffing pressures begin to ease, a welcome shift after years of churn, the landscape is changing in meaningful ways. For context, the turnover rate for assisted living staff was 41.1% in 2022 according to the Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service, showing how challenging retention has been in recent years. With turnover slowly resolving, care teams now have more choice in where they work.

In 2026, the most successful operators will recognize that residents and care teams are both customers of the community experience. Communities will be chosen not just for compensation, but for how supported team members feel day to day.

Care teams will gravitate toward environments where priorities are clear, workflows are manageable, and technology reduces friction rather than adding to it. In this landscape, the quality of the workday becomes something leaders shape intentionally, not something left to chance.

When care teams feel supported and empowered, it shows. Culture improves and consistency follows. Residents will benefit from care delivered by teams who are confident and engaged.

Looking Ahead

These shifts aren’t theoretical because they’re already taking shape. The real question is whether we treat this moment as a challenge or as an invitation. If we lean into transparency, proactive care, awareness, integration, and care team support, we don’t just adapt to the future of senior living. We help shape it.

And that’s the future I believe is within reach, if we’re willing to do the work.