SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — American House Senior Living Communities has hired Wolfgang Ebenbichler as vice president of hospitality. In this newly created role, Ebenbichler is responsible for directing and overseeing the culinary and dining experience at American House’s portfolio of more than 60 communities in five states. The company is based in Southfield, a suburb of Detroit. Ebenbichler has worked in leadership roles at many resorts, boutique hotels and casinos, including Caesars Entertainment, Marriott, Starwood Resorts at Disney World, Waldorf Astoria Collection, Conrad, Westin, Sheraton and Ritz Carlton properties. Ebenbichler obtained …
In the face of growing competition, assisted living owners and operators are renovating and repositioning their aging properties. By Jane Adler Over the last few years, the construction boom that delivered thousands of new senior living units to the market has produced tough competition for existing projects. New buildings open near old ones. A 20- or 30-year-old assisted living building can easily look tired, especially when compared with the state-of-the-art project down the street. Owners and operators of older properties are taking different approaches to maintain occupancy. The amount spent …
As senior living providers pursue partnerships in the healthcare industry, here are five critical points to keep foremost in mind. By Jane Adler With owners and operators of senior living properties serving an increasingly frail population of elders, Medicare Advantage programs are emerging to improve care, boost resident and family satisfaction, and increase length of stay. The use of Medicare Advantage programs in senior living is still in its infancy. The programs are complex and there is still much to be learned. But several experiments and pilot projects are already …
Seniors housing professionals seek solutions to affordability, labor shortages and more through legislative lobbying and legal means. By Jeff Shaw The challenges of owning and operating seniors housing are not news to anyone in the industry, but the solutions may be. Lawyers, lobbyists and industry experts are finding a variety of ways to try and surmount the increasingly difficult issues facing the sector — including labor shortages, affordability, increased acuity and changes to government funding. Efforts are underway at a local, state and national level. Reports from Capitol Hill are …
Independence, technology and affordability hold the keys to winning them over. By Dean Maddalena, President, StudioSIX5 What do boomers want? It’s the question on everyone’s mind as we near the entry of the first baby boomers into senior living. Approximately 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day, and with them comes a shift in the industry to meet expectations. There has been a massive shake-up in senior living looking toward what’s next. But in an industry obsessed with innovation, where are we still missing the mark? Aging in place Boomers’ …
After decades working for REITs, experienced executive makes the jump to operations. By Jeff Shaw For having held only three jobs in the seniors housing industry, Mercedes Kerr has quite the resume. Moving from a career in the hospitality industry in Mexico, Kerr was recruited into seniors housing in 1997 by Irvine, California-based Healthpeak Properties (NYSE: PEAK), then known as Healthcare Property Investors and later HCP. She served as vice president of acquisitions before leaving in 2006 to take two years off to spend time with her children. In 2008, …
By Jeff Shaw When Jeramy Ragsdale founded Thrive Senior Living in 2008, it was not his intent to challenge the industry to redefine itself. At the time, he was a residential home developer and knew that seniors housing was a niche property type for which he could find financing. He built his first assisted living and memory care community in the company’s hometown of Atlanta. He immediately fell in love with the business and its ability to positively impact people. By 2016, the company operated eight communities with another 12 …
CEO of Hunt Real Estate Capital is tasked with consolidating Lancaster Pollard, RED Capital Group and Hunt into a lending powerhouse. By Matt Valley It may not be a household name just yet, but ORIX USA is certainly making its mark in the world of commercial real estate finance. In January, the U.S. and Latin America business hub for Tokyo-based ORIX Corp. completed its acquisition of New York City-based Hunt Real Estate Capital LLC. Simultaneously, ORIX USA announced that it would combine Hunt with its two ORIX Real Estate Capital …
With workforce expenses continuing to pose a challenge to operators, should investors lower ROI expectations? Tech softens the blow By Geert Houben Founder & CEO Cubigo It’s been well noted that 2020 is poised to be a year of disruption, holding true across many of the factors that go into seniors housing operations. Rising costs of living and growing competition must guide owners and investors to think innovatively. Leveraging technology to streamline operations can not only increase efficiency, but also decrease the number of work hours required. If stakeholders can …
SAN DIEGO — Integrating healthcare services — such as primary care and nurse practitioners — into seniors housing can reduce costly emergency room (ER) visits and inpatient hospital stays, according to new data from ATI Advisory released Wednesday at the 2020 NIC Spring Conference. Comparing an assisted living facility that incorporates healthcare services to facilities that do not provide healthcare, ATI researchers found utilization rates plummeted by more than 50 percent in the integrated care model. “The data reveal a tremendous opportunity to reduce hospital-based healthcare services that put seniors’ …