A Place for Mom, the nation’s leading senior care advisory platform that has guided millions of families through the aging journey, today released its 2026 Next Generation of Senior Living Report. Based on a survey of U.S. adults ages 60 to 90, the report examines what older adults want from senior living and where they question whether communities will meet their expectations.

The findings point to a challenge for senior living communities: demonstrating how the support they provide can help older adults maintain the life they want as their needs change. Among older adults surveyed who would consider senior living for themselves, 54% said it meets practical needs such as safety, care, and meals extremely or very well. Only 34% said it fulfills personal wants such as independence, fun, privacy, and respect to the same degree. That gap highlights the importance of showing prospective residents how much choice, privacy, and opportunity for connection they will have in everyday life.

“Many older adults want to stay at home. It’s familiar, and the idea of moving can feel like giving up independence,” said Tatyana Zlotsky, CEO of A Place for Mom. “Senior living communities need to show what daily life can look like, including the choices people can make for themselves and how they can stay connected to the people and routines they love.”

Older Adults Want Support While Keeping Control Over Daily Life

Nearly all older adults considering senior living recognized at least one advantage over staying home (98%) and at least one disadvantage (96%).

  • Leading advantages were maintenance-free living (37%), help being available if needs change (30%), and more opportunities to socialize and make friends (26%).

  • Leading concerns were having less privacy (42%), giving up control over daily life (36%), leaving home and their surrounding neighborhood (35%), and losing independence (35%).

For caregivers, these insights offer guidance in how to move past general conversations about whether senior living is the right fit and instead ask what kind of support older adults want, including how a community handles schedule options, privacy, meals, routines, visitors, activities, changing care needs, and opportunities to maintain meaningful relationships.

Many Older Adults Link Senior Living to a Future Need or Unexpected Change

Even among those who would consider senior living, few expect to seriously consider a move soon.

  • Only 7% thought they might seriously consider moving within the next two years.

  • 35% said they would seriously consider a move only if their circumstances changed unexpectedly, while 18% did not know when they might seriously consider it.

  • When asked what would motivate serious consideration of a move, 10% said they would consider senior living only as a last resort.

Starting these conversations early gives families time to understand how an older adult wants to live and compare communities with those preferences in mind.

Older Adults Look to Residents, Families and Friends for Insight

Trust and firsthand experience play an important role in how older adults evaluate senior living communities. Those surveyed also wanted information they could evaluate for themselves.

  • 56% said finding a trustworthy community is difficult, and only 22% were extremely or very confident that caregivers in senior living communities are well trained.

  • 54% said knowing someone who lived in a senior living community influenced their views, along with conversations with family or friends (36%), and visiting a community (29%).

  • 45% had personally visited a senior living community, while 65% had an in-depth conversation about another person’s senior living experience.

  • Among those who had a conversation, 81% said the person’s experience met or exceeded expectations.

The factors most likely to increase trust were inspection and licensing records, including complaints or violations (47%); opportunities to speak privately with current residents or their families (43%); transparent pricing (37%); staff qualifications or credentials (36%); and community tours (36%).

Belonging Means Feeling Welcome and Staying Connected

Older adults associated a sense of belonging with feeling welcomed, building meaningful relationships, and being accepted for who they are. They also expressed greater interest in continuing familiar activities than starting new ones.

  • 61% said being welcomed by staff and residents would help them feel they belong.

  • 57% selected having people with whom they could build meaningful relationships, and 57% selected being around others at a similar stage of life.

  • 51% selected feeling accepted for who they are.

  • More than half wanted to continue walking, taking day trips or local outings, attending movies or live entertainment, relaxing, spending time outdoors, and spending time with family.

Fall Prevention Leads Interest in Senior Living Technology vs. AI Companionship

When presented with three potential uses of technology in senior living communities, older adults who would consider senior living were most interested in learning about fall-prevention technology.

  • 38% were extremely or very interested in learning more about embedded fall prevention, detection, and response technology without a camera.

  • 34% expressed the same level of interest in a smartphone-powered personalized fitness and healthy-aging program.

  • 29% expressed the same level of interest in an AI companion, while 46% were slightly or not at all interested, including 27% who were not interested at all.

Together, these findings define the standard older adults are setting for the next generation of senior living: meet changing needs while helping residents preserve their identity, relationships, interests, and meaningful control over daily life.

“Finding the right care starts with understanding what matters to your loved one and how they want to live,” said Zlotsky. “Our role is to help families ask the right questions and understand their options, so they feel confident in the decision and can focus on their relationship with the person they love.”

A Place for Mom’s platform now includes 500,000 family reviews of senior living communities and home care agencies, giving older adults and their families firsthand perspectives on how residents are supported, what meals and social activities are like, and what to expect from care at home. These reviews can help families understand everyday experiences and ask more informed questions when considered alongside licensing information, direct conversations with providers, professional guidance, and in-person visits.

To view the full report, visit https://www.aplaceformom.com/senior-living-data/next-generation-senior-living.

Methodology

A Place for Mom commissioned this survey, which Morning Light Strategy conducted in August 2026. The study included 1,391 U.S. adults ages 60 to 90. The primary survey group included 1,046 adults who said they would consider independent living, assisted living, or a continuing care retirement community for themselves. This group included 863 baby boomers ages 62 to 80. Unless otherwise noted, findings describe these 1,046 respondents. The study also included 59 current senior living residents; comparisons involving this group are directional because of its small size. Researchers also asked 286 adults who neither lived in senior living nor would consider any of the three qualifying options a limited set of questions about their concerns and the living arrangements they might consider. For this research, senior living referred to housing that provides services such as meals, housekeeping, activities, personal care or health care. This definition did not include 55+ communities, which primarily provide housing and amenities.

About A Place for Mom

A Place for Mom is the leading platform that guides families through every stage of the aging journey. We simplify the search for senior care by offering free, personalized support—and when families are ready, we refer them to partners from our network of over 15,000 senior living communities and home care agencies. Our mission is to guide caregivers and their loved ones to a confident place, so families can focus on what matters most: their love for each other. A Place for Mom: Where love finds its place. For more information, please visit aplaceformom.com.

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