As senior-living leaders navigate 2025’s rapid shifts in workforce, technology, regulation, and resident expectations, one theme has become unmistakable: Organizations can’t operate on autopilot. The most resilient communities are intentionally redesigning culture, systems, and care delivery to meet the moment.
Through enSYNC’s Sounding Off series, we set out to hear firsthand how senior-living leaders are navigating the path ahead. These conversations revealed an industry that is candid about its challenges and optimistic about the opportunities that come with doing things differently.
“We’re seeing senior-living leaders make bolder, more strategic choices,” says Amanda Feil, CAE, Director of Consulting at enSYNC. “The organizations finding the most success are the ones willing to rethink how they work: how they support their staff, how they use technology, and how they stay true to their mission while adapting for the future.”
Across interviews, events, and executive dialogues, four themes rose to the top, each pointing to a sector in transition and a future being shaped with intention.
Senior-living organizations are moving beyond “care as a business” to truly embedding mission, joy, and values in every process. Culture, values and the “why” matter just as much as operations.
“We have some core values here at Grace Village: Residents first. Bring joy, which is impermeable. Serve wholeheartedly, always making sure that we're there for our residents. And be faithful stewards,” says Justin Kimbrell, CEO of Grace Village Retirement Community in Winona Lake, Indiana. “We run decisions through those core values to make sure we're not missing who we are.”
Adds Mandy Lynch, MHA, HFA, President and CEO at Provdence Healthcare in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana: “Providence Healthcare was founded for the Sisters of Providence, a group of Catholic women who knew they would need a place for health care as they aged — and one where they could be supported with care and receive top-tier treatment. Our mission to be top tier and provide the best person-centered and individually directed care is still what we offer in our culture. The Sisters’ foundation brings such a love for people, including our staff. We have a lot of longevity on our team because of who they are as a group of women and how well they love our staff.”
Senior-care organizations continue to struggle with attracting, retaining, and supporting a stable workforce amid rising costs and increasingly complex care needs. New data from Ziegler’s June 2025 State of the Senior Living Workforce survey underscores just how central the workforce challenge has become: Senior-living CFOs ranked workforce stability among their top operational pressures for 2025.
According to the survey, providers are responding to staffing shortages through a mix of cultural, financial, and developmental strategies:
Together, these responses paint a picture of an industry shifting from short-term staffing fixes to long-term talent development — and recognizing that multigenerational employees need different supports, motivations, and growth opportunities to stay and thrive.
Mandy worked with a consultant to better understand what different generations look for in a work environment. “They gave a great example,” she says. “Fifty years ago, all employees were seen as oak trees. They all needed the same amount of water and sunlight to grow. Now, we think of each employee as an individual house plant, with unique water and sunlight needs.”
For example, some employees look for continuous feedback from their manager, while others benefit from quarterly or annual reviews. “It’s all about knowing your team members and recognizing that everyone is going to be different,” Mandy says.
Technology must be thoughtfully integrated, aligned to care and culture, and not just a cost center. An EHR that is just a documentation tool, or apps that don’t connect, are no longer acceptable.
You can’t treat technology as a nice extra; it must align with mission, staff workflow, and resident experience.
At Grace Village, technology investments are viewed through the lens of resident care. “Our former electronic medical records system was inefficient, took up a lot of time, and was not user-friendly,” Justin says. “Our new system is more expensive per month, but it allows our nursing staff to chart more efficiently, which frees them up to be able to be on the floor more to take care of the residents.”
Moving forward, any new technology investment must align with the core values of Grace Village, he adds.
The same is true at Providence Healthcare. “One of our successful investments was in connecting our vitals machines and weight chairs to our electronic health records system — and purchasing iPhones for staff to carry with them for real-time charting,” Mandy says. “These investments let our staff spend more time with residents.”
In tough margin environments, non-profit senior living organizations are seeking new models, transparency, and strategic investments to stay viable.
“True financial sustainability in senior living isn’t just about cutting costs; it’s about investing in systems that support mission, people and process,” says Josh Kozinski, Director of Business Development at enSYNC. “When technology enables staff to spend more time with residents, surfaces actionable data, and reduces administrative burden, the organization strengthens both its care model and its bottom line.”
The pressure to be mission-driven yet financially resilient is leading to strategic shifts: cost transparency, investment in tech, alternative revenue or care models, and partnerships.
For Providence Healthcare, sustainability means financial wellness. “We have a high Medicaid population, so our financial wellness comes from high-quality measures and driving success through reimbursement structures,” Mandy says.
Providence Healthcare also has a partnership with a local county hospital and works closely with an Accountable Care Organization network for patient referrals.
“Financial sustainability isn’t a single switch you flip. It’s the cumulative effect of better systems, better data, and better decisions,” says Chadd Arthur, MBA, Vice President at enSYNC. “When senior-living organizations align their mission with smarter operations, they free up resources to invest back into what matters most: people.”