Meet Joe Jedlowski, founder, chairman and CEO of New Jersey-based Distinctive Healthcare, a senior living development, management and services company that operates 46 senior housing communities across several states through its Distinctive Living brand. Having served previously as president of Milestone Retirement Communities, Jedlowski applies more than a decade of experience in senior living to his leadership at Distinctive Healthcare. He guides a path forward for existing independent living, assisted living, memory care and active adult communities, as well as development of new communities across the continuum of care.
We sat down with Jedlowski to hear about his philosophies around change, where he’d like to see the industry shift (and why it has to) — and why data is a critical element of the future of senior living and care.
In what ways do you think the senior living industry is changing right now?
Beyond the more obvious integration of technology and the internet of things (IoT) into our senior living spaces, design and architecture are evolving to accommodate aging in place. We have an increased focus on accessibility, safety and aesthetics that cater to the needs and preferences of older adults. Innovation and demographic changes are reshaping the senior living industry into a more dynamic, responsive and enriching environment that honors the diverse and evolving needs of seniors.
In what ways do you think senior living operators need to change for the incoming generation of older adults?
Operators need to embrace technology more robustly, integrating it into operations and living environments. This includes expanding telehealth capabilities, smart home technology and digital platforms for communication and social interaction. These tools are key to enhancing quality of life for our residents and peace of mind for families.
Personalization and flexibility in senior living will become the expectation rather than a concept we give lip service to. The incoming generation values individuality and autonomy, and operators that offer customizable living options and services that cater to an individual’s lifestyle and health requirements will gain a competitive advantage.
Data also plays a crucial role in facilitating meaningful changes in long-term care settings. Use of data analytics to track health metrics, tailor programming, monitor engagement levels and support proactive (or preventative) interventions will not only improve resident well-being. It will extend life.
On the management side, data-driven insights inform decision-making across operations, clinical, sales and marketing. At Distinctive Living, this approach streamlines operations and aids in accurately forecasting future needs.
How do you think the senior living industry can change to better educate prospective residents and their families in the years ahead?
Our industry association partners should extend equal attention and resources to educating consumers about the benefits of senior living as they do on legislation. This means taking a more proactive approach to writing the narrative rather than allowing the media to craft it for us. As an industry, we shouldn’t allow uncontrollable events to overshadow the abundant benefits of senior living as they have in recent years. I would love to see our association representatives invest in a national campaign aimed at creating positive brand awareness for senior living and elevate the conversation in mainstream media.
In what ways can senior living companies change the public’s perception of the industry?
There’s a reason why only 10% of the population elects to move to senior living despite the obvious benefits. Not only do we let the media write the narrative, we make the shopping experience more cumbersome, convoluted and confusing than it needs to be.
In an era largely informed and influenced by crowd-sourcing and social proof, consumers not only expect, they demand transparency. Clear communication about living options, costs and services can demystify the complexities (either imagined or real) of senior living.
Investment in innovative design and infrastructure solutions that improve accessibility and affordability would also assist category growth. Distinctive Development, our development platform, is invested in several projects aimed at reimagining senior living to better align with boomer preferences while also meeting more middle-market demand.
Tell us about some of your recent efforts to change the senior living industry for the better. (Please use some examples to help us understand what you did and why.)
Like many, Distinctive Living has been looking at opportunities to meet the growing middle market and investing in development aimed at building more affordable products and services. In markets that are bringing on average $7,200 a month for senior living, we hope to introduce a product closer to $5,000 while also bringing higher levels of care into our communities.
We’re currently working on a new concept in partnership with Live Well Senior Cottages which we believe offers a viable solution to the changing preferences and needs of our future seniors.
Is the senior living industry moving quickly enough to change in the ways it needs to?
Compared to the hospitality sector, I could argue we are not where we should be. Even as our business is more complex, we are lagging behind when it comes to capital infusion, product development and marketing.
And yet, there’s a catch. Our resilience outpaces other industries. We reinvented senior living operations during the pandemic, adapting to constantly changing state and federal guidelines. We endured a workforce crisis, increased oversight by capital partners and record-high operational costs. Today it is not unusual for a regional operator to have five or more different equity partners, each with unique requirements, priorities and needs.
While the industry has shown remarkable resilience and adaptability, we have yet to prove our competence and capacity for innovation commensurate to expanding demand. There is room for more disruption in our space. We’ve had plenty of time to prepare, but we’ve been slow to infuse the capital required to meet the “tsunami” looming on the horizon.
Change is hard. Can you talk about a time when you tried to execute a change and things didn’t go according to plan? How did you pivot, and what did you learn as a leader?
Senior living is not for the risk adverse. It requires a willingness to step into the unknown. We can use data to guide change, but like all things in life, sometimes it backfires. When it doesn’t work, it’s important as an organization that we fail fast and pivot quickly. In one instance we developed a property in Utah, but underestimated the dynamics in the local market, which comprised larger families and intergenerational living arrangements. When a typical lease up would have delivered 40% occupancy, we opened at closer to 10% because our target audience needed more education. They needed to physically experience the product and we lacked physical models and resources to drive pre-sales. Once we opened, we were successful, but we learned the importance of models in the sales process.
What’s the biggest change you ever made in your career or life? How did it go and what did you learn?
The most significant change in my career was transitioning from an employee to an owner, a shift that fundamentally altered my perspective and approach. For me, this pivot in my career was as much about personal growth as it was a professional epiphany and an “aha” moment. It taught me the value of cultivating a team that embraces an ownership mindset.
Leadership at Distinctive Living fundamentally revolves around this principle. Empowering our team to think and act like owners drives excellence within our communities. Effective leadership is about inspiring others to think beyond their immediate roles and engage deeply with the mission and success of the organization.
What advice do you have for other senior living companies implementing their own changemaking efforts?
Developing solutions that ease pain points we see on the operations side mitigate the negative side of rapid change. Gathering, collecting and sharing feedback using surveys and other tools help us stay ahead of problems before they become bigger problems. Recognizing the critical role of data and understanding how to leverage it effectively is imperative.
At Distinctive Living, we make decisions based on data points — from staffing decisions to clinical outcomes to investments in technology — all the inputs we believe make a senior housing project successful.
Aligning yourself with capital partners that share the same values as their operating partner and being philosophically aligned are also important. Partnerships within the current day capital structure must be symbiotic to work.
If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the senior living industry, what would it be and why?
In a word, transparency. But this isn’t just a wish — it’s a paradigm shift that can propel our industry to meet modern consumer expectations. Consider the profound transformation in the travel industry. When hotels began sharing rate and occupancy data through centralized databases decades ago, it revolutionized the consumer experience. Platforms like Expedia significantly expanded market reach — turning the industry into a multi-billion-dollar powerhouse.
In contrast, the senior living industry complicates the consumer journey. By withholding clear pricing information, we create unnecessary barriers for potential residents and their families, often leading to confusion and mistrust. Dynamic pricing and transparency would demystify the senior living landscape, allowing consumers to make informed, confident decisions, and ultimately pave the way for sustained category growth.
What fictional character would you enlist to help change the senior living industry for the better this year?
Mr. Fantastic, the founding member of the Fantastic Four, would be well suited to lead us into the future and drive meaningful transformation. His unique ability to stretch and change his physical form would help us incorporate technology, adapt to shifting demographics and meet the growing demand and care needs of seniors.
Pretend the senior living industry is a streaming service. What movie or television series best describes the industry right now? And if you could change to a new movie or television series, what would it be and why?
If we build a new community today, it may not be open for three years, so we try to incorporate features the buyer wants seven years from now. When we look at boomers, that primarily speaks to the need to personalize services and care.
Streaming services offer a library of on-demand content, creating the ultimate in personalized entertainment. “In demand” services in senior living will evolve in ways we have yet to imagine, but ultimately it is about allowing the individual to dictate the kind of senior living experience they want. In the same way that Black Mirror influences the plot through personal choices, operators will similarly influence the experience of aging through personalized services and data-based interventions that can meet the needs of the baby boom generation.
