New CEOs stepping in to lead high-profile operators, mergers and acquisitions worth billions of dollars, a looming development crisis – these were the topics of the most-read stories on Senior Housing News in 2025.
As the senior living industry hopes to pivot to growth in 2026 and beyond, it is grappling with challenges that include new preferences of baby boomers, high staffing costs and difficulties sourcing financing. How they are dealing with these challenges in the year ahead will no doubt provide a blueprint for others going through the same thing.
At the same time, the industry is undergoing an ongoing period of consolidation and passing the baton to new leaders. Earlier this year, LCS announced it is acquiring Chicago-based operator Vi, and companies including Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE: BKD) and Watermark Retirement Communities named new top leaders.
Some of the stories below are accessible as part of our SHN+ offering, and we would like to extend a special thanks to members of the SHN+ community for their continued support throughout the year.
As always, we hope you find this list informative and helpful as you take stock of 2025 and what lies ahead in 2026. We wish all of our readers happy holidays. Thanks for reading.
Publish date: July 18, 2025
Key quote: “This is a move that we expect will strengthen our financial position and maximize value for our investors, without sacrificing quality of service in our communities. With this action behind us, we believe IHC has the right organization and the right teams in place going forward.” – IHC spokesperson
Further reading:
Volante Senior Living CEO Departs Operator After About One Year as Top Exec
2: LCS, Vi Agree to Strategic Merger
Publish date: Sept. 4, 2025
Key quote: “Both organizations share a deep-rooted dedication to integrity, hospitality, and resident-centered care. These shared values will continue to guide us as we create even more exceptional communities for residents to proudly call home.” – Chris Bird, CEO, LCS
Further reading:
Bigger is Better: How 12 Oaks, LCS, Onelife Meet Demand for Larger Senior Living Units
LCS, Discovery, Five Star Top Latest J.D. Power Senior Living Satisfaction Survey
How Senior Living Operators Go Beyond ‘Hype’ of AI, Other New Tech
3: [Updated] AlerisLife Winding Down Business, Transitioning 116 DHC Communities To 7 Operators
Publish date: Sept. 3, 2025
Key quote: “These transactions are also expected to allow us to build on the momentum from the improved performance of the Five Star managed communities over the past few years, further strengthen our asset base and drive enhanced NOI growth across our SHOP communities.” – Chris Bilotto, President and CEO, Diversified Healthcare Trust (Nasdaq: DHC)
Further reading:
Why the AlerisLife Saga is a Cautionary Tale for Senior Living
4: [Updated] Apollo to Acquire Bridge Investment Group In Deal Valued At $1.5B
Key quote: “With Apollo’s global integrated platform, resources, innovation and established expertise, we are confident that Bridge will be positioned for the next phase of growth amid growing demand across the alternative investments space,” Bob Morse, Executive Chairman, Bridge Investment Group
Further reading:
What the Recent Bridge, Artemis Acquisition Plans Mean for Senior Living M&A in 2025
5: Welltower Announces $14B in Senior Housing Acquisitions Totaling More Than 700 Communities
Publish date: Oct. 27, 2025
Key quote: “All capital allocation decisions made at Welltower are viewed through an opportunity cost prism: evaluating the value forgone by pursuing a specific course of action while also forcing us to consider all implications of those decisions, well into the future.” – Shankh Mitra, Welltower, CEO
Further reading:
Ventas, Welltower Go ‘All-In’ On Senior Housing as Demand Takes Off
$14B in Senior Housing Acquisitions, New Incentive Model Help Usher In ‘Welltower 3.0’
Inside the ‘New Era of Collaboration’ Between REITs, Senior Living Operators
6: Brookdale Names Nick Stengle as New CEO
Key quote: “Brookdale has a strong foundation in place with compelling long-term growth drivers, and I believe the company is well positioned to extend its leadership position in the industry as we enter the next chapter and capitalize on attractive industry demographics.” – Nick Stengle, CEO, Brookdale Senior Living
Further reading:
Brookdale Senior Living Takes ‘More Offensive Posture’ Under New CEO
New CEO Spells New Possibilities for Brookdale Senior Living
Senior Living Operators Embrace Player-Coach Leadership Models as Industry Grows More Complicated
7: Watermark Retirement Names New CEO, Keppel Acquires Operator’s Remaining Ownership Stake
Key quote: “We’re also planning to invest more in our organizational infrastructure — putting added support behind our sales and marketing teams, improving our IT systems, and growing our capabilities in data analytics. Today’s operating environment requires near real-time information flow to provide best results to our residents, associates, and capital partners.” – Paul Boethel, CEO, Watermark Retirement Communities
Further reading:
Watermark Names COO In Anticipation Of New Growth in 2025
Keppel CEO of Senior Living: Capital Providers ‘Itching to Deploy’ Dollars in 2025
Watermark Retirement CEO: We’re Pivoting from ‘Shrink’ to ‘Grow’ in 2026 as Turnaround Takes Root
8: Why Welltower’s CEO Uses South Park to Warn of Looming Senior Living Crisis
Publish date: March 20, 2025
Key quote: “The economics don’t work. That’s the problem,” – Shankh Mitra, CEO, Welltower.
Further reading:
Senior Living Operators Seek Data Unity in Search of ‘Fewer Blind Spots’
Occupancy, Rent Gains Spell ‘Renewed Growth’ for Senior Living Industry in Canada
The Growing ‘Utopian’ Vision for Senior Living REIT, Operator Partnerships
9: A Place for Mom Pivots to AI Amid Big Shifts in Senior Living Digital Marketing Trends
Publish date: Nov. 12, 2025
Key quote: “It’s no longer about these keyword strategies. It’s about providing the best information for the models to prioritize my answer as most salient and trustworthy, and providing that to the families when they’re searching.” – Tatyana Zlotsky, CEO, A Place for Mom
Further reading:
Nearly Half of Senior Living Operators Expect to Grow Marketing Budgets This Year
How AI Searches Are Changing Senior Living Digital Marketing
How A Place for Mom’s New CEO is ‘Evolving’ the Company’s Relationships With Operators
10: Brookdale Senior Living Deploys ‘SWAT Team’ to Boost Occupancy Amid Search for New CEO
Publish date: May 7, 2025
Key quote: “We’re taking the learnings … and rolling that out to additional communities so that we can further accelerate our occupancy improvement,” – Chad White, Brookdale, Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Further reading:
Why More Senior Living Operators Are Calling In Operational SWAT Teams
