At Varsity, we have completed various types of research over a span of 20 years, including one-on-one interviews, surveys, focus groups, shop-alongs and even moving into a community for 30 days and 30 nights to get to know residents up close. We share the insights we’ve gleaned through white papers, articles and presentations at state and national conferences, and we’re always looking for the next industry-changing trend. Here are a few that have been on our radar recently:
- The need for transparency in senior living organizations
- Demographic shifts among potential residents — from age to income to spirituality
- Rapidly evolving tech and its impact on consumer expectations
- Repositioning, with a focus on larger public spaces, green design and local flavor
- Residential living giving way to more in-home services
“Research has been a huge factor in understanding our audience and constantly evolving our view of their wants and needs.”– Jackie Stone, VP Sales Consulting
Our nationally recognized senior research studies and partnerships include:
- Project Looking Glass (2007) — Researchers moved into Garden Spot Village, a retirement community in New Holland, Pennsylvania, for 30 days and 30 nights, living, eating, socializing and shopping alongside residents to receive insights into life there.
- Project Looking Glass II (2012) — We repeated the experiment five years later at Frasier, a Boulder, Colorado, retirement community, to compare experiences in a different region and to track changes over time.
- The NameStorm Project (2015) — We partnered in a LeadingAge/Mather LifeWays initiative to replace the 25-year-old term “CCRC,” with a fresh moniker. After two years of listening to thousands of consumers and professionals, our task force selected “Life Plan Community” as the new category name. We were instrumental, not only in developing the name, but in leading the look and feel for the communication of this news to the industry.
- Project Looking Glass III (2015) — Turning the looking glass around, we examined the decision-making process that prospective residents go through when considering a move to a senior living community.
To learn more about any of our research projects, or schedule a presentation of the results, please contact us.