Senior living demand is near an all-time high, and while that is good news for the industry, it puts serious pressure on hiring and retention. According to NIC MAP, senior housing occupancy reached 89.9% in the second quarter of 2026, the 20th consecutive quarterly gain, with independent living at 91.3% and assisted living at 88.4%. At the same time, construction is not keeping pace. Fewer than 16,000 units are under [...]
You’ve likely started to see a shift in headlines. No longer focused on what we have been through, the new emphasis is on what’s to come. After several stressful years, employees in healthcare-related fields, including senior care and long-term care, are looking for stability. So too are organizations – and that means shifting your talent strategy to retain top talent, not just attract it. What Drives Turnover? Lotis Blue’s 2025 [...]
Here’s a situation that is, unfortunately, becoming all too common. You need to fill a job opening for a particular role – let’s say, a paralegal for a law firm. You post that job online, like you always have. And within hours, if not minutes, you’re inundated with an endless stream of low-quality applications, perhaps 100 applications in a day or more! Upon a closer look, the applications are very [...]
The demand for great leadership in senior care keeps growing, but finding and keeping these professionals is a major challenge. If you are struggling to hire the right people, you are not alone. Here are 10 hiring challenges senior care organizations face in 2026, and how Aspen Associates can help.1. Not enough qualified candidatesSenior care organizations need leaders with a mix of healthcare knowledge, leadership skills, and business expertise, and [...]
In today's healthcare landscape, skilled nursing facilities face increasing scrutiny from regulatory bodies, with substantial consequences for non-compliance, including immediate jeopardy citations and significant civil monetary penalties. The Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reporting (CASPER) system provides facilities with powerful tools to prevent these adverse outcomes through proactive quality management and compliance monitoring. Understanding CASPER Reports CASPER reports represent a comprehensive suite of data-driven tools that enable healthcare facilities to [...]
You are probably already thinking about what the next year holds for senior living, on a large scale and at the level of your own community. Hiring the right people makes every challenge and opportunity easier to meet. Which trends should headline your hiring strategy? Here are five, based on the latest data.1. Workforce retention and pay transparencyStaffing shortages have continued well beyond the pandemic years, and the pressure is [...]
Hiring in the senior care landscape requires a careful calculation: hiring high-quality talent to provide great care while managing often-tight budgets and an increased demand. Balancing cost and quality when hiring for roles is a complex task that requires a strategic approach – and Aspen is here to help you do just that! Here are nine practical ways to achieve this balance without compromising on the quality of care provided [...]
Over the last several years, healthcare has leaned heavily on short-term and “travel” staff to keep up with demand. These solutions can work temporarily, but they are not ideal for maintaining long-term quality of care and your organization’s goals.Hiring permanent staff helps you reach key benchmarks and strengthens your reputation, among potential employees and among residents. Here are five of the biggest reasons to focus on permanent roles.1. Permanent roles [...]
The senior living field keeps growing and evolving, and our strategies for attracting and retaining talent have to evolve with it. Landing the right candidates for key roles takes a real understanding of what today’s employees want. As you plan, here are five benefits that could make or break your ability to connect with the talent you want, and how to show your organization’s strengths in each area.1. Adequate coverageThis [...]
The numbers behind the aging of the world population are well known. The World Health Organization projects that one in six people will be 60 or older by 2030, and PHI projects 9.7 million job openings between 2024 and 2034. At the same time, the field has been losing people. More employees reach burnout or choose less demanding careers elsewhere, and in nursing homes, CNA turnover was still 42.34% in [...]
