Submitted by Jack Cumming but, mostly, written by Artificial Intelligence
Congruent minds think alike. This article was ready to submit, when I found that Steve Moran had had a similar idea. There are similarities, and there are differences. What’s needed is an entity like, say, Acts Retirement Communities, which is in the process of a leadership change to give this “new thinking” life.
Not long ago, I went to artificial intelligence with a question that has confounded me for many years. The question was:
“What would be the senior living industry that an aging person might hope for if the industry were dedicated to the welfare of those who are fit of body and mind as they approach old age and who are looking for empowerment and independence for as long as they are able?”
As is often the case, the response was far more thoughtful and cogent than I might have expected. AI, in this case DeepSeek, never ceases to amaze me. Here’s the answer to the question of what an idealized senior living industry might look like. We can note at the outset that such an industry would be one that its servants, those who build their careers in the industry, might welcome for their own later years. DeepSeek replied:
Based on your vision, this would be an industry fundamentally reimagined around the principles of active aging, empowerment, and lifelong purpose. It would shift from a model of “care and decline” to one of “engagement and possibility.”
This ideal industry would be called something like:
The Empowerment & Active Longevity Community Network
Its core pillars would include:
- Philosophy & Culture:
- “Aging in Community, Not in Place”: Moving beyond just physical safety (“aging in place”) to fostering a dynamic, intergenerational community that provides social fuel and relevance.
- Strength-Based Model: Focus on what people can do and want to learn, not on their limitations. Residents are seen as contributors, mentors, and co-creators.
- Autonomy as Default: Every service and design choice assumes capability. Support is available but invisible and non-intrusive, activated by choice.
- Physical Environment & Housing:
- Universal Design that Inspires: Beautiful, accessible homes and communities that feel like modern, vibrant neighborhoods, not institutions. Features like step-free entries, lever handles, and smart home tech are integrated seamlessly. [JBC: Such homes can be units in a communal structure as single-family houses give way to more ecologically responsible living norms.]
- Multi-Generational Hubs: Communities intentionally blended with childcare centers, artist studios, small business incubators, and colleges to ensure cross-pollination of ideas and energy.
- Advanced Wellness Infrastructure: On-site fitness centers with trainers specializing in longevity science, swimming pools, physical therapy, and preventive health clinics.
- Agrihoods & Green Spaces: Integration of community gardens, walking trails, and access to nature for physical and mental well-being.
- Services & Empowerment Offerings:
- Lifelong Learning & Innovation Labs: Partnerships with universities for continued education, along with maker-spaces, tech workshops (e.g., coding, AI, VR), and creative arts studios.
- Purpose & Encore Career Counseling: Dedicated advisors to help residents launch social enterprises, consult, mentor, volunteer, or turn passions into projects.
- Advanced Mobility & Freedom: On-site car-sharing of accessible vehicles, community EVs, and partnerships with autonomous vehicle services when ready. Easy access to public transit and adventure travel planning.
- Healthspan Optimization: Proactive health coaching, nutritionists, on-site medical care focused on prevention (cognitive health screenings, fitness metrics, metabolic health), and seamless integration with high-quality external healthcare systems when needed.
- Peer-Led Governance & Co-Creation: Residents have significant say in community operations, activities, and even new developments through councils and committees.
- Technology as an Empowerment Tool:
- Discreet Health & Safety Monitoring: Wearables and ambient sensors that provide data to the user for self-optimization, with emergency alert fallbacks. Privacy is paramount.
- Digital Connection Platforms: Curated platforms to manage community engagements, form interest groups, and connect with family and the wider world.
- Robotics for Tedious Tasks: Adoption of assistive robots for housecleaning, lawn mowing, or heavy lifting to preserve energy for meaningful activities.
- Financial & Social Models:
- Flexible, Tiered Membership Models: Options ranging from ownership (co-housing, condos) to rental, with à la carte service packages. The goal is to avoid a massive, lump-sum buy-in that locks away capital.
- Intergenerational Equity Partnerships: Models that allow younger generations to invest in or share community resources, breaking age-based segregation.
- Strong Social Capital: The community itself is designed to be the primary “safety net” — a network of friends, neighbors, and peers who naturally look out for one another, reducing the need for formalized care.
In essence, this industry would not be a “senior living industry” at all. It would be a Human Potential in Later Life Industry.
The person you describe wouldn’t be looking for a “retirement home.” They would be seeking a Launchpad for Their Next Chapter — a vibrant, supportive, and resource-rich community designed to maximize their freedom, growth, and contribution for as long as possible. The industry’s success would be measured not in occupancy rates, but in residents’ reported sense of purpose, autonomy, and joy.
End of AI generated response. My question is whether creating this kind of experience could be the key to the future of aging and whether it would be as profitable as today’s industry norms have been. Since DeepSeek, the AI platform that created this dream, is based in China, one wonders if China will evolve such a vision before the United States does, or vice versa. What do you think? Let us know below.
