2019 was a big year for Invesque. The Carmel, Indiana-based firm made a splash when it acquired operator Commonwealth Senior Living and 20 of its properties for $340 million. Today, Invesque’s portfolio numbers more than 120 buildings with a gross value of about $2 billion.

In this episode of Transform, hear from Scott White, Invesque’s chairman and CEO. Learn:

- How the Commonwealth deal came together, and why Invesque wanted to own an operating company

- Why White thinks the industry’s workforce crisis is going to get worse before it gets better

- How industry leaders sometimes focus too much on short-term problems rather than taking a long-term perspective

On Nov. 21, Buckner Retirement Services held the official grand opening for Ventana, a $240 million, high-rise continuing care retirement community in Dallas. Even as Buckner is launching this new addition to its portfolio, the organization closing on the sale of its historic East Dallas campus, originally opened in 1954.

In this episode of Transform, hear from Charlie Wilson, a senior Vice President with Buckner International, who leads the nonprofit’s retirement services business. Learn:

— How Ventana is partnering with a high-profile chef, a large health system, and a wellness pioneer

— Why Buckner sold its East Dallas property with an eye toward the future

— Why nonprofits need to find ways to “compartmentalize their risk” and explore more diverse financing options to gain scale and innovate

New Perspective Senior Living has its work cut out to accomplish ambitious goals, and it has a new CEO leading the way.

The Minnetonka, Minnesota-based senior living provider has set a goal of serving 10,000 older adults by 2025, and accordingly ramped up its pipeline in recent months. New Perspective also named Ryan Novaczyk as its new CEO earlier this year.

Novaczyk talked about his current plans for the company in the Senior Housing News podcast, Transform.

In this episode, learn about:

- How New Perspective plans to serve 10,000 older adults by 2025

- Why growth is at the forefront of Novaczyk's business strategy

- The company's beginnings in the basement of the Novaczyk family home

- What New Perspective plans to do in the face of strong supply and labor headwinds

It's either an exciting or a scary time to be in the senior living industry, depending on who you ask. For Aegis Living Founder and CEO Dwayne Clark, it's the former.

The senior living provider is opening unique communities with themed designs, and all the while building a corporate team that includes former leaders from companies such as Starbucks and Nordstrom, Clark said in this episode of the Senior Housing News podcast, Transform.

In this episode, learn about:

- Why Aegis Living wants to stop using the term "assisted living"

- How Clark sees the provider as a "patchwork quilt" of different industries

- Why Aegis doesn't hire any of its general managers from other senior living competitors

- What Clark learned traveling the globe looking for the keys to longevity and healthy aging

Senior living operators must change with the times — but for Integral Senior Living, this year has been more about execution than new initiatives.

In fact, it’s been an “initiative-free year” for the company, CEO Collette Gray explains in this episode of the Senior Housing News podcast, Transform.

Following busy years that saw a lot of changes, it was time to hit pause and focus on execution, Gray said. Still, ISL is not treading water. Rather, it’s taking a breath to prepare for the big push to meet a new consumer demographic, respond to major workforce challenges, and seize new opportunities to expand the already sizable portfolio of about 75 communities in 18 states.

In this episode, learn:

* How ISL approaches the “transactional” marketplace for third-party operators, to manage both new developments and turnarounds

* Why ISL created a new corporate role to address workforce challenges — a move that Gray would not have anticipated four years ago

* How Gray’ is working to bring more women into the leadership ranks of senior living

Addressing the growing demand for middle-market senior housing is one of 2019’s top issues in senior living, but HumanGood CEO John Cochrane says that the industry first needs to realize there is no simple solution, as middle-market senior housing encompasses varying product types and price points.

Cochrane, who is in his 11th year as head of the Pleasanton, California-based provider, shared his insight during a recent interview for the Senior Housing News podcast Transform. Transform focuses on the people and ideas shaping the future of senior living.

In this episode, Cochrane shares his thoughts on:

- HumanGood’s recent affiliation with Presby’s Inspired Living and his plans to build a national portfolio

- How he sees the senior living consumer changing over the next decade

- How nonprofit senior living providers are competing against their for-profit counterparts

- How HumanGood approaches the build vs. buy equation

- How HumanGood is evaluating its portfolio to meet the demand for affordable senior housing while maximizing value

Senior living is changing at a rapid rate, and CEO Doug Leidig has been focused on keeping Asbury Communities ahead of the pack.

Leidig is now in his fifth year at the helm of the Frederick, Maryland-based provider, which has a portfolio of seven CCRCs as well as an affiliated technology services company and other lines of business.

In this episode, Leidig shares how the nonprofit's culture has changed to support ongoing growth and innovation — without huge spikes in anxiety among its workforce. Learn more about:

-- How "co-opetition" has replaced competition in senior living

-- Plans for Asbury's new CCRC management technology platform

-- How Asbury is repositioning for tomorrow's consumer

New York City is undergoing a senior living renaissance, with high-profile projects coming together all across the area. One such project is Maplewood Senior Living's $300 million Inspir community, on Manhattan's Upper East Side. When it opens, Inspir promises to bring with it a bevy of cutting-edge tech features designed for residents' safety and quality of life.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Brian Geyser, chief clinical officer for the Inspir brand and Maplewood’s vice president of clinical innovation and population health. Learn more about:

* How Maplewood sees technology fitting into its senior living operations

* How residents of Inspir can use Amazon Alexa and other new technology

* Virtual reality tech and its uses in senior living

* What up-and-coming tech trends might change the face of senior living in the future

The massive opportunity to serve the middle market has been one of the hottest senior living topics in 2019, thanks to new findings from NIC and university researchers.

There is a tremendous business opportunity for providers that find a winning middle-market formula, NIC Founder and Strategic Advisor Bob Kramer explains in this episode of Transform. But, if a sustainable formula is not found, there could be a crisis for public health and government insurance programs.

In this episode, learn more about:

- The magnitude of the middle-market challenge and opportunity

- Concepts for making senior living more affordable

- The role major providers of managed care could play in driving down senior living costs in the future

- How public and private sector coordination is crucial to serving tomorrow’s seniors

The continuing care retirement community model is changing to account for boomers’ wants and needs, and to make CCRCs more important players in the U.S. health care system.

To hear more about where CCRCs are headed, listen to the latest episode of Transform, a podcast about the people and ideas shaping the future of senior living, sponsored by PointClickCare.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Kendal Corp. President and CEO Sean Kelly, and Summit Vista CEO and Executive Director Mark Erickson. Learn more about:

— How and why Summit Vista partnered with health care system Intermountain

— Kendal’s involvement in a $300 million CCRC being developed around Zen principles

— The role that skilled nursing will play in the CCRC of the future

— Whether partnerships and technology can lead to more affordable offerings