Many senior living and care operators have plans to continue offering virtual marketing events and tours, remote visits and other meetings and programs via technology even as in-person events continue to take place post-pandemic, according to data collected from the most recent Executive Survey conducted by the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care.
The latest survey — Wave 23 — included responses collected Feb. 22 to March 7 from owners and executives across 69 small, medium and large senior living and skilled nursing organizations nationwide.
The most recent survey also found that many operators are eagerly anticipating a boost in occupancy due to the COVID-19 vaccine availability. One-third of respondents noted an increase in prospect interest specifically related to the vaccine, up from 25% in Wave 21. Almost two-thirds of survey respondents (62%) said they expect their organizations’ occupancy rates to recover to pre-pandemic levels sometime in 2022.
In addition, for the third successive survey wave, the shares of organizations reporting an acceleration in the pace of move-ins is higher than those organizations reporting a deceleration for each of the care segments. Further, the number of organizations reporting a deceleration in the pace of move-ins has shrunk to a pandemic low in the memory care, assisted living and nursing care segments.
On the vaccine front, a slim majority of organizations now say they probably will not or definitely will not make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for staff members (55%). A fourth, however, said they probably will or definitely will (25%), a number that has increased since Wave 22 of the survey.
