This long-term senior living veteran calls out the industry for being a one-trick pony. Find out why three quarters of the older adult market goes largely unaddressed, and the bigger market opportunity is farther up the pyramid of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs—helping people satisfy their need for growth and self-actualization.
About Dan
Dan Hutson is chief marketing officer for Claiborne Senior Living, a privately held owner-operator of senior living communities throughout the Southeastern United States. He has more than 30 years of experience in helping organizations meet their marketing, communications, and strategic planning needs.
Before joining Claiborne, he served as chief strategy officer for HumanGood, the seventh-largest U.S. nonprofit provider of senior housing serving 10,000 older adults. As CSO, he was responsible for strategic planning, sales and marketing, corporate communications, and innovation and experience design.
Dan has spoken on senior living trends, marketing, innovation, and other topics at the NIC Fall Conference, SMASH Conference, the Argentum Chief Executive Summit, LeadingAge national and state conferences, and other gatherings of senior living leaders. He also has served on the advisory board of SMASH and the conference education planning committees for the NIC Fall Conference and LeadingAge Annual Meeting & EXPO. His marketing and communication programs have been honored by the National Mature Media Awards, Content Marketing Awards, EXCEL Awards and Healthcare Marketing IMPACT Awards.
Key Takeaways
- Senior living needs to move away from a rigidly constructed living experience oriented around healthcare. It is not aligned with how people want to live.
- The nature of a care-based model makes us more risk averse than other industries.
- People equate their current homes with the greatest freedom to live life on their terms. They don't want to live in a setting perceived as limiting freedom and independence.
- There is an opportunity for senior living providers to work with outside partners to create greater value for customers.