LZ 150 report finds continued nonprofit senior living growth

The top nonprofit senior living providers are branching out.

Eleven new organizations have joined the 2016 LZ 150 report, three of which are ranked in the top 10 largest not-for-profit multi-site senior living organizations. The 13th annual report, produced by LeadingAge and Ziegler, ranks and analyzes the nation's 150 largest nonprofit senior living providers of multi-site systems, single-site campuses and government-subsidized multi-site housing.

"Each organization in the LZ 150 has unique characteristics and a compelling story to tell," said Katie Smith Sloan, LeadingAge president and CEO in a press release. "These are stories of enlightened leadership; commitment to mission; accountability to consumers and community; and incubation of new service possibilities."

This year's overarching story is growth, as it has been for the past decade. The average annual growth rate in total units is 3 percent, with independent living and assisted living continuing to grow. Memory care is also climbing. A majority, 77 percent, of the LZ 150 now offer specialized memory care units.

Overall, this year's growth is driven by expansion at existing campuses but also by going beyond the existing walls of the campus. Sixty percent of the LZ 150 now offer some type of home and community-based services to non-residents. About a one-third of the LZ 150 organizations belong to a formal joint venture, often with another senior living provider, a health system, or a home health care agency.

Nicole Stempak

Nicole was Senior Editor at I Advance Senior Care and Long Term Living Magazine 2015-2017. She has a Journalism degree from Kent State University and is finalizing a master’s degree in Information Architecture and Management. She has extensive studies in the digital user experience and in branding online media. She has worked as an editor and writer for various B2B publications, including Business Finance.