Senior Living DEIB Coalition Releases Survey Results and Industry Toolkit

November 14, 2022

The first-ever Senior Living DEIB Survey on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) and the Senior Living DEIB Toolkit to aid industry operators and organizations in advancing DEIB practices are now available. The survey collected information across the participating companies and reviewed both the degree to which DEIB programs are deployed and the diversity of their respective staff. The survey results indicated opportunities for senior living companies to give more focus to DEIB efforts, and the DEIB Toolkit was developed for interested companies to customize programs suited to their respective firms.

Released by the Senior Living DEIB Coalition—a partnership among Argentum, the American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA) and the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC)—the new survey marks the first industry-wide effort to summarize the data on DEIB.

Industry leaders hailed the study’s release and stressed that the work on DEIB is just beginning. “As an industry focused on service and growth, creating diverse and welcoming organizations is the right path and a critical aspect of expanding talent and human capital to meet workforce needs within senior living,” shared James Balda, president & CEO of Argentum. “The survey and toolkit are just the first steps towards this industry-wide need and effort.”

Survey Results

The executive summary provides a snapshot on the current state of DEIB within the industry. Administered by Ferguson Partners, the survey uncovered several practices being implemented by senior living organizations and the percentage of organizations executing on specific DEIB initiatives. It also provided demographic breakdowns related to gender, race, orientations and other diversity measures.

“The survey signifies the beginning for senior living to measure year-over-year progress of DEIB efforts,” said Chuck Harry, COO of NIC. “It serves as a catalyst for additional dialogue within organizations around the practices necessary to advance DEIB.”

The executive summary of the survey results can be found here.

DEIB Toolkit

The DEIB toolkit, developed by The Axela Group, is the Coalition’s first initiative to help organizations advance DEIB practices. It is designed to inform, educate, encourage and drive stakeholders to resources to assist them in DEIB pursuits.

“The toolkit is where the rubber meets the road and senior living organizations take action to either launch or advance DEIB initiatives,” stated ASHA President and CEO David Schless. “It contains resources to inform, equip and catalyze positive impact and thinking around DEIB and will undergo periodic upgrades as we learn more and advance our industry.”

The DEIB Toolkit can be found here.