Episcopal SeniorLife Communities featured in the RBJ – “Rochester senior living leaders see opportunity in 2026”

In Rochester Business Journal’s recent publication Rochester senior living leaders see opportunity in 2026, ESLC’s Vice President of Independent Living spoke to some of the challenges and opportunities facing the senior living industry in 2026.

““As the population of older adults seeking services continues to grow, ensuring we have the workforce needed to deliver high-quality support and innovative programming remains a critical issue,” Scipioni said.

Some of the ways ESLC is meeting this challenge are through investments in its workforce, leveraging technology to streamline processes, engaging residents and volunteers to support programming, and focusing on collaborating with – rather than competing with – peer organizations when possible to address shared workforce challenges.

“Funding for capital improvements and new development also remains a significant challenge,” said Scipioni, who adds that many senior living communities are operating in buildings that require substantial reinvestment to meet today’s expectations for safety, accessibility, technology, and quality of life.

At the same time, it explains that rising construction costs, higher interest rates, and limited access to public and private financing make new development increasingly difficult.

“Balancing the need to reinvest in current properties and continuing to develop new properties to meet the growing need for housing while keeping housing and services affordable for older adults will continue to require creativity, strong partnerships, and sustained advocacy in 2026,” she said, as will the need for more affordable and middle-income housing.

Scipioni says community-based services that are coordinated with senior living are becoming increasingly important as more residents express a desire to age in place.

“Expanding access to health and wellness programs supports this goal by helping older adults remain connected to their communities while receiving the care and resources they need,” she said. “We are fortunate to have many mission-driven providers and organizations in our community, and partnerships that expand offerings and strengthen support for older adults will continue to be critical in the future.”

In the year ahead, Scipioni said the organization is excited to build on its strong partnerships and relationships across the Rochester community, which include SUNY Brockport, Lifespan, the Alzheimer’s Association, Roberts Wesleyan University, Unity Geriatric Associates, the Jewish Home, and more.

A few of the organization’s many projects she looks forward to in 2026 are the opening of River Edge Manor’s Community Resource Room in the South Wedge and the expansion of ElderOne into Seabury Woods Memory Care – providing affordable memory care in the community.

Additionally, she’s excited about the expansion of ESLC’s Dementia Services Program with a rollout of  GUIDE (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience), a Medicare-supported model for supporting those in the community with dementia and their caregivers.”

Read the full article on the Rochester Business Journals website, click here.