What If We All Got It Right? Redefining the Future of Aging Service and Care for Older Adults
Published: August 8, 2025
By Todd Andrews
President of Community Living, Asbury Communities
What if the most vulnerable among us weren’t just protected, but deeply valued?
That’s the question I found myself asking after hearing about the new documentary No Country for Old People, now streaming on Amazon. The film tells a woman’s painful journey navigating her mother’s care in a nursing home, a journey no one should take. The images stay with you. But so does the question: Is this the best we can offer older adults in America today?
The honest answer? No. Not yet.
But there’s something else that must be said after watching:
Not all nursing homes are created equal.
Just like not all schools are the same. Not all businesses. Not all restaurants or hospitals. There are providers who underperform, and there are providers who raise the bar. Some are driven by profit. Others, by purpose and mission.
At Asbury Communities, we know where we stand. For nearly a century, we’ve been a nonprofit, mission-driven organization dedicated to one clear vision: Redefining Aging. That means not only improving care but transforming the entire experience of growing older for residents, families, and the people who care for them.
Because the truth is, we’re not just caring for the current generation, we’re shaping what aging will look like.
Where We’ve Been
The documentary reflects what far too many families have faced: substantial gaps in a broken system. In fact, 61% of U.S. nursing homes are for-profit entities, and countless studies show that for-profit homes are more likely to report lower staffing levels and higher rates of preventable issues than nonprofit counterparts. The difference isn’t just organizational, it’s deeply personal for me and the teams we have working in all our communities. It affects the experience of care on every level.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine didn’t mince words in its 2022 report: our long-term care system is fragmented, inefficient, and unsustainable. The challenges aren’t new, but the urgency to fix them is.
Where We Are
At Asbury, we’re not standing still, we’re moving forward with intention.
We’re redefining ageing on all levels:
- For residents, it means personalized wellbeing journeys, brain health programs, and homes where connection and purpose are part of everyday life.
- For families, it means consistent communication, meaningful involvement, and peace of mind that their loved one is truly seen and supported.
- For caregivers and associates, it means building a culture of belonging, investment in education and training pathways, paying living wages and offering support that treats people like the essential professionals they are.
We’re also embracing innovations like fall prevention technologies, wellness coaching, predictive analytics–not to replace people, but to empower them. Because care doesn’t happen through devices. It happens through relationships and recognition of all.
Where We’re Headed
We are standing at the intersection of growing demand and undeniable opportunity. By 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be age 65 or older, and the fastest-growing segment of the population is 85 and above. This isn’t a distant challenge, it’s now.
And it’s why we’re building for the future not just new communities or services, but a new mindset.
We’re pushing for national policy reform that reflects the value of elder care and a number. We’re advancing partnerships that bring culturally responsive services to diverse communities. And we’re creating environments where older adults are not warehouse; they are welcomed, supported, and celebrated.
Because we don’t believe aging is something to endure. We believe it’s something to embrace.
So, What If We Got It Right?
What if every home for older adults was truly that…a home?
What if every caregiver felt empowered to build a career, not just clock in?
What if every family felt safe trusting the system?
What if the story told in that documentary became the exception…not the expectation?
That’s the vision we hold at Asbury.
We’re not claiming perfection but we’re committing to progress.
Every day. Every person. Every moment of care.
We’re redefining aging.
And the future we want is one we’re already cultivating.
How You Can Help Shape the Future of Aging
You don’t need to be in the industry to make an impact. Whether you’re a family member, future resident, volunteer, advocate, or neighbor you have a role to play:
- Ask the right questions. When visiting a care community, ask about staffing stability, wellbeing opportunities and programming, and how families are engaged in care.
- Support nonprofit providers. When possible, choose mission-driven communities that reinvest in their people and programs every single day.
- Advocate for change. Call on policymakers to increase funding for direct care professionals, expand home and community-based services, and ensure real accountability across the industry.
- Volunteer your time and talents. So many older adults benefit from social connection, mentoring, creative engagement, and simply being seen.
- Reframe how we talk about aging. Ageism is real (and often subtle). Speak up when you hear dismissive language. Celebrate the value, wisdom, and potential of older adults.
This moment is a wake-up call. But it’s also a chance to rise.
Let’s not waste it.
Key Statistics & Sources:
1. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)
The National Imperative to Improve Nursing Home Quality: Honoring Our Commitment to Residents, Families, and Staff (2022)
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26526
2. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) & Long-Term Care Ownership Data
3. 2020 CMS Data Book and Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC)
4. For-profit nursing home ownership: ~70%
https://medpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/import_data/scrape_files/docs/default-source/data-book/july2020_databook_entirereport_sec.pdf
5. Medicare Advocacy – Nonprofit vs. For-Profit Care Quality
Nonprofit vs. For-Profit Nursing Homes: Is There a Difference in Care? (2023)
https://medicareadvocacy.org/non-profit-vs-for-profit-nursing-homes-is-there-a-difference-in-care
6. Health Affairs – Nursing Home Staff Turnover Study
Gandhi, A., Yu, H., Grabowski, D. C. (2021).
High Nursing Staff Turnover in Nursing Homes Offers Important Quality Information
https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00957
7. U.S. Census Bureau – Aging Population Projection
2020 Census and Projections to 2030
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2020/65-older-population-grows.html
8. Consumer Voice – Resident Reports on Staffing
Staffing Crisis Resources & Resident Perspectives
https://theconsumervoice.org/issues/issue-details/staffing
9. NursingHome411 – Safe Staffing Benchmarks
10. Recommended 4.1 HPRD Benchmark & CMS RN Minimums
https://nursinghome411.org/free-toolkit-speak-out-to-support-safe-nursing-home-staffing-standards/