New Findings on the State of Senior Living Clinical Leadership in 2025

August Health and ASHA publish the second annual report highlighting pressures and priorities across clinical operations.

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August Health, in partnership with the American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA), today released The Daily Realities of Clinical Care in Senior Living: The 2025 State of Senior Living Clinical Leadership Report, the second year of an ongoing effort to better understand the realities and priorities of clinical leadership across the senior living industry.

This year's findings reveal the challenges of rising resident acuity and shifting staffing models as senior living more actively embraces care coordination and value-based care. Clinical leaders are responding: evaluating new care models, piloting AI-driven tools, and building infrastructure for higher-acuity residents.

“Clinical leaders continue to navigate a complex and demanding environment,” said Justin Schram, MD, co-founder and co-CEO of August Health. “What stands out is the resiliency and creativity of clinical leaders who are adapting by building the infrastructure for higher acuity care and making senior living a preferential, mission-driven workplace.”

Together, these themes set the stage for this year’s findings, which offer a clearer picture of where clinical leaders are focusing their attention and how they’re adapting.

This year’s report clearly exposes two salient struggles leaders are experiencing across the industry:

• Acuity keeps rising, and many believe it's still understated. Seventy-five percent of respondents report caring for higher-acuity residents than five years ago. Nearly two-thirds believe actual acuity levels are systematically underreported due to delayed assessments, intentional underscoring, and undocumented PRN services.
• Staffing remains the defining operational challenge. Leaders consistently report that staffing impacts every dimension of clinical operations, from care delivery to technology adoption. This is compounded by the issue of rising acuity, which drove 43% of communities to add additional caregivers, 38% to expand med tech roles, and 32% to add more med techs.

In response, clinical leaders are turning to new models and technologies to manage this complexity:

• While predictive analytics and AI show promise, adoption remains slow. About one-third of respondents are piloting or implementing AI-based alerts or predictive analytics, with roughly half expressing interest in these capabilities.
• Value-based care participation continues to grow. Nearly 50% of respondents say they are either operating within or preparing to join a value-based care system. Among those already participating, 31% are taking on financial risk—a significant step that reflects growing confidence in managing outcomes.

Clinical leaders are also invested in advancing the skills and satisfaction of their teams:

• Workforce experience is seen as an important tool for improving resident care. Two-thirds of respondents reported focusing on improved workplace culture, staff satisfaction, and staff retention to ameliorate quality of care.
• Fighting attrition is a key area of concern. Over half (59%) of respondents identified hiring and retaining staff as a chief challenge.
• More leaders are worried about upskilling. 65% said improving staff quality and training was among their top three challenges in 2025 — up from 57% in 2024.

“The experiences of clinical leaders deserve to be front and center,” said David Schless, President and CEO of ASHA. “Their insights provide an essential window into what it takes to deliver high-quality care in today’s senior living communities.”

To view the full report, visit https://www.augusthealth.com/clinical-leadership-survey/2025.

About August Health

August Health is the easy-to-use EHR platform that caregivers love, known for improving care quality, simplifying compliance, and enabling better care tracking and analytics. Designed with senior living experts and built by world-class engineers, the software platform makes it easier for communities to provide the best care. Through August Intelligence, the platform offers AI-powered insights that help communities act more quickly and confidently. Since launching in 2020, August Health has been adopted by leading operators across the country, including Sonida Senior Living, 12 Oaks Senior Living, Bickford Senior Living, Koelsch Communities, and Westmont Living. Learn more at augusthealth.com.

About ASHA

Based in Washington, DC, the American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA) represents 530 organizations involved in the financing, development, and operation of the full spectrum of housing and services for older adults – including active adult, independent living, assisted living, memory care, and continuing care (or life plan) communities. ASHA’s members, both for-profit and not-for-profit, collectively own and/or operate approximately 750,000 senior living units across the United States. ASHA is focused on legislative and regulatory advocacy, and the organization supports research and national initiatives that advance high quality services for older adults so they can live with dignity in the setting of their choice.