Senior Housing News recently looked at how senior living providers are building their operations around healthspan, the number of years a person lives in good health, and not just lifespan. Garden Spot Communities was one of the organizations featured, along with HumanGood, Mather, WesleyLife, 2Life Communities and Lifespark.
The article cites Mayo Clinic research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It found that the United States has the largest gap of any country studied between how long people live and how long they stay healthy: 12.4 years. Providers across the country are responding by connecting wellness services that used to stand alone and focusing on the outcomes that matter most to each resident.
At Garden Spot, healthspan serves as “the operating system” that ties together physical fitness, cognitive health, nutrition and opportunities for new residents to build social connections. Garden Spot is also working with a local healthcare provider on a “longevity concierge model” to bring primary care into its communities. The model could include priority or same-day appointments, longer physician visits and closer coordination between medical providers and Garden Spot staff. Garden Spot’s cooperative living model supports this work by offering affordable, community-based services that encourage connection.
For CEO Steve Lindsey, the goal reaches beyond health metrics. “My hope would be that that’s where we end up,” Lindsey said, “that healthspan is just a vehicle to get us toward lives of purpose, meaning and impact as we age.”
Read the full article by Austin Montgomery at Senior Housing News (October 30, 2026).