Geriatric but make it premium
Grandma might be out-vibing you because retirement homes are starting to feel like private clubs
HELLO!!! I'm excited to be back. Some quick updates: I graduated college!!!! I also graduated high school a week after college - my high school graduation got postponed to our five year reunion given Covid cancelled our in-person ceremony. I travelled a bunch of Asia (Tokyo, Seoul, and my old home Shanghai). And now I am enjoying my summer before I start work in September. I'm moving to Boston - hit me up if you're there, and pls send me your recs. As always, some pics...
Let's get into the main kiki - I’ve been sitting on this one for a while and excited to share.
THE MAIN KIKI - THE SEGMENTATION AND PREMIUMIZATION OF ELDERCARE
I read an article in The Economist a few months ago titled Why people over the age of 55 are the new problem generation. It argued that baby boomers (now aged 61–79) are bringing their vices into retirement with them - cigarettes, weed, hard drugs, casual drinking, even sex. “One study from the Netherlands found that the percentage of people over the age of 75 who report being sexually active leapt from 16% in 2014 to 27% less than a decade later.” (….) So where are these party animals going in their retirement? The answer is Latitude Margaritaville, a Jimmy Buffett-themed retirement community where it’s always five o’clock and the shuffleboard court sits next to a tiki bar. This is a new class of retirement home I coin the “Litirement Home”. The whole point of the community is that it feels like a resort - a utopia with a "Paradise Pool”, live music every night, pickleball, and the Barkaritaville Dog Park and Pet Spa. Margaritaville Holdings announced last month that their Daytona Beach location (which has 3,763 homes) sold out five years ahead of sales projections. There’s real demand here - supposedly hundreds of homebuyers camp out the night before the communities open to buy properties, and >500,000 prospective buyers are registered to receive updates about Margaritaville.
But Margaritaville is just one of countless examples of the re-imagined retirement home. There are now retirement options tailored to specific lifestyle preferences, including luxury cruise-based living for affluent retirees, wellness-focused retreats for the ultra-health conscious, floating condos set to navigate the Mississippi, and even residences for niche communities like retired Italian opera singers. Other experimental models include large-scale communities like The Villages in Florida, which has dozens of golf courses and enrichment classes ranging from scuba diving to political discussion. Universities are getting involved too: Arizona State University developed a senior living tower (revamped dorms) marketed as a vibrant, intergenerational campus experience with the idea of "lifelong learning" where elders can take classes, go to sports events, and interact with campus. (yessss college forever).
The broader trend is that retirement is no longer one-size-fits-all. It’s segmenting, it’s going niche… and premium.
I'm going to breakdown some of the trends powering this increasing segmentation and investment into elder care, as well as some of my business takeaways.
1. Demographics are the driver
Longevity is up and adult children no longer live next door. In the U.S., the Census Bureau projects that by 2034, for the first time ever, people aged 65 and older will outnumber those under 18, a demographic milestone with huge implications. And it’s not just an American story - other countries are seeing skyrocketing demand too. In the EU, the proportion of >85 year olds will more than double from 2025 to 2050. In India, the eldercare market is projected to grow to $50B by 2030, fueled in part by working-age children moving abroad and leaving older parents behind. Globally, seniors are sitting on trillions in assets, living longer than ever (often solo) and still spending.
However, this demographic shift isn’t just about volume. It’s also about rising expectations. As consumers live longer, they are staying active and independent for more years, reshaping what retirement looks like. The concept of aging is shifting from a period of decline to one of reinvention and self-definition. No one wants to be seen as "old" in the traditional sense, and the market is responding accordingly.
2. Segmentation is key
Retirement living is no longer monolithic. Developers are catering to a spectrum of identities, incomes, and aspirations. While retirement homes once focused on what they helped residents cope with, they’re now defined by what they help residents become, whether that’s re-education or reliving college years. We’re entering the era of retirement as self-expression. Increasingly, they resemble private members clubs: curated, aspirational, and exclusive (with long wait lists).
In general, eldercare as an industry has boomed, and not just in the form of retirement homes, but also interest groups. For example, Belgian non-profit Papy Boom (shoutout home country) organizes nightclub/rave outings for 80+ year olds in Brussels to counter social isolation. The possibilities are endless.
3. Hospitality is the competitive edge
As longevity rises, the retirement experience is undergoing a fundamental shift away from a model rooted in healthcare and toward one inspired by hospitality. The old image of eldercare was clinical and cold: hospital beds, fluorescent lights, a sterile atmosphere, and bingo nights. But that perception is changing fast. This new wave of resort-style senior living is taking cues from hotels, offering curated environments and experience-driven amenities.
Today, fewer than 14% of Americans over 75 live in nursing homes, probably attributed to traditional eldercare being associated with sadness and decline. But with these more luxurious and engaging alternatives, retirement is being rebranded as a reward. There’s still massive room for growth and innovation in the industry.
So all of that to say… start saving for your parents’ eldercare services!!
THINGS I’M LOVING RIGHT NOW
The new Justin Bieber album and Audrey Hobert (whose album is coming out Aug 15)
This lash lift I got in Japan. It still looks like this a month later. (This is without mascara)
This block of vanilla ice cream that they sell at convenience stores in Shanghai. It comes in a plastic wrapper and is nothing but a block. Messy to eat, but funny in concept. Also for ice cream biters only
Bellinis. Bellini summer is back because I’m in Sardegna…
That’s Jackiki 14. Ciaooooo a presto <3
Really fascinating! I'm curious to see how campus life will evolve/change as institutions adopt these "intergenerational experiences..."
Love it 🧐🙈🎊🇮🇹