Senior living advocate Argentum has released its 2026 Perceptions of Careers in Senior Living report, developed in partnership with Activated Insights, which for 2026 highlights a workforce driven by mission and human connection but challenged by inadequate compensation, staffing shortages, and inconsistent management support.

The report’s findings are based on feedback from senior living professionals nationwide.

“Senior living workers are among the most mission-driven professionals in any field,” said James Balda, CEO, Argentum. “But purpose alone is not enough to sustain a workforce. This report underscores the urgent need for meaningful, structural changes to attract and retain the talent this growing population depends on.”

Bud Meadows, CEO, Activated Insights, said the “insights from our 2026 data tell a clear story: senior living depends on an extraordinary workforce that chooses purpose, compassion, and human connection every day. The challenge—and opportunity—for our industry is to create workplaces that support, develop, and retain the people who make exceptional care possible.”

In breaking down what the report can offer in the way of a roadmap for senior living providers moving forward, Argentum said the following are key:

Purpose Remains a Defining Strength

The report finds that senior living employees overwhelmingly cite meaningful relationships and making a difference in residents’ lives as the greatest benefit of their work. Nearly 95 percent of respondents said they are likely to stay in jobs where they feel their work has purpose, underscoring the powerful role of mission in workforce retention.

Compensation Continues to Drive Turnover

Despite high levels of dedication, 62.3 percent of workers identified non-competitive pay as the top reason they would leave the industry, making it the single most significant retention challenge. Some 85.4 percent of those responding said fair pay is extremely important to job satisfaction, “reinforcing the urgent need for competitive compensation strategies,” Argentum said.

Leadership and Culture Shape Workforce Stability

The report said quality of leadership and workplace culture emerged as equally critical factors. Nearly half of respondents cited poor relationships with supervisors and organizational culture issues as key drivers of potential departure. Conversely, positive team culture was the top factor influencing long-term retention, surpassing even pay.

Work-Life Balance and Staffing Pressures

Workers said a growing issue affecting their work and satisfaction is the strain from scheduling demands and staffing shortages. Flexible scheduling and work-life balance ranked among the most important job satisfaction factors, while burnout and understaffing were among the most frequently cited challenges in open-ended responses, the report said.

The full report, 2026 Perceptions of Careers in Senior Living, provides the evidence base and implementation roadmap to position social wellness as essential health infrastructure, Argentum said.

Questions or comments? Contact Patrick Connole at pconnole@parkplacelive.com.