SafelyYou Releases Landmark Research Revealing the True Financial Toll of Senior Care — and the Path Forward for Operators

SAN FRANCISCO, August 27, 2026--SafelyYou, the AI leader in senior living, has released the 2026 Cost of Senior Care report. The landmark research was commissioned by SafelyYou and conducted by independent research firm Merrill Research across 175 senior living leaders. The report, building off the Cost of Falls report conducted by the company in 2022, delivers one of the most comprehensive looks at the real operational and financial costs facing assisted living and memory care operators today, and maps a clear path toward earlier visibility, reduced risk, and stronger community performance.

Shirley Nickels, COO at SafelyYou, adds, "Senior living leaders have always understood the human cost of rising acuity, falls, and workforce strain. What hasn't been as visible is how those challenges compound financially across an entire community. This research puts numbers behind that reality—and, more importantly, helps operators see where they have the greatest opportunity to intervene earlier, reduce risk, and improve both resident and business outcomes."

The report is available now for download.

The Numbers Behind What Every Operator Already Knows

Senior living operators have been navigating rising acuity, persistent staffing strain, and growing financial exposure. This report puts figures behind this reality.

• Fall costs have nearly doubled in three years: Senior living leaders now estimate per-incident fall costs at an average of $10,900 in assisted living and $9,300 in memory care, up from the $5,267 that was cited in the Cost of Falls report. The combined toll of falls across staff time, documentation, clinical follow-up, and resident transition can reach an average of $380,000 per community per year.

• Staffing turnover is compounding the cost: SafelyYou found 36-38% annual turnover for both frontline and clinical staff. Replacing a frontline caregiver costs around $7,160; replacing a clinical leader costs $20,450–$21,660.

• Care tasks are falling behind: 38% of assisted living leaders and 45% of memory care leaders report care tasks frequently fall behind schedule, a signal of strained capacity that compounds visibility gaps and safety risk downstream.

SafelyYou's Director of Analytics and Insights, Lana Peck, says, "When acuity outpaces care capabilities, care becomes less predictable and more reactive. Staff are forced to make more decisions in the moment, escalate more frequently, and rely on workarounds to meet residents' needs. That's when costs begin to compound—not as a single, identifiable expense, but through the cumulative impact of a system operating under strain."