Article | Intelligent Investment

Unlocking Potential: The value of care provision in Integrated Retirement Communities

December 5, 2025 5 Minute Read

By Lily Clark Kristen Brown

Unlocking Potential The value of care provision in Integrated Retirement Communities

The UK has a growing number of Integrated Retirement Community (IRC) operators who provide residential options with age-appropriate design considerations and optional support services. A challenge for IRC operators is to ensure that the senior living model is tailored to meet the needs and preferences of older adults, making it competitive to standard residential models for downsizing. In recent years, the appeal of IRCs has been increasingly shaped by practicality. The decision to relocate typically derives from genuine need with key considerations being the assurance of optional support, security, the relief of home maintenance, and accessibility of care support.

At present, the level of care provision and care staff on-site in IRCs varies. According to data from the Elderly Accommodation Council, only 36% of IRCs have care staff on-site. The level of care services an individual receives in an IRC are typically low level rather than nursing care; however, this is dependent on the individual. Nonetheless, given key concerns for older adults around health and security, more operators could stand to benefit from investing in on-site care support. This analysis draws on insights from CBRE’s forthcoming UK Senior Living Survey 2025, highlighting priorities shaping this market.

An opportunity for IRC operators to fill a provision gap

The level of support individuals require in an IRC typically falls within the scope of domestic support with daily activities such as washing and dressing. Age UK reports that a significant proportion of individuals aged 65 and over require assistance with essential daily activities and are not receiving it. These challenges are further compounded for those who live alone, which is over 30% of the UK’s 65+ population according to the Office for National Statistics. This highlights an existing provision gap for ageing adults with low level care needs that currently reside in their own homes. IRCs can bridge the gap through the provision of domestic care support and spaces that are designed around functionality.

Figure 1: Number of people aged 65+ who need support with various activities of daily life, split by whether they receive help, 2022/23

Source: Age UK

Findings from CBRE’s 2025 UK Senior Living Survey reveal that the primary considerations for senior living are: living independently with optional support, security, the reduction of home maintenance responsibilities, and care support. Reinforcing this, The Associated Retirement Community Operator (ARCO) ‘Putting the ‘care’ in Housing-with-Care’ report, highlights that nearly 90% cite 24/7, Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated support as a key reason for moving to an IRC. Resident moves are often driven by evolving support needs. Therefore, an IRC model that prioritises high-quality support and care is better placed for attracting prospective residents and supporting growth across the sector.

Figure 2: You said that you would / previously have consider(ed) senior living. Why is this?

Source: CBRE 2025 UK Senior Living Survey

Varying levels of care provision in IRCs

There is a misconception that IRCs include registered care homes. On the contrary, IRCs provide a residential offering with optional care support, and the level of care provision within IRCs varies. In a limited number of cases, a care home is co-located on-site, offering a comprehensive later-living solution with the flexibility to scale up care as needs evolve. More commonly, the level of care consists of domiciliary support with routine household tasks and personal care. This care can be delivered by in-house staff, through operator partnerships with external agencies, or arranged independently.

Needing to assess if CQC regulation is required can act as a disincentive to operators delivering care services in-house. However, a small number of IRCs have established separate CQC-regulated care agencies, which operate as distinct entities and so enable the provision of on-site staff. This model often offers a more attractive alternative to care provision from external agencies as residents are more likely to have regular care and attention from the same carer.

Scaling up around the clock care

A strong rationale exists for operators to expand their on-site care service capabilities because consumers value services that directly support health and wellbeing. In our 2025 Senior Living Survey, respondents demonstrated a stronger preference for accessible assistance (50%) and 24-hour on-site staffing within an IRC (40%), over leisure facilities (34%) and food and beverage options (30%). While community and leisure amenities enhance the appeal of IRCs, they are not the leading factors for considering relocation.

IRC models that facilitate accessible and flexible care through a single provider are likely to appeal to a wider target market with diverse and evolving needs. Operators registered to provide regulated personal or nursing care have the advantage of readily being able to facilitate varying levels of domestic support, immediate response services and on-site respite care. This level of responsiveness and flexibility is harder to achieve through individual arrangements with third-party providers. From a resident perspective, regular and familiar interactions with staff are more personalised and significantly enhance their sense of comfort, safety, and wellbeing, which are often key motivations for choosing an IRC.

As the demand for support services within an IRC typically increases over the course of a resident’s stay, establishing a continuum of care is crucial for supporting longer resident stays by enabling individuals to remain in an IRC as their needs evolve, thus mitigating the potential need for transition to a care home.

However, an IRC model in which a care home is co-located on-site further improves the accessibility of care and can be particularly attractive to couples with different support needs. One individual can maintain independence and be relieved from immediate caregiving responsibilities while their partner receives professional care nearby, supported by familiar staff and surroundings. Care arrangements through one provider also simplifies budgeting and enhances transparency, which positively influences purchasing decisions.

The preventative health benefits

According to ARCO data, residents within IRCs experience notable improvements in health and wellbeing. They find that residents in IRCs experience a 75% increase in physical activity, fewer falls, improved life expectancy, and significantly reduced feelings of isolation, with only 1% of residents experiencing frequent loneliness. These outcomes often translate to a decreased need for care, which combined with care workers spending less time travelling between homes also helps to address the critical shortage of care staff across the UK. These benefits are strongly aligned with government preventative health and social care priorities, including the NHS’s recent ten-year plan, which outlines a strategic shift toward outpatient care delivery outside of hospitals by 2035.

The positive health and wellbeing outcomes associated with living in an IRC directly address key concerns for older adults, with individuals aged 55 and over in our survey identifying health as the primary concern regarding retirement (40%). Therefore, operators are well positioned to actively emphasise the preventative health benefits inherent in their model when engaging with prospective residents to support decision-making. This messaging would complement the lifestyle-oriented advantages that currently dominate marketing strategies.

Leveraging care provision to improve take-up

A provision gap exists for older adults residing in their own homes who require low-level support and existing residential models have not been built with specific considerations for this demographic. At the same time, older adults consistently prioritise health, wellbeing, and reassurance in their living arrangements. This creates an opportunity for IRC operators to bridge the gap and deliver a needs-based product that integrates accessible care support as a core feature. Operators who successfully embed care provision into their model and complement this with a needs-driven marketing strategy may offer greater reassurance to both prospective and current residents, potentially improving sales uptake. This should translate to increased service utilisation and revenue streams, offering a more attractive proposition for investors in the senior living sector.

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