Heather Tussing, President, The Aspenwood Company

In an interview with Invest:, Heather Tussing, president of The Aspenwood Company, discussed how tailored efforts within the company’s communities provide better care for its residents. “Often in senior living, people have to leave the area where their medical facilities are, or where their favorite restaurants are. We change that narrative, and enable them to live where they’ve always lived,” Tussing said.

What makes Houston the ideal location to grow a company?

It’s an ideal business environment. There is so much growth in the Houston market, and there are many pockets of specificity in the market. We have communities in Tanglewood, River Oaks, and Southampton, where the residents have strong ties to their neighborhoods. We give them the ability to stay within the areas they’re familiar with, where there are medical services nearby that they’re accustomed to. 

Houston offers an exceptional business environment fueled by rapid growth and diverse opportunities. The city is made up of distinct neighborhoods, each with its own unique character and strong community ties.

For example, our communities in Tanglewood, River Oaks, and Southampton allow residents to remain connected to the neighborhoods they love while benefiting from convenient access to trusted medical services and resources nearby. By meeting people where they are, we’re able to honor their roots while supporting their evolving needs, making Houston a perfect place for growth.

What makes Houston an ideal place for people to set their roots?

Houston is such a diverse city, and it has something for everyone, from individuals at retirement age to those with young children. It has the largest medical center in the world, and the widest highway in the world. Houston is huge, but it can feel connected because of the various communities built within the city. 

What are the recent trends affecting your strategic decisions?

In Houston, we have been focusing on developments in areas where people are in proximity to their communities. For example, the luxury senior living community near Rice University enables individuals to remain close to the neighborhood they’ve always known. Often in senior living, people have to leave the area where their medical facilities are, or where their favorite restaurants are. We change that narrative and enable them to live where they’ve always lived. I want the individuals who come to live with us to live an even bigger life with us. Houston offers so many opportunities that we’re able to get people to enriching activities that meet everybody’s needs, from a ballgame to museums and the theater. 

How does The Aspenwood Company differentiate itself in Houston’s competitive luxury senior living market?

We ensure that if we’re in River Oaks, we’re truly in River Oaks. We see individuals marketing their presence in an area, but they’re actually outside that zip code. We don’t do that. 

It’s also about forming relationships in that market, like with the civic centers, and becoming entrenched in that community. For example, we have a partnership with Rice University to create an intergenerational program serving their students and members of our community. We ensure that what we’re doing is a win-win for both sides. 

At The Aspenwood Company, authenticity matters. When we say we have a community in River Oaks, we mean it—we’re truly rooted in the neighborhoods we serve, not just nearby. This commitment to location ensures that our residents remain connected to the places and services most familiar to them.

But it’s more than geography. We build meaningful, lasting relationships within each community. From engaging with civic centers to creating intergenerational opportunities, we’re intentional about becoming part of the fabric of each neighborhood. A great example is our partnership with Rice University, where students and our residents come together in a program designed to foster connection and mutual growth. Every initiative we take is designed to be a true win-win for our residents, our partners, and the broader community.

How are you meeting shifting expectations in senior living?

It’s important to understand that each pocket we serve, and each individual in those pockets, is different. Meyerland’s population will be different from that in River Oaks and Tanglewood. The Village of Tanglewood resembles a miniature White House with its history and preservation. The Doliver of Tanglewood, however, is much more modern. One product doesn’t fit all, and our programming is specific to that community. Our vice president of resident experience supports this idea of communities creating their own programming, which will then be tailored to every community’s preferences and beliefs. 

The process begins before the individuals move in, with listening to their life stories and discovering what they enjoy. Then, we can transition them seamlessly through a resident engagement platform, which uses AI as well. We can generate what content individuals want to see within a specific community, based on their preferences and history. It goes beyond programming what a day looks like. If somebody worked third shift as a nurse, at a factory, or they were an overnight ER physician, getting them to acclimate to a totally different schedule would not work well, because their circadian rhythm is completely different. That information allows us to tailor their experience when they move in. Instead of them fitting into our mold, it is up to us to adjust to them as individuals. 

What recent innovations have been implemented to deliver better care for the residents?

We have piloted a program called Inspiren, which is a fall-mitigation program using outline-style monitoring, instead of a camera. It allows us to see how a fall occurs so we can prevent it for that individual, and how long it takes for a team member to assist them, which enables us to make them feel safe more quickly. We’re able to then tailor their specific apartment to be the safest for them. This allows us to minimize hospital visits, unless they are necessary, such as when somebody hits their head. A hospital environment can be overwhelming, and for somebody who has Alzheimer’s or dementia, it can be traumatizing. 

We are also rolling out a program with Amba Health and Synergy Medical Group to bring advanced Remote Physiologic Monitoring (RPM) solutions to its communities. This allows us to know the baseline for each individual through remote monitoring. We’re able to develop a routine for the individual that takes into account sleep quality, eating schedule, mattress type, and many other aspects. It can also allow us to see early-onset diabetes, or potentially a urinary tract infection, which can become serious in seniors and might cause cognitive deficits. If we can diagnose that in early stages, before they even have discomfort or challenges, we can help them live a better, fuller life.

What recent developments have been completed on the properties?

Over the past year, there were full renovations on two of our Houston communities, The Village of Meyerland and The Village of The Heights, including the installation of full-building generators. These are not just for emergency backup, but a full power restoration for apartment lighting, hallway lighting, and all other electrical needs. The Village of River Oaks and four of our Dallas communities have undergone a refresh this year. We continue to assess and revamp our properties and assets to stay marketable, because the residents who choose to live with us deserve to live in the best environment possible. 

How do you attract the necessary labor pool for a senior living house? 

We lead with culture. It is something that everybody feels when they walk into a community. The 

residents, the team members, and the family members feel that. It’s important to have a strong culture and great benefits in place. We evaluate and tailor the benefits by assessing what is important to the community team members and the office-based team members. The staffing concern has been stabilized over the last couple of years after COVID, and it speaks volumes that our Glassdoor rating is 4.9 stars, possibly the highest in a senior living organization. We do this with kindness and empathy, even when we have to make hard decisions. Most team members have the best interests at heart. Sometimes, they just need additional education, and we have to provide that learning opportunity to give them a chance to grow. We also have opportunities for continued advancement. 

How does the company strengthen the healthcare ecosystem within Houston and the surrounding region?

We are so fortunate to have the largest hospital network in the world, and that’s another reason why people should want to live in Houston. If we are sick, Houston is where we can have the best care possible. Our partnerships here allow us to continue to learn and evolve, and ensure that we’re providing the best care possible to our associates, team members, and residents. For example, our community at Rice Village is located right by the medical center, so our residents and team members have access to cutting-edge healthcare technology. 

What is your general outlook for the company?

The outlook for senior living this year has been positive, which is encouraging for future investment. Besides additional investment opportunities, we are continuing to dive into technology. We’re furthering our technology use next year because that will be a win-win for our residents and team members. We will also continue to focus on culture and show our team members how much they matter to us. Our success is only because of the team members in the community. 

Moreover, Houston is an amazing market for all levels of businesses. We have ultra high-end communities, as well as mid-luxury communities, depending on the location. Houston offers something for everybody, whether they’re at retirement age or just beginning their career. The educational opportunities in Houston are fantastic as well.