The Largest Privately Held Senior Housing Operator in the U.S.
Discovery Senior Living is a senior housing development and management company headquartered in Bonita Springs, Florida, providing active adult living, independent living, assisted living, memory care, long-term care/skilled nursing, life plan community/CCRC living, and respite care across 38 states. Founded in 1991, Discovery has grown into the largest privately held senior housing operator in the country and ranks among the largest senior housing providers overall, alongside publicly traded companies such as Brookdale Senior Living. Rather than operating under a single consumer brand, Discovery designs, develops, and manages a portfolio of nationally and regionally branded communities, including Discovery Village, Morada Senior Living, TerraBella Senior Living, LakeHouse Senior Living, Arvum Senior Living, and others.
Visit the official Discovery Senior Living website to learn more about the company's communities and brands.
Company at a Glance
● Headquarters: Bonita Springs, Florida
● Founded: 1991, by Richard J. Hutchinson along with other co-founders
● Current leadership: Richard J. Hutchinson, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
● Approximate portfolio size: 393 communities
● States served: 38 states
● Care and lifestyle options: Active adult living, independent living, assisted living, memory care, long-term care/skilled nursing, life plan community/CCRC, and respite care
● Ownership structure: Privately held; Discovery both owns and, in many cases, manages communities on behalf of separate institutional capital partners, including Ventas, Town Lane, CoastWood Senior Housing Partners, Lee Equity Partners, and Pacific Lake Partners
● Official website: discoveryseniorliving.com
Senior Living and Care Options
Discovery's communities span a wide range of lifestyle and care levels, though not every community offers every option. Depending on the community and brand, options may include:
● Active adult and independent living
● Assisted living
● Memory care
● Long-term care and skilled nursing
● Life plan community/CCRC living
● Respite care
Because Discovery manages communities under many different brand names, a family may encounter a Discovery-managed community without the word “Discovery” in its name at all. Families should confirm current care levels and availability directly with the specific community. Families can also review active adult living, independent living, assisted living, and memory care options near them on Senior Care Finder.
What Makes Discovery Senior Living Different?
One of the Largest Senior Housing Operators in the Country
Discovery is the largest privately held senior housing operator in the United States and ranks among the largest senior housing providers overall on industry lists such as the American Seniors Housing Association's ASHA 50 and Argentum's list of the largest senior living providers, alongside publicly traded companies like Brookdale Senior Living.
A Multi-Brand Portfolio Rather Than One Uniform Brand
Rather than operating every community under the Discovery name, the company manages a family of national and regional brands, including Discovery Village, Discovery Commons, Conservatory, Morada Senior Living, TerraBella Senior Living, LakeHouse Senior Living, Arvum Senior Living, SummerHouse Senior Living, and Seaton Senior Living, among others. This allows Discovery to tailor branding and positioning to different regions and price points while operating under shared corporate infrastructure.
A Management Platform Serving Multiple Capital Partners
Beyond communities it owns directly, Discovery serves as the operator and manager for communities owned by separate institutional investors, including real estate investment trust Ventas and private equity real estate firms such as Town Lane, CoastWood Senior Housing Partners, Lee Equity Partners, and Pacific Lake Partners. This means that financial decisions, renovation budgets, and ownership priorities can vary by specific community, since Discovery may manage a property without owning it.
Experiential Living: A Proprietary Operating Philosophy
Discovery describes its operating approach as “Experiential Living,” a proprietary model intended to prioritize resident choice, flexibility, and customization over a standardized activities calendar, developed in response to changing generational expectations among older adults.
Independently Verified Customer Satisfaction Leadership
In J.D. Power's 2025 U.S. Senior Living Satisfaction Study, an independent research firm's national survey, Discovery ranked first in overall customer satisfaction among assisted living and memory care communities, as well as first in several individual categories including community staff, resident activities, and community buildings and grounds. Learn more about J.D. Power's senior living satisfaction research.
Signature Programs and Services
SHINE Memory Care is Discovery's branded memory care program, offered at communities across its various regional brands, designed for residents living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Experiential Living is the company's broader operating philosophy, applied across its portfolio to shape resident programming and lifestyle offerings. Specific implementation of both varies by community and brand; families should ask a specific location how these programs are offered on site.
Life at a Discovery-Managed Community
Because Discovery's portfolio spans many brands, building ages, and price points, day-to-day life varies significantly from one community to the next. Depending on the community, residents may find:
● Restaurant-style or chef-prepared dining
● Resort-style amenities at newer, purpose-built communities
● SHINE Memory Care neighborhoods with structured programming
● Experiential Living programming emphasizing resident choice and flexibility
Because ownership and management can differ by specific community, and because Discovery's portfolio includes both newly built and older, acquired communities, families are strongly encouraged to tour the specific community they are considering, ask about the age of the building, any recent renovations, and current ownership, and confirm which brand and care levels apply.
What Residents and Families Say
Senior Care Finder's featured community, Buckhead Flats, shows a rating of 4.70 out of 5. Given the size of Discovery's portfolio and the number of distinct brands it manages, hundreds of individual communities each carry their own independent ratings and review history. Independently, J.D. Power's 2025 national satisfaction survey ranked Discovery first in overall customer satisfaction among assisted living and memory care communities, suggesting strong performance at many, though not necessarily all, individual communities. Discovery does not have a single portfolio-wide review rating, so families should review ratings and comments for the exact community they are considering rather than assuming a uniform experience across the company.
Leadership
Richard J. Hutchinson is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Discovery Senior Living and its affiliates. Over his 30-plus year career, he has negotiated and closed billions of dollars in equity and debt transactions in the senior housing industry. He served in the U.S. Army from 1986 to 1994, including a tour during Operation Desert Storm, and graduated Summa Cum Laude from St. Leo College with a degree in Accounting. He currently serves as Chair of the American Seniors Housing Association.
Visit the official Discovery Senior Living leadership page for the complete and most current executive team.
Recent News, Growth, and Recognition
Richard Hutchinson Named Chair of the American Seniors Housing Association
In February 2026, Discovery Senior Living CEO Richard Hutchinson was named Chair of the American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA), the leading national organization representing senior living owners, operators, developers, and investors, after previously serving as ASHA Vice Chair.
Read independent coverage from Seniors Housing Business.
Discovery Ranks First in J.D. Power's 2025 Senior Living Satisfaction Study
In 2025, J.D. Power's independent U.S. Senior Living Satisfaction Study ranked Discovery first in overall customer satisfaction among assisted living and memory care communities nationally, along with top rankings in several individual categories.
Learn more about J.D. Power's senior living research.
Discovery Recapitalizes Three Communities, Retains Management Role
In July 2025, Discovery completed the recapitalization of three purpose-built communities, Discovery Village at Naples, Discovery Village at Sarasota Bay, and Discovery Village at Castle Hills, with private equity real estate investor Town Lane acquiring or recapitalizing ownership. Discovery was retained as the long-term operator under new management agreements for all three communities.
Read the company's announcement.
Discovery Certified a Great Place to Work for a Fourth Consecutive Year
Discovery Senior Living was again certified a Great Place to Work for the period of May 2025 through May 2026, marking its fourth consecutive year receiving this workplace-culture certification.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Discovery Senior Living? Discovery Senior Living is a senior housing development and management company headquartered in Bonita Springs, Florida. It is the largest privately held senior housing operator in the United States, providing active adult living, independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, and respite care.
Where is Discovery Senior Living headquartered? Discovery Senior Living is headquartered in Bonita Springs, Florida.
Who owns or leads Discovery Senior Living? Discovery Senior Living is led by Co-Founder and CEO Richard J. Hutchinson. The company is privately held, and individual communities are owned either by Discovery directly or by separate institutional capital partners that Discovery manages communities on behalf of.
Does Discovery Senior Living own every community it manages? Not necessarily. Discovery both owns and manages communities directly, and also serves as manager for communities owned by outside institutional investors, including Ventas, Town Lane, CoastWood Senior Housing Partners, Lee Equity Partners, and Pacific Lake Partners.
Why do some Discovery communities have different names? Discovery operates a portfolio of national and regional brands, including Discovery Village, Morada Senior Living, TerraBella Senior Living, LakeHouse Senior Living, and Arvum Senior Living, among others, rather than a single uniform consumer brand.
How many communities does Discovery Senior Living operate? Senior Care Finder's listing shows 393 communities across 38 states.
What care options does Discovery Senior Living offer? Depending on the community and brand, Discovery offers active adult living, independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, life plan/CCRC living, and respite care.
What is SHINE Memory Care? SHINE Memory Care is Discovery's branded memory care program, offered at communities across its various regional brands, designed for residents living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
What is Experiential Living? Experiential Living is Discovery's proprietary operating philosophy, intended to prioritize resident choice, flexibility, and customization across its communities.
Has Discovery Senior Living received independent recognition? Yes. In 2025, J.D. Power's independent U.S. Senior Living Satisfaction Study ranked Discovery first in overall customer satisfaction among assisted living and memory care communities nationally.
What do reviews say about Discovery's communities? Senior Care Finder's featured community, Buckhead Flats, shows a rating of 4.70 out of 5. Given the size and multi-brand nature of Discovery's portfolio, families should review ratings and comments for the specific community they are considering rather than assuming a uniform experience across the company.
How can someone find a Discovery-managed community or schedule a tour? Families can search Discovery Senior Living communities on Senior Care Finder or contact a specific property directly through its Senior Care Finder listing to ask about availability and schedule a tour.
Explore Discovery Senior Living Communities
Choosing a senior living community is a personal decision shaped by care needs, location, and budget. View Discovery Senior Living communities on Senior Care Finder to compare individual locations, brands, care options, and reviews.
Because Discovery manages communities under many different brand names, with varying ownership, care levels, and amenities, families are encouraged to compare several options, confirm current details directly, and visit in person before making a final decision.
Discovery Senior Living is a paid Senior Care Finder partner. Partner status does not replace the need for families to independently evaluate individual communities, services, pricing, licensing information, and recent reviews.
Company information, leadership details, programs, recognition, and news were reviewed using publicly available sources. Information last reviewed July 2026.
