Ziegler Link•age Funds and LeadingAge CAST Publish Annual CTO Hotline Benchmarking Report for Senior Living

CHICAGO, Aug. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ziegler Link•age Funds, the growth-oriented innovation funds focused on older adults and post-acute care, and LeadingAge CAST, a coalition of organizations interested in the intersection of aging and technology, today released the 2026 CTO Hotline Report.

The CTO Hotline is an annual benchmarking resource that provides insights into how not-for-profit senior living providers are leveraging technology to improve resident care, enhance operational performance, strengthen cybersecurity, establish sound data governance practices, and evaluate the impact and return on investment of their technology investments.

Drawing on responses from chief technology officers and senior technology leaders across the country, the report provides benchmarking on which technology platforms are most widely adopted by not-for-profit senior living providers in numerous functional areas. From electronic health records and customer relationship management platforms to workforce management, business intelligence and analytics, cybersecurity, resident engagement, and enterprise artificial intelligence, the report offers organizations a practical way to compare their technology ecosystem with peers across the sector. In addition, the report examines emerging technology priorities, investment strategies, interoperability, and the trends shaping the future of aging services.

As technology continues to transform senior living, providers are increasingly evaluating solutions' abilities to simultaneously improve efficiency, support better resident outcomes, strengthen workforce performance, and generate measurable organizational value. This year's findings highlight the growing emphasis on enterprise AI adoption, technology governance, cybersecurity preparedness, and ensuring technology investments align with organizational strategy and mission.

"The CTO Hotline has become a valuable benchmarking resource for senior living technology leaders, helping organizations evaluate the strength of their current technology ecosystems and identify opportunities to strengthen their technology strategies for the future," said Jenny Poth, a Senior Vice President at Ziegler Link•age Funds and an author of the report. "As technology continues to evolve, providers are increasingly focused not only on what solutions they implement, but also on how they govern them and ensure they are aligned with the overall organizational mission."

Key findings this year include:

• Providers want technology to optimize back-of-house operations, leaving more time and energy available for human staff to deliver a highly personal resident experience.
• Change is exciting, but it's not always easy.
• Technology governance to support more intentional decision-making is becoming the norm.
• Residents and staff are expecting a higher-tech environment in which to live and work
• AI competence and confidence are drastically improving, with adoption of AI tech rising in tandem.
• Cybersecurity remains a top priority.
• Integrations are key.
• Measuring the effectiveness of new tech remains a challenge.

The 2026 CTO Hotline serves as a practical resource for senior living executives, chief technology officers, governing boards, and technology partners seeking to better understand current technology adoption, investment priorities, and emerging trends across the not-for-profit aging services sector.

The report was previewed during the 2026 Ziegler Link•age Symposium, where its findings served as a benchmark for discussions surrounding digital transformation, artificial intelligence, data governance, interoperability, cybersecurity, and technology return on investment.

We invite you to download the report for further information on these and other important industry trends.

About Ziegler Link•age Funds

Ziegler Link•age Funds invests in innovative technology and services companies improving the live of older adults and those who love and care for them – connecting capital, expertise, and a community of senior living, healthcare providers, and payors to transform aging. The Funds offer a combination of financial expertise and deep aging sector specialization that no other fund can replicate.

About LeadingAge CAST

The LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) is focused on development, evaluation, and adoption of emerging technologies that will transform the aging experience. As an international coalition of more than 400 technology companies, aging-services organizations, businesses, research universities, and government representatives, CAST works under the auspices of LeadingAge, an association of 5,500 nonprofit organizations dedicated to expanding the world of possibilities for aging.

Certain comments in this news release represent forward-looking statements made pursuant to the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This client's experience may not be representative of the experience of other clients, nor is it indicative of future performance or success. The forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, in particular, the overall financial health of the securities industry, the strength of the healthcare sector of the U.S. economy and the municipal securities marketplace, the ability of the Company to underwrite and distribute securities, the market value of mutual fund portfolios and separate account portfolios advised by the Company, the volume of sales by its retail brokers, the outcome of pending litigation, and the ability to attract and retain qualified employees.

SOURCE Ziegler