[October 13, 2026]

Having Solved the Loneliness and Belonging Equation for Hundreds of Thousands, Circles Expands into Senior Living to Extend Life Enrichment 24/7 with First-of-its-Kind AI-Facilitated Audio Peer Groups

Circles, the pioneer in structured peer-support infrastructure that has systematically cracked the code on chronic isolation, today announced its official B2B expansion into the United States senior living and assisted living market. Having proven its ability to eliminate loneliness and ignite authentic social connection across hundreds of thousands of individuals navigating life's hardest inflection points, Circles is bringing its first-of-its-kind, audio-first platform to multi-site senior housing operators-transforming life enrichment from a strained daytime schedule into an always-on, 24/7 community standard.

Across the senior housing sector, chronic staffing shortages and relentless employee burnout have created severe operational gaps in programming coverage. With care and activity teams stretched beyond capacity, communities struggle to maintain consistent engagement during official daytime hours, while evenings and weekends are left entirely unprogrammed. This systemic coverage void directly fuels resident isolation, leaving roughly one in five residents (20%) chronically disconnected. These are residents navigating acute life transitions-such as the loss of a spouse, giving up driving autonomy, or the quiet grief of the first 90 days following a move-in-who cannot be reached by overextended on-site teams.

The Staffing Void: How Coverage Gaps Amplify Loneliness

The challenge facing senior living operators and Life Enrichment teams is an unsustainable arithmetic gap:

• Strained Staffing & Unprogrammed Hours: Dedicated life enrichment teams typically cover only about 40 daytime hours per week, and high turnover often leaves even these scheduled activities understaffed. The remaining 128 hours-evenings, sleepless nights, weekends, and holidays-have zero programming assigned, leaving residents isolated during their most vulnerable moments.

• The Frontline Burnout Cycle: With labor already exceeding 56% of total operational expenditure, operators cannot hire additional shifts to cover off-hours. Consequently, frontline caregiving and nursing staff are forced to absorb heavy emotional distress between clinical tasks, further driving staff exhaustion and turnover.

Circles integrates seamlessly into existing community operations, providing an immediate, turnkey extension to on-site programming that activates across both official schedule gaps and off-hours when the building goes quiet.

Consumer-Grade Engagement Meets Unprecedented Satisfaction (50+ NPS)

While digital health tools in AgeTech typically struggle with low adoption and friction, Circles has achieved sustained Net Promoter Score (NPS) above 50-a customer satisfaction benchmark rarely seen in healthcare or senior care, placing Circles on par with iconic consumer platforms like Spotify and Netflix.

Circles' ethical framework and group facilitation methodology are guided by globally recognized thought leaders, including psychologist and author Dr. Guy Winch, and leading mental health and public policy advocate Patrick J. Kennedy, who champion systemic approaches to ending social isolation in modern society.

Why Circles is an Operational Breakthrough for Senior Communities

Circles was engineered specifically around the day-to-day realities of Life Enrichment Directors and operational leadership:

• Reaching the "Silent 20%": Rather than forcing introverted or grieving seniors into large common rooms, Circles delivers intimate, topic-specific peer groups directly to residents in their apartments.

• Topics That Matter: Conversations focus on what older adults are actually carrying-navigating life after loss, coping with sensory or mobility decline, and transitioning to a community.

• Proprietary AI Facilitation with Longitudinal Memory: Unlike generic chat apps or passive video streams, Circles combines real spoken human peer interaction with trained AI facilitation. The engine remembers personal stories, milestones, family backgrounds, and late spouses' names across sessions-ensuring residents never have to re-explain their stories and feel recognized from session one.

• Audio-First, Zero Tech Friction: Older adults join live, facilitated groups (6-8 peers) with a single tap or basic toll-free dial-in. There are no screens, no passwords, no apps to learn, and no camera anxiety. The audio streams directly into Bluetooth hearing aids and is fully accessible for residents with macular degeneration, arthritis, or hand tremors.

• The $399 "No-Brainer" Budget Fit: Priced at an introductory rate of $399 per community per month, Circles fits comfortably within a building's existing discretionary programming budget (2,600/month). For roughly the cost of two to three hours of an outside dining-room entertainer (150/hr), communities unlock 24/7, month-long coverage across all residents.

Transforming Resident Connection into Operational Resilience

"Senior living operators do extraordinary work creating vibrant communities, but ongoing staff shortages mean teams simply cannot be everywhere at once," said Irad Eichler, Founder and CEO of Circles. "When activities staff are stretched thin and off-hours are unstaffed, loneliness quietly accelerates. Over the past several years, Circles has proven that chronic isolation is an infrastructure challenge that can be solved. By combining authentic human peer connection with trained, empathetic AI facilitation that remembers who each resident is, we give communities an always-on layer of belonging. At $399 a month, it delivers 24/7 support for the equivalent cost of a single afternoon of musical entertainment. It supports the resident who isn't coming down to lunch, protects frontline staff from emotional burnout, and reinforces the community's founding promise to families-all without adding a single hour of payroll."

Nationwide Rollout & Open Executive Walkthrough

Circles is currently initiating structured 60-day introductory pilot cohorts with select regional and multi-site senior living networks across the United States. Under the pilot framework, operators can deploy Circles in 1-2 flagship properties to measure verifiable percentage lifts in resident sentiment, social connectivity, and retention among at-risk residents.

To demonstrate the live audio environment and operational reporting dashboard, Circles hosts recurring Executive Open Walkthroughs tailored for VPs and Directors of Resident Experience, Life Enrichment leaders, and Operations executives.

Operators interested in reviewing pilot criteria or reserving a seat for an upcoming executive walkthrough can visit: circlesup.com/senior-living.

About Circles

Circles is a category-defining peer-support platform that has successfully solved the loneliness challenge for hundreds of thousands of people navigating life's most difficult transitions. By fusing authentic human peer connection with intelligent, memory-powered facilitation, Circles powers live, guided spoken groups across diverse life stages, grief, and health challenges. Headquartered in New York and Tel Aviv, Circles partners with senior living networks, healthcare organizations, and mission-driven providers to scale compassionate human connection globally. To learn more, visit www.circlesup.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261012016252/en/

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