Annual designation recognizes senior living communities meeting the industry’s most rigorous resident security standard, including those that proactively verify credentials for outside care providers and vendors

ATLANTA, May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Accushield today announced the 2026 Safest Places to Live™ (SP2L™) recipients, with 355 senior living operators earning the annual designation that recognizes communities meeting the industry’s most rigorous standard for resident security. The SP2L™ program evaluates communities against an 8-Point Standard of Resident Security and identifies operators that go beyond regulatory baselines to proactively protect residents, families, and staff.

This year’s honorees include many of the country’s largest senior living operators, with 24 organizations earning the program’s highest honor: the VERIFIED Safest Places to Live™ designation. The VERIFIED tier recognizes operators that not only meet the seven foundational security standards, but also actively verify credentials for third-party caregivers and outside vendors as they enter a community to provide care.

Operators in Argentum’s Top 150 Earning VERIFIED Safest Places to Live™ Designation

The following large operators earned VERIFIED status across the majority of their portfolio, representing the most comprehensive commitment to third-party caregiver oversight in the industry:

• Charter Senior Living: 72 communities
• Priority Life Care: 60 communities
• Bickford Senior Living: 52 communities
• The Arbor Company: 48 communities
• New Perspective: 47 communities
• QSL Management: 46 communities
• Belmont Village Senior Living: 33 communities
• Civitas Senior Living: 32 communities
• Singh Development: 13 communities

Operators in Argentum’s Top 25 Earning Safest Places to Live™ Designation

The following large operators earned the SP2L™ designation across the majority of their portfolio for meeting the first seven points of the Standard, with a path to advance to VERIFIED status as third-party caregiver credentialing practices continue to expand:

• Sonida Senior Living: 96 communities
• Life Care Services (LCS): 84 communities
• Discovery Senior Living: 81 communities
• Sagora Senior Living: 73 communities
• Cogir Management USA: 64 communities
• Merrill Gardens: 54 communities
• Brightview Senior Living: 49 communities
• Grace Management: 42 communities
• Watermark Retirement Communities: 25 communities
• Erickson Senior Living: 17 communities

The full 2026 recipient list, including many additional operators, is available at recipients.safeplacestolive.com.

A Standard Built for the Way Families Search Today

Families making senior living decisions are searching for more than amenities and price points. They are searching for documented proof that their loved one is in a place that takes security seriously, proactively, and provably. The Safest Places to Live™ designation answers that question before families have to ask it, providing a national directory of communities that have made resident security a verifiable priority rather than an unstated assumption.

The 8-Point Standard evaluates communities across controlled and accountable access, visible identification and community awareness, verified identity and secure documentation, real-time situational awareness, resident and family transparency, data privacy and information protection, mass emergency communication and accountability. The VERIFIED tier adds an eighth criterion: a credentialed and trusted care environment in which all third-party caregivers and service providers submit background checks and other credentials for verification in order to deliver care to residents.

“Security has long been one of the hardest things to truly demonstrate in senior living. It’s assumed to be there, but often lives behind the scenes, out of view for families trying to make important decisions. The operators recognized this year are leading a shift. They are finding ways to bring that invisible layer to the surface and show what a security-first mindset really looks like, giving residents and families greater confidence and peace of mind.”
—Charles Mann, Founder of Accushield

About Safest Places to Live™

Safest Places to Live™ is a national accreditation program that recognizes senior living communities demonstrating an elite commitment to resident safety. The program maintains a directory of providers that exceed baseline regulatory requirements and meet the 8-Point Standard of Resident Security. The full 2026 honoree directory is available at recipients.safeplacestolive.com, and program details are available at SafePlacesToLive.com/about/.

About Accushield

Accushield is a leading provider of technology solutions that create safer, more connected senior living. With its innovative visitor management and credential verification platform, Accushield enables communities to capture and leverage visitor, third-party care provider, and resident data – enhancing security, engagement, and online reputation. Learn more at accushield.com.

Media Contact
John Leavitt
Director of Marketing, Accushield
media@accushield.com

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SOURCE Accushield