Featuring insights from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo students Dan Rivoire and Jazmin Perez
There is something powerful about fresh eyes.
No industry conditioning. No bias. No incentive to protect the status quo.
Just observation.
Recently, Dan Rivoire and Jazmin Perez, students at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, took on a project analyzing the senior care industry through the lens of Next Best Home. What started as an entrepreneurship assignment quickly turned into something much bigger.
What they found was not subtle.
A System That Is Harder to Navigate Than It Should Be
Before this project, neither Dan nor Jazmin had spent much time thinking about senior care.
Like most people, it was not on their radar yet.
But once they began researching and speaking with professionals in the space, a pattern became clear.
Families are expected to make some of the most important emotional and financial decisions of their lives with very little clear or consistent information.
As Jazmin shared, “It was surprising how difficult it is for families to get straightforward answers when the decisions are this big.”
That gap is where stress begins.
The Transparency Problem Is Not Small
One of the strongest takeaways from their work was how often transparency is missing.
Dan pointed to the layers of confusion families face when trying to understand pricing, options, and who is actually guiding them.
“We saw how easy it is for families to think they are getting unbiased help when there are often financial incentives behind the scenes,” he said.
They both noticed the same thing.
Information is inconsistent. Pricing is unclear. And the way services are presented can make it difficult to understand what is really happening.
This is not just inconvenient. It directly impacts decision making at a critical time.
Care Decisions and Financial Decisions Are Deeply Connected
Another major realization came quickly.
You cannot separate care decisions from financial decisions.
Yet the system often treats them as if they are unrelated.
Through their research, Dan and Jazmin began connecting the dots between housing, home equity, long term care costs, and how quickly resources can be depleted without a clear plan.
Dan put it simply. “Families are making major financial decisions without always understanding the long term impact.”
That is where things start to break down.
Not because families are not capable, but because they are not given a full picture.
Why a Family Centered Approach Matters
Both students also emphasized how these decisions affect more than just one person.
Care decisions ripple across entire families.
Emotionally. Financially. Logistically.
Jazmin noted, “When families do not have clear guidance, it creates stress and sometimes conflict. It is not just about finding care, it is about helping families stay aligned.”
A fragmented system makes that harder.
A family centered approach makes it possible.
Where Next Best Home Stands Apart
One of the challenges Dan and Jazmin explored was how Next Best Home fits into a crowded space filled with referral sites.
Their conclusion was direct.
It stands apart by not operating like one.
Instead of acting as a lead funnel, they saw Next Best Home as a platform focused on giving families clearer information, better context, and more control over their decisions.
Jazmin described it as “more of a resource that helps families understand what they are walking into, not just where to go.”
That distinction matters.
A Push Toward Ethics and Accountability
As their project evolved, Dan and Jazmin began thinking beyond observations and into solutions.
Their work included ideas around restoring ethical standards, creating a Senior Care Bill of Rights, and building stronger community awareness around how the system works.
They also saw the importance of advocacy, media involvement, and local partnerships in pushing for change.
Because without pressure, systems like this do not shift on their own.
A Perspective Worth Paying Attention To
What stands out most is how quickly they saw the issues.
No years in the industry. No personal stake.
Just a clear view of what families are up against.
As Dan shared, “It should not be this hard for families to understand their options when so much is on the line.”
And Jazmin added, “There is a real opportunity to make this better, but it starts with being honest about what is not working.”
That level of clarity is hard to ignore.
This Is Where Things Are Headed
The senior care space is changing.
More families are asking questions. More people are paying attention. And the expectation for transparency is growing.
The next generation is not going to accept unclear pricing, hidden incentives, or vague guidance.
They are going to expect better.
And they should.
About Next Best Home
Next Best Home is a platform built to bring transparency, cost clarity, and trusted guidance to families navigating senior care decisions so they can protect both care outcomes and financial stability.
