Embedded Training & Workforce Leadership for Senior Living:
Portfolio-wide programs in education, onboarding, retention, and recognition.
Ben Couch spent 24 years building and leading national training programs at a top-10 senior living operator. He now partners with multi-site operators that need that depth of expertise without adding a full-time executive to the payroll.
Three costs every multi-site operator is quietly absorbing
Turnover at every level: Roughly 70% of newly hired caregivers leave within their first 100 days. Across the broader senior living workforce, annual turnover has run near 85%.
The caregiver churn is what people talk about. The Executive Director and Community Director turnover is what actually breaks a portfolio — occupancy dips, family trust erodes, and replacement costs run well into six figures per seat. Industry leaders consistently name ED stability as one of the strongest predictors of operational and financial performance.
Workers’ comp and injury: Workers' comp rates in senior care run $1.88–$2.00 per $100 of payroll, and liability premiums rose another 5–10% in 2025.
For most operators, transfer and lifting injuries are the largest controllable line inside that cost — and the area where most training programs underperform.
Regulatory Pressure: Eighteen states updated their assisted living regulations in 2025, with staff training and documentation at the center of the changes.
For a multi-state operator, staying ahead of these shifts is no longer a compliance task. It's an executive-level risk function.
Each of these is solvable. Most operators don't lack the will — they lack the dedicated leadership bandwidth to run a unified, portfolio-wide program.
24 years leading workforce development at senior living scale
Ben built and ran every component of the workforce development function at Watermark Retirement Communities. That experience now shapes every engagement.
Led the national training program for Watermark Retirement Communities — 80 communities, 6,000 employees across multiple states.
Built the full training curriculum for 100+ roles, from caregivers and line staff to community leadership and the C-suite — across print, web, and video.
Designed recognition and retention programs that gave communities practical tools to keep their best people.
Equipped community-level directors to deliver training themselves through a train-the-trainer program — because programs that rely on corporate alone don't scale.
Translated operational expertise into training by working directly with subject matter experts across clinical, dining, maintenance, sales, and operations.
Partnered with developers to build, run, and support Watermark's custom Learning Management System — including integration of third-party content from vendors like Relias, role-based course assignment, and user management across an 80-community portfolio.
How I work
Most engagements begin with a Workforce Performance Audit — a 4–6 week diagnostic that examines your turnover, onboarding, training, injury, and recognition data across your portfolio and delivers a prioritized plan with quantified impact.
From there, many operators extend the engagement into an ongoing partnership — where I take hands-on leadership of the education, onboarding, retention, and recognition programs across their communities. I work within your team, not alongside it.
Trusted by Senior Living Leaders
“I've had the privilege of working with Ben for over 20 years, and he remains one of the finest professionals I've encountered. He is an exceptional trainer—but what truly sets him apart is the depth of perspective he brings to his work.
“He consistently designs and delivers training that is not only high-quality, but also accessible and meaningful to a wide range of staff. Any organization or team that partners with Ben to enhance their training programs will see outstanding results.”
~Richard Howell, Executive Director, Stellar Senior Living
*****
“I had the privilege of working with Ben at Watermark for 16 years, where he played a pivotal role in building and scaling training across the enterprise.
What sets Ben apart is his ability to blend strategy with execution. He has a rare mix of communication, interpersonal skills, and project management expertise.
Ben also has a strong command of learning management systems and content development, collaborating with SMEs, managing technical functionality, and continuously improving the user experience. Whether it was training facilitation, program implementation, or creating instructional manuals, his work elevated both the learner experience and organizational outcomes.
Need to scale training across your organization? Ben is your guy. Any team would be lucky to have his leadership, creativity, and commitment to excellence in learning, training, and development.”
~Dawn Trombetta, Senior Manager, Greystone Communities
“I have worked closely with Ben for over two decades as he directed our national training and development programs at Watermark Retirement Communities. Ben not only spearheaded the effort for national education programming and effective skill transfer, he was an excellent content developer and presenter for thousands of associates in 23 states, and 80 senior housing properties.”
~Mike Burkhart, Director of Employment Practices, Watermark Communities
*****
“It is a rare privilege to know a leader who balances high-level strategic vision with such an unwavering moral compass. He leads from the front, approaching systemic industry challenges with dogged determination and an empathetic ear for frontline workers. If you are looking for a purpose-driven leader who combines technical brilliance, unyielding integrity, and a profound dedication to making the healthcare industry safer and more sustainable, I cannot recommend Ben highly enough.”
~José Rodolfo Guerra Fourcade, Owner, Guerra Fourcade Marketing and Consulting
Get In Touch
Tell me a bit about your organization and what's on your mind. I read every message personally and will be in touch within two business days to set up a conversation.