Seniors are adopting technology at unprecedented rates. According to a Pew Research Center study, 80% of adults over the age of 65 have cell phones, and four in ten use smart phones. Two-thirds regularly use the internet.
In response, senior care organizations are implementing new communication and engagement technology solutions. The trick is to adopt technology that opens lines of communication, increases engagement, and drives long-lasting relationships with residents without taking too much time and effort from staff.
Let’s unpack the features important to senior care organizations and why technology will be a permanent fixture in the future.
Speed
Residents have come to expect consistent communication about everything from activity reminders to menu updates and weather alerts. Given the staff shortage, senior care organizations have struggled to meet the demand using legacy technology and processes. Many organizations have turned to communication technology that streamlines processes, saving time and effort.
Speed is critical. And when we say speed, we mean everything from a fast implementation to seamless communication execution. Organizations need to be able to get the technology up and running quickly, requiring little to no support from the IT team. Users need to be able to send routine and emergency messages quickly and easily. And customer support is paramount. When questions arise, senior care organizations need to be able to rely on a customer service team that is available 24/7.
Automation
Gone are the days when senior care communities could rely on pen and paper, excel spreadsheets, and manual phone calls. The pandemic made it painfully clear that communication processes had to be fast, efficient, and comprehensive. While the pandemic accelerated adoption of technology, senior care organizations have come to the realization that communication technology has far-reaching influence on day-to-day operations.
Automation allows senior care organizations to get the right information to the right people at the right time with minimal effort. Reporting and metrics capture data about messages sent and messages opened and enable senior care organizations to identify and respond to residents in need. And integrations with systems like EHRs, keeps data accurate and current.
Ease
Advances in technology mean that communication automation solutions are easy to use, even for staff who are technology shy. Technology that is complicated, or that requires staff time for implementation and set up may never get adopted. What’s more, high-priced solutions that require approval from multiple stakeholders are likely to be shut down before they’re even off the ground.
Senior care staff need technology solutions that provide omni channel communication, including text, phone, and email. The goal is to empower multiple staff members to share the communication workload, which means technology solutions must support unlimited user functionality. This allows the dining staff to be responsible for menu updates and the activities director to own activity reminders.
For senior care organizations that have not implemented communication automation, now is the time. Take a few minutes to learn about VoiceFriend, a HIPPA-compliant automated communication platform specifically designed for senior living communities.