The following is a recap from Varsity’s Roundtable, a weekly virtual gathering of senior living marketers and leaders from across the nation. For updates about future weekly Roundtable gatherings, submit your name and email address here.
Technology is playing an increasingly important role in senior living, but the latest innovations aren’t always the most valuable. As resident expectations evolve, communities need technology that’s reliable, easy to use and designed to make everyday life better for residents and staff.
Jonathan Jedeikin, Chief Information and Privacy Officer at The Kendal Corporation, joined Varsity’s weekly Roundtable to explore the technology trends shaping the future of senior living. Below are a few Fresh Perspectives from his discussion.
THE BEST TECHNOLOGY FADES INTO THE BACKGROUND
Technology should quietly support residents and staff without demanding constant attention. Whether it’s Wi-Fi, smart-home devices, sensors or robotics, the goal is for technology to work reliably and seamlessly so people can focus on living, working and providing care.
START WITH THE NEED, NOT THE SHINY NEW TOOL
Senior living can waste significant money on technology purchased without enough strategy or input from the people who will use it. Before investing, communities should understand the problem they’re solving and involve residents, staff and stakeholders in the decision.
LISTENING SHOULD DRIVE TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY
Residents may not know which platform or product they want, but they know what they want technology to help them accomplish. Listening to residents and staff can uncover pain points and opportunities that lead to smarter investments and better experiences.
THE NEXT GENERATION WILL HAVE LITTLE PATIENCE FOR BAD TECHNOLOGY
Future residents will expect multiple devices and systems to work together reliably, securely and almost invisibly. Technology that is difficult to use, frequently fails or requires constant troubleshooting will increasingly fall short of expectations.
AI SHOULD AMPLIFY PEOPLE, NOT REPLACE THEM
There’s significant potential for AI when it strengthens the skills people already bring to senior living. The opportunity is to use AI thoughtfully to help staff do their jobs better while preserving the human relationships at the heart of the resident experience.
VARSITY’S FRESH PERSPECTIVE
Technology is quickly becoming part of the senior living value proposition, but the newest technology won’t necessarily be the most compelling. Residents and prospects will increasingly expect technology to simply work, making reliability, ease of use and integration more important than novelty.
Sales and marketing teams can help shape those investments by listening for the everyday frustrations residents and prospects want solved and bringing those insights into technology decisions before the next shiny tool gets added to the sales tour.
