Seniors For Living

Think seniors (especially those in senior living communities) aren’t interested in getting online? Think again. This article from Senior Housing News says otherwise, stating that providers must offer opportunities for residents to connect with family and friends in the “outside world” using tech tools like Skype or email.

Says the piece, “training, maintenance, and usability” are essential components for providers to consider when implementing a program in their communities. If there aren’t enough resources in-house to get a successful program off the ground, nationwide providers Emeritus Senior Living, Brookdale Senior Living, and Benchmark Senior Living have turned to a Boston-based company called ConnectedLiving, which “offer[s] a platform to its residents that allows for customization and branding on the community level, but a global reach in terms of the accessibility it provides to residents as well as their families.”

It’s not just about skyping with the grandkids or challenging neighbors to endless rounds of Words with Friends. The director of Dementia Care Programs for Brookdale mentions an important end-of-life application in the article: allowing residents on hospice care to “connect with loved ones in the days or hours prior to death.”

Check out our post, Visiting in Alzheimer’s Care? Bring Your iPad, for ideas on how to integrate tech into your senior living visits.