Senior Care Technology: Exploring Modern Living Technologies

Older adults heading toward retirement age may not be digital natives, but they are digitally savvy and often enthusiastically embrace new technology. For those who have already retired, many of whom may live in retirement communities, technology is increasingly an essential part of their daily lives.

According to a recent McKinsey Health Institute study, smartphone use amongst 55- to 64-year-olds is extremely high, as we might expect, but what may surprise many is that those 80 years and older are also enthusiastic, with close to 40% using or wanting to use the technology.¹

Though most seniors may not be posting to TikTok, they actively use smartphones and computers. Older adults are also happy about the way technology has made it easier to get the support and help they need to live happier and healthier lives.²

That is why senior living facility amenities that make an active and dynamic retirement lifestyle easier, from innovative building and property management technology to smart parcel lockers for easy and secure package deliveries, are positive choices community managers can make for the seniors living in their retirement communities.

Benefits of technology for senior care

Technology can make all the difference in significantly improving the quality of senior home care while offering new ways for seniors to stay active and connected.³ Here are some of the ways that new senior living technology solutions can improve the lives and lifestyles of seniors living in retirement communities:

Resident satisfaction

Technologically savvy senior residents have high expectations about staying connected to friends and family. Seniors will also seek out technology-driven amenities and services that improve their well-being and make their lives easier when considering an assisted living facility.

Reduce staff burden

Making staff work easier translates to a better working environment and better outcomes for the seniors they support. Staff members with the right technology can spend more time in value-driven, resident-facing activities, making their work more efficient and creating a better senior living facility environment for the seniors in their care.

Increased community connection

Technology is great at keeping us connected. It’s also a critical resource in the battle against resident isolation, enabling those living in an assisted living facility to quickly and easily get information about events, services, and activities in their community.

Senior living technology to implement in your community

Senior living communities are headed for significant changes in how they are structured and operated, with technology playing a crucial role in the future of apartment living. Integrating innovative tech into improved care strategies makes senior living and home care more efficient, practical, and comfortable for both residents and staff.⁴

• Voice and video-based calling systems are great for seniors to stay connected. These technologies allow senior residents to easily communicate with friends, family, and healthcare providers. They also enable users to learn more about opportunities to stay active and engaged in their community.
• Smart sensor technology is becoming increasingly common in senior living environments.⁵ These systems can help track and locate residents in the building or on the property. They can also be used for fall risk detection. The system can determine where a person is in relation to the floor and trigger an alarm for help if it identifies a fall or stumble.
• Documentation workflow automation can help speed up repetitive and tedious administrative tasks such as filling out employee or resident onboarding documents, managing billing, etc. It can also help mitigate some of the problems caused by potential staff shortages and allow employees to spend more time focusing on resident care.⁶
• Smart home technologies are an array of assistive devices, such as voice-controlled lighting or temperature controls, that can help make life easier for seniors. As these systems integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics, they will become much more sophisticated and helpful.⁷ By simplifying daily tasks, residents have a greater sense of freedom and control over their home environment.

Smart lockers: making package management easier for senior living operators and residents

Package management is an often overlooked aspect of community care and oversight. For staff and administrators at retirement communities, it can drain resources already stretched to the limit, taking time away from valuable, resident-facing interactions.

Increasingly, senior living communities are integrating parcel lockers into the design of their spaces. For senior care homes or independent living communities, smart lockers offer peace of mind and can be easily and elegantly integrated into lobbies or common areas. Providers like Parcel Pending by Quadient even offer ADA accessibility features, designing solutions that are extremely easy to use and ensure quick adoption – even for the least technologically savvy community residents.

Wakeland Housing, for instance, implemented Parcel Pending lockers to allow their residents to retrieve package deliveries safely and securely – particularly residents with chronic illness who receive critical prescription medications. Some residents, who may find the lockers’ technology daunting, can receive additional assistance from onsite staff or case managers.

“One senior, who’s a bit technophobic, had a package waiting for him in the locker for two weeks before he received a call from his estranged sister to ask if he liked the present she sent for his birthday,” explains Elaine Camuso, Director of Communications at Wakeland Housing. “With help from his case manager, he was able to find the delivery information in his emails and retrieve his package, which contained food and items from his childhood. He was incredibly moved and choked up, and the delivery led to a reunification with his sister. Who knew what an electronic locker could do?!”.

Unlike direct-to-door or other delivery services, smart lockers secure essential deliveries, such as medication or online purchases, until residents can collect them. Multifamily housing developers who have installed the technology have experienced the benefits – saving property managers time and effort tracking and hand-delivering packages while offering residents the freedom and ease to pick up their deliveries when it suits them best.⁸

To find out more about how our locker solutions can help improve your senior living community experience, contact a Parcel Pending representative today.

Sources:

1. McKinsey Health Institute. Age is just a number: How older adults view healthy aging. www.mckinsey.com. May 22, 2023. https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/age-is-just-a-number- how-older-adults-view-healthy-aging
2. Ibid.
3. Shadman. The Future of Technology in Senior Living Communities. www.boomershub.com. December 5, 2022. https://www.boomershub.com/blog/the-future-of-technology-in-senior-living-communities
4. Ibid.
5. Code, S. Resident Tech Support: A Necessity in Senior Living. www.leadingedge.org. February 9, 2023 https://leadingage.org/resident-tech-support-a-necessity-in-senior-living/
6. Longly, J. and L. Cramer. 3 Senior Care Tech Trends to Watch in 2023. www.healthtechmagazine.net. December 20, 2022. https://healthtechmagazine.net/article/2022/12/3-senior-care-tech-trends-watch-2023
7. Ibid.
8. Parcel Pending. Wakeland Housing ensures 24/7 access to medication and other deliveries with Parcel Pending by Quadient lockers. www.parcelpending.com. https://www.parcelpending.com/en-us/case-studies/wakeland-housing/