The decision to move a loved one into senior living is often an emotional one. Whether it’s a transition to independent living to embrace a sense of community or a shift to assisted living for support with daily activities, the adjustment to unfamiliar surroundings, people, and routines can be challenging for both residents and family members alike.
Senior living operators have an opportunity to not only ease this transition, but to ensure that families stay connected throughout the duration of the resident’s stay. Here, we explore the ways operators can use technology to foster transparency, streamline communication, and simplify daily tasks, all while giving family members peace of mind about their loved one’s well being.
Provide a family portal
The best way to give family members visibility into their loved one’s community life is to provide access to an easy-to-use connection portal with a secure, dedicated login. A centralized family portal with access to activity calendars, attendance data, and community news makes it easy for them to get a holistic perspective of their loved one’s engagement and wellness.
With messaging features embedded within the communication platform, family members can also easily reference things like photos from a past event or an upcoming activity. This streamlined approach fosters stronger connections, making it easier for families to stay engaged and informed. In fact, 62% of senior living operators have reported an increase in communication between residents and their families after implementing LifeLoop’s holistic family communication platform, demonstrating the impact of technology in bridging the gap between loved ones.
Make activity calendars accessible
Activities are the lifeblood of senior living communities, infusing engagement, connection, and structure into daily life. Making it easy for family members to stay aware of and involved in their loved one’s community engagement is an important way to maintain their bond, especially when they’re not able to visit in person for stretches of time.
Using a family communication platform with digital activity calendars can promote both resident and family participation in life enrichment programming. Activity calendar software can make it easy for families to see real-time updates to activity programming, and give them opportunities to remind their loved one of upcoming events.
By providing insight into their loved one’s past and future attendance, operators can also help foster transparency and give family members peace of mind that their loved one is experiencing holistic enrichment on a social, emotional, physical, and spiritual level. Accessible calendars also make it easy for families to attend events themselves, creating opportunities to strengthen bonds and celebrate special moments together.
AI-enhanced calendars take this experience to the next level by tailoring activity suggestions to each resident's unique interests and past preferences. This personalization ensures that residents are encouraged to participate in programming that aligns with their passions, making daily life more fulfilling and meaningful. For families, this offers added reassurance that their loved one is receiving a thoughtful, individualized experience that prioritizes their happiness and engagement.
Promote consistent communication
A family connection platform not only facilitates communication between family members and residents, but makes it easy for staff to communicate with families as well. According to our Technology Report, communicating with family members ranked as the second most time-consuming task (after creating activity calendars).
A centralized family communication platform can help cut down time staff members spend communicating with families by making it easy to send personalized summaries of residents’ participation in events or other milestones through customizable weekly emails. And because family members have access to their own portal, features like a resident feed and community news empower families to proactively stay informed of their loved one’s daily activities without needing to prompt staff members for updates.
Facilitate transportation and maintenance
Aside from staying updated on their loved one’s wellness, family members can also benefit from facilitating practical services like maintenance and transportation requests. Making sure Dad has a ride to physical therapy or getting updates on Aunt Sue’s leaky faucet may seem minor, but having the ability to request and receive updates on logistical processes can help give family members a sense of participation and service towards their loved one’s comfort and independence in their new home.
Encourage family participation with digital menus
The dinner table is the heart of many families’ shared life, hosting discussions and reliving memories ranging from mundane to momentous. Helping families stay connected around mealtimes is therefore an essential way to help soften the transition into a senior living community.
A family communication platform with access to digital menus can offer families insight into daily dining options and can even inspire them to join their loved ones for meals, fostering shared experiences. Highlighting special dining events or seasonal menus can further encourage family engagement in the community.
The value of a centralized family connection platform
Having all these features on an integrated platform provides families with a comprehensive view of their loved one’s care and activities. It also reduces the time spent navigating multiple systems, giving families more confidence and peace of mind.
By adopting technology solutions that prioritize connection, transparency, and ease of use, senior living operators can transform a potentially challenging transition into a supportive and reassuring experience for families. This not only builds trust but strengthens the relationships that are foundational to a thriving community.
