Most senior living operators can align on one primary priority: providing an exceptional experience to residents and their families. When thinking about enhancing resident life, the first thing that comes to mind likely has more to do with life enrichment and luxurious amenities than operational efficiency. But when a senior living community is operating efficiently, all other areas of resident life fall into place. Staff have more time to engage with residents, and operators are able to dedicate more time towards proactively finding ways to optimize the resident, staff, and family experience.
In an ideal world, senior living operators could clone themselves and actively manage every aspect of their community at once; from leading staff, to keeping residents and families engaged to ensuring regulatory compliance and financial performance. While cloning technology isn’t accessible (yet), technology is available to help operators streamline community operations, freeing them and their staff up to focus on delivering the best possible experience for residents and their families.
According to our 2024 Senior Living and Technology Report, 92% of senior living operators say technology that supports operational tasks saves time. Here, we dive into some ways senior living operations technology can streamline processes and ultimately help communities flourish.
Make staff lives easier
For many staff, a career in senior living is more than just a job. It is a calling driven by the moral imperative to make the lives of seniors better. However, working in senior living communities is physically, emotionally, and psychologically demanding, leading many staff members to feel stressed and burnt out. The demanding nature of senior living is partly why it has some of the highest turnover rates in healthcare.
A couple of the most time-consuming tasks of senior living staff are the creation of personalized programming and the cultivation of strong communication with families. The right senior living operations technology can alleviate time spent on arduous and repetitive tasks, helping staff feel more supported and satisfied.
For instance, a connection portal where staff and residents can easily communicate with families–sharing photos and activity involvement–keeps loved ones in the loop. In addition to easy attendance and calendar management, a connection portal reduces time staff spend calling family members and manually tracking resident engagement.
Partnering with a digital content provider is another way senior living operators can support their activity professionals when it comes to program planning. Clinically backed engagement content, specifically designed for seniors and customizable to residents’ unique preferences, enables staff to connect with each resident across any care setting.
Whereas program planning can take hours of staff time, having a comprehensive engagement solution at their fingertips allows them to redirect that time towards directly caring for and engaging with residents. Moreover, having content available across devices helps staff stay flexible to schedule changes, enabling them to easily modify activities with minimal disruption to resident routines.
When senior living staff can spend less time on administrative tasks and more time with residents, they feel less stressed and more rewarded. For a senior living operator, having a team of efficient and satisfied staff not only promotes business success by reducing turnover, but also makes for a healthier community culture.
Streamline operations
Aside from managing staff, senior living operators also need to mind the various operational functions that keep a community running, like coordinating transportation, requesting maintenance, and facilitating meals.
The right operations technology can empower senior living operators, staff, residents and families to coordinate and stay informed on the various moving parts of the community. For instance, some senior living operations platforms offer the ability for residents and families to request transportation and maintenance. This not only cuts down on redundant requests and alleviates staff of administrative burden, but also empowers residents and family members to maintain independence and stay connected.
Digital displays are another way senior living operators can promote streamlined communication across the community. Sharing updates on upcoming activities or meals in various common areas can help residents stay informed and be more involved in their community.
The ideal senior living operations technology integrates engagement, communication, and operational activities into one solution. Consolidation allows for a holistic view of a community’s day-to-day operations. Furthermore, a comprehensive platform that can provide measurement and analysis of community performance can equip operators with the right data to proactively address warning signs and spot optimization opportunities.
Senior living technology for busy operators
If any of the points in this article resonate, then LifeLoop could be the technology partner your community is looking for. With easy calendar management and automated digital displays, LifeLoop was purpose-built for senior living communities that prioritize their staff and resident experience.
Interested in learning how customers have used LifeLoop's solutions to streamline their operations? See how two customers, Mount Alverna Village and Provision Living, found successful outcomes with LifeLoop.
