Innovation and Technology Applications in Senior Care

“Mom, lay back down and push your call button. Someone will help you get up. Lay back down now, mom!”

That’s the voice recording my friend Lane put on the fall alert device he recently purchased for his mother. She has been getting increasingly forgetful, and has been experiencing some falls. After a nasty fall last Christmas, Lane found an assisted living community near his home and was delighted to be able to secure a unit for his mom.

No matter how many times Lane and the staff there have instructed her she simply can’t remember to use the call system before getting out of bed. When she attempts this by herself, she falls. So far she has not suffered any injuries, but a few months ago while Lane was traveling out of the country, his mom fell again. To make sure she didn’t have any injuries the assisted living staff sent her to the hospital for a check-up and X-rays. At the hospital, staff became alarmed and determined that she wasn’t appropriate for assisted living – she was too great of a fall risk.

What happened next was a nightmare for Lane’s mom: admission to a skilled nursing center where, to prevent her falling, she was immediately put into a wheelchair and taken to the dining room, pushed up against the table and wheels locked in place.

She was accompanied on walks a couple of times a day, but other than that she was in the wheelchair, unable to get out.

When Lane returned from his trip, he was horrified to discover his mom unhappy, depressed and significantly weaker than when he left. Lane immediately moved her back into the assisted living community and started looking at options to keep her safe – and independently mobile. She uses a walker, and she wants to walk. While she seems to be able to walk relatively safely now, getting out of bed unassisted is her trouble spot.

Lane looked at alarm systems; by the time staff was alerted, however, his mom was out of bed and on the floor.

So he discovered the voice alarm alert. Now, he goes to visit his mom and she’ll say, “It was the strangest thing: I heard your voice in the middle of the night last night telling me to get back into bed!”

So far, mom has had no further falls. For Lane – and more importantly, for his mom – the risk of falling is not the worst thing that can happen. The worst thing, by far, is losing the independence and mobility she has left.

Do you know some innovative devices currently available to promote independence? Share them!

Innovation is the Word of the Day

While many are busy criticizing senior care providers for perceived problems – and certainly, there are companies and communities that do have significant problems – what isn’t getting as much attention is the innovation in services that many providers are implementing. These innovations are designed not only to meet the expressed needs of today’s seniors (mental stimulation, life-long learning are at the top of the list) but also to improve the public’s perception of senior care and improve overall services.

Consider what Atria, subject of many negative news stories (and my last blog) is doing in its Burlington assisted living community, incorporating Nintendo’s Wii video game into community activities:

The Nintendo Wii is not only for the young, but the young at heart," said Zappala [the community’s Executive Director] via e-mail. "Those who participate are not only staying physically active, but mentally active as well. The Wii stimulates their mind by incorporating a significant level of hand and eye coordination.

Then there’s the community in Canada that is actually growing grass on the roof:

Shalom Manor and Shalom Gardens, a linked Dutch-Christian nursing home and assisted-living facility, is going green, with a rooftop revamp. The facility has decided to transform its bland grey asphalt roof into a lush, year-round scenic piece of nature, with more than 3,000 square metres of garden.”

The point is both esthetic (more than half of the resident’s view was of the old, flat roof) as well as environmental. Both management and residents like the idea of doing something that enhances the environment in many respects.

Ecumen is in the news again with a program especially designed to promote senior wellness – both in the residential community and in the community at large. More importantly, staff are also welcome to use the fitness equipment, mingling with residents and guests as they improve their own physical wellbeing.

Vitalize! Wellness Centre, opening this fall , will have all the bells and whistles . . . TechnoGym weights and TechnoGym aerobic fitness equipment that digitally measure one’s personal progress, a warm-water lap pool, a warm water pool with a treadmill, herbal teas and great food, exercise rooms, massage, plus classrooms for lifelong learning that helps people explore, personalize and enhance dimensions of successful aging.

The point of all of this innovation is to keep pace with what seniors are looking for in their aging experience – a chance to keep living vital, involved lives right through the end of their days.

Senior care communities that want to stay in the news in a good way – and more importantly, meet the rapidly changing needs of their target market – should listen, learn and innovate!

An Offer to Atria and Assisted Living Communities

Atria is still making news as the target for unionizing efforts by SEIU, who is now focusing on yet another Atria community, this one located Riverdale, NY. SEIU, presenting itself as “Senior-care advocates from the Campaign to Improve Assisted Living”, has been zeroing in on the national company’s 121 facilities in 27 states as a prime target for unionizing caregivers throughout the US.

SEIU has issued press releases on Atria beginning some months ago, with the most recent ones coming in a one-two punch August 19 and 21st. In each press release the union focuses on a community with infractions, and their “advocacy” work on behalf of residents. Here’s a paragraph from the press release dated August 19, 2007:

Advocates will deliver an over-sized "Get- Well" card to residents, and ask to meet with facility administrators to discuss the recent viral outbreak that drove residents to their rooms and closed down the communal dining room.

No mention, of course, that over the past few years viral outbreaks like this have occurred in many communal living/dining environments. Some, including one in the state of Washington, resulted in multiple hospitalizations of residents as well as hospitalization of staff and even some emergency workers responding to the situation (these are nasty bugs indeed). Clearly Atria is not alone in experiencing this admittedly dangerous, distressing situation.

And while I’m all for advocacy, I’m truly for advocacy that supports all the needs of the consumer – in this case the senior and his or her family – both in improving care and in increasing accessibility. Explain to me how putting an organized labor union layer between owners, management and caregiver is going to truly achieve either one. As unions siphon off their dues, someone will pay that cost. And the possibility of a labor strike as a tool to increase wages certainly won’t benefit the residents.

So to John Moore, CEO of Atria Senior Living Group and all the other assisted living communities who are interested in genuinely improving care and services, I have an offer for you. We’ll provide to you – at no charge (other than set-up fee) for up to 6 months – our online staff training system, aQuire Training Solutions, to help you demonstrate your commitment to increasing staff training.

Even the SEIU knows that a better trained workforce is a workforce that will provide better quality care. Here’s their press releases’ closing line:

The Campaign to Improve Assisted Living is calling for Atria to make a real investment in front-line care by staffing-up, increasing worker training, and lowering worker turnover.

Atria – we’ll help you achieve this without unionization. Any other assisted living company – the offer stands for you, too. Contact me and I’ll personally sign you up.