using technology to augment your team and resident experience

USING TECHNOLOGY

to Augment Your Team and Resident Experience

Technology and automation use is exploding as senior living providers are examining opportunities to better utilize their existing software and to invest in devices that provide options to enhance their staff productivity. While robotics as a field is advancing, the truth is, they are not yet truly operating autonomous from human interaction. Robots still need people involved in the process to use them. This includes programming, monitoring them and changing batteries as they perform their service. At best this now can be considered “co-botics” and while people will never be fully eliminated from the equation, they will work in tandem together with technology. As this combination gains traction, it also has the potential to enhance your resident experience.

Some senior living providers are now deploying robotic devices in their settings with most of them being focused for use in their dining area. Robotic servers are loaded up with plated meals in the kitchen and they carry the meals from the kitchen to the servers to deliver to the residents at the table. Using these robots creates opportunities for expanded customer service. They allow the available servers you have to focus on their interactions with residents to meet their needs and engage with them to enhance their dining experience.

In some provider settings, these service robots are paired with higher-paid professional servers. These servers are not high school or college students doing a parttime job, but highly experienced wait staff who have usually worked in higher-end restaurants. These servers know how to efficiently manage table service and how to engage with those they serve. The hours and benefits found in a senior living setting are often very appealing to them. When combined with robot support, the servers no longer have to lift trays or run back and forth to the kitchen. They stay where they have the most value in providing resident hospitality – in the dining area itself.

As options for using robots and other technologies expand, providers are finding new opportunities to take advantage of them too. The senior living sector is ripe for exploration of the use of other types of autonomous robotic devices including floor cleaners, lawn mowers, drones and more. These devices can sense the environment around them and operate without significant human involvement. This enables your available staff in housekeeping and maintenance to stay focused on the portion of their jobs that focus on resident engagement and impact their satisfaction. Even a minimal expanded use of technology that enhances their productivity has the potential to be valuable to a senior living community and those who live there.

Most software and technology devices are already collecting data. There is growing interest in how data and analytics can be used to manage staff productivity and service delivery within the senior living setting. When combined in the future with artificial intelligence, the possibilities for data analytics to be use for resident care and service appear to be endless. When the data is combined with AI interpretation, this can provide valuable insight

to help streamline your processes and maximize staff efficiency. It can also be used to anticipate adverse resident health issues and create opportunities for staff intervention before an emergency room visit is needed.

Take the time to evaluate how you are using the existing software and technology already currently deployed in your senior living setting to look for new ways to maximize their value to your team and your residents. Prioritize deploying those resources that augment your resident experience and enhance the ability of your team to provide resident services. Carefully monitor the efficiencies to be achieved or productivity enhancements gained. Keep in mind that your team may need some training to be able to effectively work with advanced technologies or to be able to take advantage of the software productivity.

As you continue to explore your options for using more advanced software and technologies, you might find you need a different skillset in your workforce to work effectively with them. While this might create additional challenges, the shift in the skills needed to complete the job may actually expand your opportunities to pull your workforce from a broader pool of potential available talent. Above all, keep an open mind to the possibilities for expanding your staff capabilities to serve your residents as efficiently as possible without eroding your resident experience.

jill johnson, mba

Jill J. Johnson, MBA, is president and founder of Johnson Consulting Services – a management consulting firm specializing in strategy development for senior living providers encompassing the entire continuum of senior living services. She has been the consultant for numerous senior living clients including two of the nation’s Top 10 largest multi-site senior living organizations, as well as Mayo Clinic. Jill is also the author of the awardwinning book, Market Forces: Strategic Trends Impacting Senior Living Providers.

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