The most widely used resident care technologies in the senior living industry, according to the recent ASHA Senior Living Technology Report, are emergency response systems and electronic medication administration records. These technologies were in use by 97 and 84 percent, respectively, of surveyed communities. Electronic medication administration records had the highest rating of benefit of technology, while emergency response systems was rated only slightly lower.
For the 2017 report, respondents were surveyed about the types of technologies in use at their community, and provided ratings for the ease of use, success, benefit, worth the effort to learn, and willingness to recommend, of each technology. Some interesting takeaways from the resident care and resident use technologies are described below.
Wander prevention is currently in use by about half of communities, but was among the highest rated technologies for ease of use, success, benefit, and worth the effort to learn. Tele-health technologies are only in use by 3 percent of communities, but were highly recommended by every community that uses it. Other technologies, which included electronic health records, lifts, fall detection, and digital point of care tablets, are used by less than half of communities, and for the most part had middling ratings.
Community calendar/newsletter software was the most widely used technology by residents, and is one of the most highly rated technologies for success, benefit, worth the effort to learn, and willingness to recommend. By comparison, brain fitness technology is used by residents in less than half of surveyed communities, but had among the highest ratings for ease of use, success, and worth the effort to learn.
Electronic gaming systems, while used by residents in over 80 percent of communities, was among the lowest rated technology in benefit, worth the effort to learn, and willingness to recommend. Other notable technologies included social media, Internet-based TV services, and e-learning. These technologies are used by residents in about half of surveyed communities, and in general were not rated particularly high or low in most categories.
Source:
American Seniors Housing Association. Senior Living Technology Report. 2017.
