Technology is helping residents of an elderly California community know who is behind the plague while keeping the epidemic safe.
Sequoia Living Vyamonte at Walt Creek “strives to be the most technologically advanced community in the area,” said Kate Douglas, Director of Life Enrichment. McKnight’s Senior Life. Viamote is working on a “cutting edge” image of Walt Creek in collaboration with tech company K4Connect.
Efforts are effective.
Over the past six months – with the launch of the K4Community Plus app – daily app users have grown by more than 50%, bringing the total number of voice commands powered by Amazon Alexa to K4Community Voice by 190%. , And the number of modern light orders used increased by 200%. Most residents (77%) have seen community photos, 65% have shared community videos, and 84% have smart lighting controls.
Another way the technology can help the San Francisco Bay Area community help the epidemic is through a “mask” of staff and residents.
“Especially during Covide-19, the use of masks limits our ability to communicate with our communities,” said Douglas. The directories contain photos of residents and staff, which helps residents get to know each other – and staff members.
Viamonte is using technology to increase residents’ access to information at Walnut Creek through menus, entertainment content, and community events. Connecting residents with loved ones through video chat, messaging and photo sharing; Giving access to modern indoor lighting features; And provide efficiency for staff and safety through the resident enrollment program.
Douglas claims to have K4Community Plus app and a web browser accessible to residents with a library of information about the community. Residents can find programmable Amazon Echo tools that can read information from the app and web browser.
“With these tools, we have many ways to provide information about our community to our residents,” she said. “This information center has helped residents find what they need to know, which in turn reduces staff queries and workloads.”
K4Connect reports that the time required to resolve alerts for staff members has been reduced by 79 percent in the past six months. The technology allows staff members to complete inspections of more than 135 residents in less than 90 minutes, saving staff resources and improving risk management.
“Our resident sign-in system with Motion Sensor Technology allows community members to be cared for on a daily basis without interruption,” Douglas said.
Demand is growing
Douglas said there were initial challenges and hesitation in accepting the technology – both for staff and residents. But she said she is working with directors and staff in each department to show how the technology works and how it benefits their class.
Viamont turned to her residents for help. A group of residents interested in technology hosts monthly meetings, and members are part of a monthly subscription to K4Community, where they share their advice with residents who need help with the technology.
“The residents have made a significant contribution to the local K4Community effort,” Douglas said.