Listen to this articleBy 2027, the senior care industry, driven by an aging population, will grow by nearly $100 billion, according to market research firm Technavio. As the industry grows, the report notes that the increase in innovation and technology will also become a major trend.
We reached out to three local senior living organizations to find out how they are currently innovating to provide the best comprehensive mental and physical care for aging residents.
Friendly life for seniors
At Friendly Senior Living — which turns 175 this year — “innovation is in our DNA,” says Michael Perrotta, senior vice president of housing and CEO of the organization's Cloverwood Senior Living facility, an independent living facility.
The non-profit organization, which provides a range of living options for seniors, was founded by a small group of women looking to help others in the community.
“This was not very common in 1849,” Perrotta said, noting that this forward-thinking continues as Friendly Senior Living strives to make the aging process “as easy, satisfying and meaningful as possible.”
Cloverwood is undergoing a major renovation project that includes redesigning some common areas to maximize opportunities for gatherings and social events and updating the café to include a 24/7 market.
“These are the types of things that add flexibility and comfort for people,” Perrotta said. “We're trying to stay current and focused on making sure the environment supports healthy aging as we go into the next 20 years.”
Cloverwood residents can also participate in the Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning, a learning community for adults over 50, through the Rochester Institute of Technology. The partnership begins in the fall of 2023 and provides residents access to online continuing education opportunities.
At Glenmere Assisted Living & Memory Care, located on the Cloverwood Campus, the organization also offers more on-site services for the convenience of residents, including the UR Medicine Geriatric Group for primary care services, on-site outpatient physical therapy services, and most recently on-site psychological services /Mental.
Additionally, Glenmere has a new partnership with the Schottland Family YMCA in Pittsford to promote intergenerational engagement between residents and children at the YMCA's daycare.
“From a programming standpoint, we're really focused on connecting residents to intergenerational opportunities and life learning opportunities,” Perrotta said. “We believe that people are still continuing to grow even into their older years.”
Lives of the Elder Jews
At Jewish Senior Life – Rochester's only continuing care retirement community – one of the many innovative ways they are working to improve the quality of life for their residents is through virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
“Virtual reality and augmented reality hold a lot of promise in the senior living industry,” said Travis Masonis, senior vice president and chief innovation officer at Jewish Senior Life, who noted that the organization is beginning to build on its early success with its immersion room. Age”. It uses different technologies such as video walls to create a very attractive and interactive environment.
In the fall of 2024, Jewish Senior Life will begin offering the research-backed Rendever system, which provides carefully curated virtual reality experiences for seniors to enhance social and physical health.
Rendever's main goals include helping older adults “live again” through personalized reminiscence therapy tools (for example, revisiting their childhood neighborhood through an immersive 360-degree tour), and “re-inspiring.” By actually checking off list items (such as swimming with dolphins) and “reconnecting” with others through the power of a shared experience.
“It's a very immersive experience,” Masonis said. “You can see our residents shine when they wear Renderever glasses. They see a whole new world.”
Jewish senior living is no stranger to VR and AR; Masonis said they used Oculus VR headsets shortly after they were released to the public in 2016, but the headsets were not ideal for seniors in terms of form and ease of use.
“The Renderever headset is designed specifically for seniors with the battery moved to the back of the headset, so it is much lighter,” he said. “It removes some of the barriers to navigating VR technology with seniors, and it works great.”
Saint John
Rendever is also used in St. John's, a local senior living and care provider providing a range of services including senior independent living, rehabilitation/transitional care, enhanced assisted living, nursing home and respite care, Alzheimer's/dementia care, and respite. Care/Hospice.
“We are in a time of technological innovation,” Jennifer Lesinski, vice president of marketing at St. John's, said about today's senior living industry. “The pandemic has been a major factor in disrupting the lives of seniors, and a combination of factors, including staff shortages, have created a ripe situation for innovation and technology.”
St. John's is a member agency of the Thrive Alliance, a collaborative group of innovators, researchers and healthcare providers from across the country focused on solving challenges and scaling solutions for the elder care market. Lesinski serves on the board of directors of the alliance's headquarters, Thrive Center, located in Louisville, Kentucky.
St. John's relationship with Thrive provides access to the latest technologies in senior care through pilot programs and development efforts.
“We have a great technology team here in St. John's that understands that technology impacts all of our businesses, and we're also very fortunate that our CFO understands that technology requires investment,” said Lesinski, who notes that the organization is currently looking at approaches to artificial intelligence and robotics. They can be used to help employees work smarter.
Christine Curtis, senior clinical informatics analyst, is a member of the technology team at St. John's. She is excited to help the organization transition to a new medical records system next year that will streamline workflow. She also enjoys working with residents daily when it comes to technology that directly touches their lives.
“When I started working in St. John's six years ago, very few residents had computers,” Curtis said. “Now everyone has computers, smartphones, tablets and Alexas. It has been exciting to see the population change with the times and support them with technology solutions while also being aware of security issues.
Corey Putnam is a freelance writer in the Rochester area.
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