[BLOG] Tech training, Advancing the Residents of Assisted Living Communities

Thanks to the exponential growth of technology in recent years, the answers are always at your fingertips, if you know how to use it. In senior living communities, this presents a significant issue for its aging populations, many of whom missed out on the technology learning curve. As a result, technology not only remains a foreign concept to a majority of residents, but its benefits are often overlooked and underutilized due to lack of education.

As technology continues to advance, the need for increased accessibility in senior living communities grows, making it pertinent that personalized tech support services are provided to all residents. The benefits of these services are two-fold, positively impacting both residents and staff. By having qualified IT professionals on-hand, residents can learn how to make the most of the technologically savvy world we live in, which in turn allows them to regain their sense of independence and feel more connected to loved ones and the greater world around them. Staff, on the other hand, no longer have to tend to the additional responsibility of being tech support proxies and can focus on more pressing responsibilities. Providing services that make integrating technology simple for aging residents and staff alike dramatically increases the overall quality and sophistication of care.

Personalized tech support services cover many areas of senior care; from wearable health monitoring devices to smart home technology. Senior residents and their families deserve the highest level of care, and with the right instruction, technology can get them there.

Five Benefits of Personalized Tech Support Services

1. Residents learn how to independently navigate applications and devices designed to monitor their own health, increasing their sense of autonomy and allowing them to stay up-to-date on their medical records.
2. Hands-on instruction setting up networking tools such as Facetime, Zoom, and social media platforms keeps residents in touch with loved ones and the rest of the world.
3. Tech advisors help residents build a more comfortable living environment by introducing home improvement products such as voice-operated Alexa, which helps alleviate some of their common daily difficulties, such as having to stand up to turn off a light switch, close blinds, or tune into their favorite radio station.
4. Tech advisors provide a far more extensive background in IT solutions than staff, therefore they are better able to address technology issues promptly and effectively. This increases both the efficiency of facility operations and the level of day-to-day communication between residents, their families and staff. 
5. Residents feel more safe and secure in their homes, confident that they can rely on technology to alert necessary parties and assist them in the case of accidents, falls, and other emergencies.