Today, it is undeniable that technology plays a vital role in the successful future of the senior living industry, but for many operators, the journey toward a technology-driven community remains a challenge. As senior living operators continue to invest in tech, having a firm grasp on the resident and staff perspective is essential. Residents are increasingly more adept at using technology and the Boomer population aging into senior living has lifestyle expectations where technology is a routine part of daily life. Community staff teams also view technology as a critical tool for better managing the community and its residents. The K4Connect Spring 2022 Insights Report examines current resident and staff perspectives on the technologies making an impact in senior living today and the innovations they view as most valuable.
This report focuses on the timely technology categories of Smart Home, Voice-Assistance, and Data and Analytics. The report also reveals resident and staff opinions on how the surge of new technologies is driving a need for new staff roles. Key trends include:
- How smart home innovation is enabling more independence and safer spaces for older adults at home
- Both community staff and residents value data that can create better and healthier living in the community
- Voice assistance is becoming even more ubiquitous with older adults and how staff connect with them
- New community staff roles are developing to better manage resident technologies – and residents place a high value on these new positions
We asked our K4Community resident and staff users about the tech they want - and need - most. In this report, you'll find critical insights into technology priorities for resident lifestyle as well as workplace success for staff.
K4Connect’s Spring 2022 Insights Report features K4Community user data and survey responses from a diverse group of over 665 residents and 50 staff members from more than 35 senior living communities across the nation.
Download the full report below!
Insights Report Highlights
- Smart Home can drive higher occupancy and resident satisfaction. Staff identified voice assistance and smart locks as top home automation tech contributing to these objectives.
- Home automation increases staff productivity and fosters resident independence. 76% of staff indicated smart home devices can increase residents’ independence and 47% said that smart home devices save staff time.
- Voice assistants are essential to meeting resident demand today. 93% of staff said access to voice assistants, such as Amazon Alexa, is important and 53% of residents currently have at least one.
- The importance of data and analytics has increased for community staff and they are actively using it. 42% of staff indicated that over the past 12 months the importance of data and analytics increased greatly and 67% are using it daily.
- The rapid adoption of tech is driving the need for new senior living staff roles to manage resident technologies. Only 20% of operators have a full-time staff position dedicated to resident technology and 82% of residents at communities without this staff role want to have it.
