This article is sponsored by MatrixCare. In this Voices interview, Senior Housing News sits down with experienced clinician Robert Moore who serves as the Director, Strategy and Portfolio Management, MatrixCare, to learn how technology can help providers improve recruitment and retention so they can deliver a more holistic wellness experience. He discusses some of the top ways in which senior living providers can add value to their wellness programs, and he also lays out the key items organizations should look for as they explore new technology solutions in 2023.
Senior Housing News: What career experiences do you most draw from, in your role today?
Robert Moore: I started out my career as a CNA in long-term post-acute care but I spent some time in the acute care space as well. I’ve held roles such as Director of Nursing, MDS Coordinator, and Rehab and Skilled Nursing Manager in addition to my time in CCRCs and standalone skilled nursing facilities. I also worked in customer experience, quality assurance and analyst capacities before coming to the technology side of health care, which is where I’m at today. I know what it takes to get a product out the door, and I know what clinicians need to get the most out of it.
The culmination of these experiences enables me to sympathize, empathize and stay closely connected to the post-acute care sector while helping those professionals focus on what drove them to this space in the first place — providing patient-centered care.
In today’s challenging staffing environment, how can technology help providers improve recruitment and retention so they can deliver a more holistic wellness experience?
Technology is one of the foundational items that will help with recruitment and retention. Certified nursing assistants, registered nurses, LPNs — they’re all in this arena because they want to help make individuals’ lives better. They want to look at the resident from a holistic point of view — spiritual, physical, mental — and the nurses themselves help promote the wellness of the resident.
When nurses have help meeting those needs, it changes everything. If EHR workflows and processes are easy to understand, and nurses can get through them efficiently, it results in positive outcomes for both residents and staff. More time with the resident means the caregivers can refine those holistic wellness programs, which ultimately leads to a better patient experience and greater staff retention.
What are some of the top ways in which senior living providers can add value to their wellness programs?
Wellness should be at the top of every senior living provider’s mind. When considering wellness, it is important to look at every aspect of a resident’s well-being, not just physical. The electronic health record provides social tools to schedule and coordinate activities, track who attends, and measure those outcomes. And on the physical side, there are so many tools available to assist with creating a robust wellness program such as smart watches, smart rings and other vital sign-taking devices that are integrated with the electronic health record.
Resident engagement, however, is critical in making those technology decisions. Let the residents of your campus decide what works best in your wellness program and what doesn’t.
How can providers leverage technology to help residents age in place and become more engaged with their health?
Again, wearables, health monitoring technologies and vital sign devices that are connected to their iPhone and WIFI are key. It enables caregivers to help residents understand their health goals and why those goals are in place, but it all comes back to care plans. Care plans are at the forefront because CMS wants to make sure they’re in place upon admission.
The ability to refine those care plans with ease through the electronic health record is a great way to leverage technology for the residents. It can help them track with their goals and monitor outcomes, thus keeping them engaged.
Some senior living residents may feel a bit concerned about adopting new technology, but as a whole, that sentiment is shifting. A lot of residents within senior living communities want to leverage technology to stay fit and live their best lives aging in place, regardless of the care setting.
What are some of the pitfalls to tech implementation with respect to wellness, and how can providers overcome them?
First, there needs to be a very clear and concise understanding of what the wellness program is trying to solve. What are your goals? How do you define your success criteria? When these items are clearly outlined, the senior living community can avoid potential pitfalls and stay on track.
Connectivity is also key to ensuring the proper implementation of a wellness program. Many senior living communities have sprawling campuses, so one of the first things that should be done is a WiFi signal test to make sure connectivity is stable where devices are being used. Beta testing is important to ensure your success criteria and goals are met based on the subset of residents in that area. And it’s not necessary to roll out the wellness program and the technology all at once. I recommend rolling the plan out slowly and refining the processes before scaling it for a broader group.
Talk about some of the top wellness technologies in senior living today and what providers should be looking for when they explore new solutions.
When researching potential wellness technologies, start with wearable devices. Wearable devices that are specifically geared toward seniors are available. They have proven to motivate individuals and encourage them to take ownership of their wellness journey. As I mentioned, there’s more to wellness than just physical well-being. Review the available technologies in the community, such as tablets, desktop computers, televisions and even gaming systems, to see what apps or games are available to promote physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual well-being.
Finish this sentence: “The senior living industry in 2023 will be the year of…”
…opportunity.
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
MatrixCare is the country’s largest post-acute care technology provider and the only electronic health record (EHR) provider in the industry to focus on the entire continuum of care. To learn how MatrixCare can help your organization, visit www.matrixcare.com/wellness.
The Voices Series is a sponsored content program featuring leading executives discussing trends, topics and more shaping their industry in a question-and-answer format. For more information on Voices, please contact sales@agingmedia.com.
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