This article is sponsored by Inovonics. In this Voices interview, Senior Housing News sits down with Tom Chittenden, President of Inovonics, to explore a pivotal technology enhancing senior living communities’ resident outcomes and caregiver efficiency. He discusses innovative data-driven solutions for e-call systems, empowering operators to tackle today’s challenges and seize opportunities in senior living.
Senior Housing News: What life and career experiences do you most draw from, in your role today?
Tom Chittenden: I’ve been immersed in technology throughout my career, leveraging cutting-edge solutions to solve challenges in new and creative ways. During my tenure at GE, I led their Software Center of Excellence for Industrial Energy Production, where I gained expertise in IoT, device connectivity and data utilization for insights. At NCR, I continued this work, delving into computer vision, AI, and other advanced technologies aimed at enhancing edge connectivity. Now, I’m applying these diverse experiences to the senior living sector and the burgeoning realms of technology, data, and AI, bringing fresh insights to this evolving market.
What industry trends are driving technology developments at Inovonics?
There are four major trends that we rally behind in everything we do. First, there’s an increasing frailty among the population across all care settings. Residents entering senior living facilities are older due to aging in place, requiring solutions that address their heightened frailty and increased need for assistance, fall risk, and medication.
Second, staffing shortages and rising labor costs are driving the need for greater staff efficiency and waste reduction. Every minute counts in providing care efficiently.
Third, there’s a growing demand for accountability in resident outcomes, heightened by scrutiny post-COVID. Families seek care settings with strong accountability for their loved ones’ well-being.
Lastly, technology is transforming senior living, with rapid advancements in cloud technologies, AI, and big data. Effectively leveraging these innovations is crucial for enhancing care and operational efficiency in the senior living market.
How can operators leverage Inovonics technology applications to address these trends?
Looking first at increased frailty, Inovonics is focused on delivering the best fall detection and resident monitoring solutions available. Our fall detection technology integrates seamlessly with our existing infrastructure, including e-call systems and pull cords, alerting staff to potential falls through wearable devices. This automated system ensures quick responses, enhancing care efficiency and resident safety.
Our resident monitoring technology, such as our pendant device equipped with accelerometers and other sensors, tracks resident activity patterns and interactions throughout the day. This allows us to monitor changes in health and recovery times post-fall, providing valuable insights into individual health trends.
Next is our commitment to mitigating staffing shortages. Our real-time location solution pinpoints fall incidents immediately, regardless of location within the building, to facilitate a prompt caregiver response. Additionally, our asset tags track medical equipment and devices, optimizing efficiency and allowing caregivers to be in the right place at the right time.
And finally, accountability. Automated data collection and analysis enable caregivers to assess and improve care quality systematically. This data also serves as tangible evidence of community achievements, reassuring families and the broader community of our commitment to quality care.
We hear a lot about cloud-based technology right now. Why should senior living communities consider cloud-based solutions for new technology adoption?
There’s a significant advantage in deploying new features and capabilities for end users in senior living facilities. Adopting cloud-based software solutions enables rapid deployment, upgrades, configuration changes, and constant availability without the need for on-site hardware like servers. This shift eliminates the maintenance burden on IT teams associated with legacy systems and ensures high-speed connectivity and reliability.
Inovonics’ cloud solutions prioritize data privacy and security, adhering to HIPAA compliance standards to safeguard personal information and ensure data ownership by residents and senior living facilities.
What is the true potential of data, and why are actionable data insights critical to meeting resident needs and operational targets?
When I think about collecting data from devices like emergency call pendants, fall detectors, location trackers, and pull cords across a senior living community, it becomes clear how we can benchmark care levels and tailor care appropriately for residents.
Data enables us to predict outcomes more effectively, moving beyond reactive responses to proactive care management. Imagine leveraging this data to anticipate trends and behaviors, adjusting care levels preemptively to prevent adverse events like falls. It also allows us to track residents’ whereabouts and schedules for medication administration and meal times, ensuring personalized and timely care delivery.
How can communities avoid making bad investments as they upgrade their solutions?
First and foremost, providers need to look at whether the solution can integrate seamlessly with existing trusted systems. At Inovonics, we prioritize evolutionary integration, avoiding the need for disruptive rip-and-replace scenarios. It’s key to assess a platform’s ability to support scalability as communities expand their services. Can it accommodate additional functionalities as needed? These are the important questions to ask.
Additionally, the technology partner’s track record and references should be key considerations in the new technology adoption process. Are there satisfied customers that can attest to the vendor’s performance and outcomes? Is the solution proven in the market and readily available?
Scalability is key — ensuring that as senior living communities grow, the solution delivers consistent results. A pilot program can also provide assurance, allowing operators to test performance before committing substantial resources. Lastly, a clear roadmap for future features and enhancements ensures ongoing value and relevance as each senior living community evolves.
Finish this sentence: “In the senior living industry, 2024 will be defined by…”
…community recovery and proactive planning.
This year marks the senior living industry’s initial recovery from COVID’s impact, with occupancy levels stabilizing and nearing pre-pandemic norms. As communities regain stability, they can shift towards proactive strategies to enhance resident well-being and operational efficiency. With stability returning, it’s time to focus on delivering elevated care and introducing incremental services to attract new residents, providing the highest-quality care we can collectively achieve.
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
To learn more about Inovonics Advanced Location and Fall Detection Solutions, please visit: https://wireless.inovonics.com/shn
Senior Housing News: What life and career experiences do you most draw from, in your role today?
Tom Chittenden: I’ve been immersed in technology throughout my career, leveraging cutting-edge solutions to solve challenges in new and creative ways. During my tenure at GE, I led their Software Center of Excellence for Industrial Energy Production, where I gained expertise in IoT, device connectivity and data utilization for insights. At NCR, I continued this work, delving into computer vision, AI, and other advanced technologies aimed at enhancing edge connectivity. Now, I’m applying these diverse experiences to the senior living sector and the burgeoning realms of technology, data, and AI, bringing fresh insights to this evolving market.
What industry trends are driving technology developments at Inovonics?
There are four major trends that we rally behind in everything we do. First, there’s an increasing frailty among the population across all care settings. Residents entering senior living facilities are older due to aging in place, requiring solutions that address their heightened frailty and increased need for assistance, fall risk, and medication.
Second, staffing shortages and rising labor costs are driving the need for greater staff efficiency and waste reduction. Every minute counts in providing care efficiently.
Third, there’s a growing demand for accountability in resident outcomes, heightened by scrutiny post-COVID. Families seek care settings with strong accountability for their loved ones’ well-being.
Lastly, technology is transforming senior living, with rapid advancements in cloud technologies, AI, and big data. Effectively leveraging these innovations is crucial for enhancing care and operational efficiency in the senior living market.
How can operators leverage Inovonics technology applications to address these trends?
Looking first at increased frailty, Inovonics is focused on delivering the best fall detection and resident monitoring solutions available. Our fall detection technology integrates seamlessly with our existing infrastructure, including e-call systems and pull cords, alerting staff to potential falls through wearable devices. This automated system ensures quick responses, enhancing care efficiency and resident safety.
Our resident monitoring technology, such as our pendant device equipped with accelerometers and other sensors, tracks resident activity patterns and interactions throughout the day. This allows us to monitor changes in health and recovery times post-fall, providing valuable insights into individual health trends.
Next is our commitment to mitigating staffing shortages. Our real-time location solution pinpoints fall incidents immediately, regardless of location within the building, to facilitate a prompt caregiver response. Additionally, our asset tags track medical equipment and devices, optimizing efficiency and allowing caregivers to be in the right place at the right time.
And finally, accountability. Automated data collection and analysis enable caregivers to assess and improve care quality systematically. This data also serves as tangible evidence of community achievements, reassuring families and the broader community of our commitment to quality care.
We hear a lot about cloud-based technology right now. Why should senior living communities consider cloud-based solutions for new technology adoption?
There’s a significant advantage in deploying new features and capabilities for end users in senior living facilities. Adopting cloud-based software solutions enables rapid deployment, upgrades, configuration changes, and constant availability without the need for on-site hardware like servers. This shift eliminates the maintenance burden on IT teams associated with legacy systems and ensures high-speed connectivity and reliability.
Inovonics’ cloud solutions prioritize data privacy and security, adhering to HIPAA compliance standards to safeguard personal information and ensure data ownership by residents and senior living facilities.
What is the true potential of data, and why are actionable data insights critical to meeting resident needs and operational targets?
When I think about collecting data from devices like emergency call pendants, fall detectors, location trackers, and pull cords across a senior living community, it becomes clear how we can benchmark care levels and tailor care appropriately for residents.
Data enables us to predict outcomes more effectively, moving beyond reactive responses to proactive care management. Imagine leveraging this data to anticipate trends and behaviors, adjusting care levels preemptively to prevent adverse events like falls. It also allows us to track residents’ whereabouts and schedules for medication administration and meal times, ensuring personalized and timely care delivery.
How can communities avoid making bad investments as they upgrade their solutions?
First and foremost, providers need to look at whether the solution can integrate seamlessly with existing trusted systems. At Inovonics, we prioritize evolutionary integration, avoiding the need for disruptive rip-and-replace scenarios. It’s key to assess a platform’s ability to support scalability as communities expand their services. Can it accommodate additional functionalities as needed? These are the important questions to ask.
Additionally, the technology partner’s track record and references should be key considerations in the new technology adoption process. Are there satisfied customers that can attest to the vendor’s performance and outcomes? Is the solution proven in the market and readily available?
Scalability is key — ensuring that as senior living communities grow, the solution delivers consistent results. A pilot program can also provide assurance, allowing operators to test performance before committing substantial resources. Lastly, a clear roadmap for future features and enhancements ensures ongoing value and relevance as each senior living community evolves.
Finish this sentence: “In the senior living industry, 2024 will be defined by…”
…community recovery and proactive planning.
This year marks the senior living industry’s initial recovery from COVID’s impact, with occupancy levels stabilizing and nearing pre-pandemic norms. As communities regain stability, they can shift towards proactive strategies to enhance resident well-being and operational efficiency. With stability returning, it’s time to focus on delivering elevated care and introducing incremental services to attract new residents, providing the highest-quality care we can collectively achieve.
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
To learn more about Inovonics Advanced Location and Fall Detection Solutions, please visit: https://wireless.inovonics.com/shn
Inovonics Wireless Corporation. All rights reserved.