Let’s not sugarcoat it: It’s hard to get seniors to change their behavior by incorporating new technology into their daily lives. It may even be hard-wired, according to a study published in the journal Neuron, which found the brain circuit that helps us adapt to change fades with age. 

True, devices like tablets, smartphones, and smart speakers are becoming more common among seniors. However, most seniors still aren’t entirely confident or comfortable using them. 

Adding new features to familiar technology — like bringing video calling to the TV — is generally an easier transition for seniors. Still, you’ll need to be mindful about not asking them to make significant changes to their usual behavior. 

At the same time, technology represents a massive opportunity for senior living operators to increase staff productivity, streamline operations, and improve engagement. Ignoring these technological advancements, especially as other communities embrace them, is a surefire way to get left behind. 

You must move with technology to stay relevant. 

The trick is to minimize the risks so you can maximize your rewards. 

You need a thoughtful, measured approach, and learning from others who’ve already been there is a perfect place to start. 

In this post, we’ll share five lessons you can learn from other communities that have implemented Caavo’s TV-based engagement platform. Buckle up because we’re going full transparency mode to help set you up for success.

Lesson 1: Define what you want to achieve (and avoid).

Every community has its opportunities, challenges, goals, and motivations, so your definition of success for your new TV-based technology should also be unique. 

Clearly articulating goals and objectives up front is a common theme among communities that find success with Caavo’s TV-based solution. 

Another thing they do? They figure out what they want to avoid. This helps leadership prioritize features and position them with staff, residents, and families. 

Start by asking: What tangible outcomes do we hope to achieve — and avoid — by using a TV-based solution? 

A few example outcomes might be:

• Increase staff efficiency
• Decrease maintenance labor costs
• Improve engagement with families 
• Avoid residents feeling like they’re losing face-to-face interaction

Lesson 2: Think ahead.

It’s been a couple of hundred years since Benjamin Franklin famously advised, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” His words endure surprisingly well. As technology becomes more advanced, preparation becomes more important.

In general, when you’re preparing for Caavo, preparation should fall into two categories:

• Technical Preparation. The goal here is to make sure your community is technically ready to make this transition. We collaborate closely with our most successful communities to anticipate and minimize any potential issues or surprises. Typical activities include conducting a pre-install site survey, doing a dry run ahead of install, and setting up a demo room. 

• Communication. More is more when it comes to sharing impending new technology. Successful communities communicate with residents and staff multiple times before installing Caavo. Let everyone know what to expect. Tell them how the technology will make life better. Don’t forget to include families in the mix. Explain the new technology and how they can get involved. 

Lesson 3: Walk before you run. 

When you’re introducing new technology it’s tempting to go big. It’s understandable. You’re excited by all the ways Caavo will make life easier for staff and residents and you’re eager to get them going right away.

Fight that inclination and slow down. 

Here’s a general recipe for onboarding success you should copy from other communities:

1. Train staff on both the Caavo CareAdmin dashboard and the Caavo TV interface
2. Introduce the new remote control to residents (and show them voice control)
3. WAIT AT LEAST TWO WEEKS
4. Add interactive features, one at a time, waiting at least a week in between each
5. Onboard family members and introduce them to Video Calling, Chat, Reminders and TV Control Anywhere features

Regardless of how you sequence the roll-out of new features, it’s most important to introduce the new remote control to residents first. Then, wait at least two weeks before activating other features like Wellness Checks or Video Calling.

Give residents time to get comfortable and confident with their new remote. Because Caavo requires such minimal behavior change from seniors, we’ve found they catch on quickly and, as a result, are more likely to try new features like voice control. 

Speaking of voice (pun fully intended), don’t be afraid to encourage seniors to use it! Our communities find voice is really empowering, especially for residents with visual impairments or dexterity challenges. 

Lesson 4: More participation means more impact.

This is one place where starting small doesn’t pay off. Rather than installing Caavo in a sub-set of resident rooms, the most successful operators select at least one community and deploy as broadly as possible from the start. Then roll out to additional communities from there. 

A few advantages of this approach: 

• You’ll gain traction & build momentum faster. As with any new technology you introduce, there will be skeptics and setbacks, but fostering a similar experience for all residents can bring them together. Resident superusers will emerge strong champions happy to spread the word. This word-of-mouth advocacy creates an outsized impact when the technology is available for all.
  
  
• Community features are more powerful. Caavo’s Resident Groups, Community Broadcasts, and community content features offer more benefit when applied across your whole community. For example, your Activities Director wants to send a chat to alert the Walking Group to a schedule change. She’s going to save a lot more time if everyone in the Walking Group has Caavo installed, rather than a select few residents. 
  
  
• It’s easier to motivate staff. New virtual ways of working will ideally replace manual tasks, rather than being additive. For example, when you switch to Wellness Checks on the TV, staff will be much more motivated to use the technology if they no longer have to spend time walking the halls to check for “I’m okay” door signs. 

In Conclusion: Measure Twice, Cut Once

Although you can’t wave a wand to make all your residents embrace new technology with open arms, a thoughtful, well-planned installation and deployment will make the whole process feel a lot more magical.