Battling Social Isolation with Resident Engagement Technology

Communities everywhere are shutting their doors and practicing social distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19. As if the physical health issues of this disease aren’t tough enough to combat, providers are also battling to keep residents happy and in good spirits.  

To help fill this void, it is important to keep information flowing consistently and in a focused area. In a situation like this,  many providers turn to technology for reliable communication. The Caremerge Community Engagement solution allows providers to easily distribute critical information and also gives residents a secure platform for entertainment and socialization.

Here are just a few ways communities are using our Community Engagement solution during these times to address the needs and wants of their residents. 

Create digital spaces for activities and entertainment

Community Engagement is great for building static pages specific for COVID-19 information, as well as for creating spaces for residents to engage and stay active. Communities are creating all sorts of pages for exercising, playing games, sharing videos, and more. Staff can fully customize each page and even embed videos directly into the site.  

“What I love about Caremerge is the ability to create custom pages in Community Engagement. I’ve created many pages creatively around Coronavirus. Our Executive Director has been recording a TV show every day and we’ve been posting it on the platform.”

Cindy Hawk, Director of Resident Services, Presbyterian Homes Inc

Residents’ need for socialization is another hurdle that many communities are facing. Our solution allows residents to build out their profiles and use the Directory to find & connect with other like-minded residents. 

Once connected, residents can use the Discussions and Journals pages to stay connected with others in their community. Residents or staff can post questions / topics and have other community members easily reply. All of this conveniently gets fed into the Community Feed, where residents can go to see all social activities happening in real time.

With many residents staying in their room for longer periods of time, Communities are using our In-Room TV Channel to create an interactive experience for residents through live streaming.  Staff can set up exercise classes, stream religious masses, and even host things like group bingo or trivia. In addition to having the ability to stream live content with Premium Community Sign staff also has access to over 80 included applications for news content, custom announcements, and more. 

Consistently share updates and information in one centralized platform

In times of uncertainty, communication is everything and posting important messages in multiple locations could create unnecessary confusion. With Broadcast, designated staff members are quickly sending texts, emails, and voicemails to direct their residents, families, and staff to Community Engagement for announcements relative to COVID-19. This helps free up staff time while keeping content in one central spot.

Communities are regularly using Announcements to share updates publicly or privately to only residents and staff. Some have also created specific pages designated to Coronavirus information and resources. On such pages, we’ve seen communities adding weekly videos from community leaders, documents of updated procedures and policies, and more. 

Keep it simple, secure, and informative   

Senior living communities need an accessible and reliable platform more than ever. Caremerge provides residents the opportunity to engage from their smartphone, tablet, or computers so they can access information whichever way is most comfortable. 

One final way communities are using our resident technology is through Alexa. Caremerge Voice allows residents to get up-to-date information in a fast and easy way. Our COVID-19-specific intent lets residents ask, “Alexa, what is the Coronavirus update?” This improves residents’ awareness of crucial information and keeps them engaged in what is going on in the community.

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Technology is the key to keeping residents, families, and staff engaged and informed during this crisis. Caremerge is helping communities easily communicate information while providing residents the tools they need to stay connected within the community. Contact us to learn more about how Community Engagement can benefit your community.