BlogClientsKey Trends at the LeadingAge Annual Conference 2024: Shaping the Future of Senior Living

Key Trends at the LeadingAge Annual Conference 2024: Shaping the Future of Senior Living

The LeadingAge Annual Conference 2024 delivered a wealth of insights and bold visions for the future of senior living. As we connected with fellow innovators, community leaders, and industry experts, three clear themes emerged: the surge of AI in senior living, the rising role of feedback and data, and the importance of resident-centered tech adoption. Let’s dive into how these trends will impact communities and the role Go Icon’s tools can play in supporting these advancements.

AI Revolutionizing Senior Living

AI has become the front-and-center topic in many sectors, and senior living is no exception. At this year’s LeadingAge conference, we saw a marked focus on AI tools that go beyond mere automation. The goal is clear: leverage AI to foster smarter, more engaged living environments that are proactive rather than reactive. With Go Icon’s Smart Aging™, we’re enhancing the way communities operate by integrating AI-driven insights into everyday operations, communication, and care.

The goal is AI that transforms resident data into actionable insights, helping communities optimize care schedules, prevent issues before they arise, and make staff workflows more efficient. By embedding AI into senior living, we’re not just upgrading technology, we’re reimagining the way care and hospitality is delivered, ensuring it’s anticipatory, personalized, and ultimately more human.

The Power of Feedback: Elevating the Resident and Family Experience

Feedback has always been valuable, but today, it’s an essential driver for innovation. The LeadingAge discussions highlighted the importance of gathering comprehensive feedback – not only from residents but also from families and staff – to create a thriving community atmosphere. More organizations are seeking streamlined ways to collect, analyze, and act on feedback in real-time to foster a culture of transparency and trust.

Enter Feedback 360 from Go Icon. This survey feature, included in every subscription, empowers communities to engage directly with residents, families, and staff. By offering various survey options and accessible delivery methods, Feedback 360 equips communities with the tools to gain deeper insights, adapt quickly, and keep everyone’s voice at the forefront. The difference? This isn’t just about collecting data; it’s about actively listening and responding to make informed decisions that enhance life across all community touchpoints.

Involving Residents in Tech Selection and Training

As new technology emerges, there’s a growing recognition that involving residents in the selection and training process is paramount. Technology adoption often succeeds or fails based on user experience, and at LeadingAge, we saw a shift towards a resident-centered approach to tech integration and ensuring it truly benefits those who use it most. This often comes in the form of Resident Tech Committees. 

We had the pleasure of partnering with Peconic Landing and Roland Park Place for an educational session at LeadingAge. Go Icon’s own Ryan Galea, and Mary Giangrasse spoke alongside Dr. Jan Harting–Mcchesney (a member of Peconic Landing) and Kiril Apostolov (VP of Operations at Roland Park Place) on using technology to help residents feel at home. The session highlighted the importance of involving residents directly in the technology selection and implementation process. Dr. Harting-Mcchesney shared how her involvement, along with other tech savvy residents’ input, was instrumental in evaluating and rolling out Icon at Peconic Landing. Dr. Harting-Mcchesney’s perspective underscored that communities which actively engage residents in tech decisions experience higher satisfaction and smoother adoption, as residents feel a greater connection to technology that reflects their preferences and needs.

Tech should be approachable and adaptable. Implementing a user-friendly interface and providing robust training support helps residents feel empowered and capable of navigating digital tools with ease.

A Future Built on Innovation and Connection

The future of senior living is a tapestry of technological advances and human-centered approaches. Whether it’s harnessing the power of AI, utilizing feedback to foster open communication, or placing residents at the heart of tech adoption, the LeadingAge Annual Conference showed that the senior living industry is evolving to meet the needs of today’s communities in thoughtful, impactful ways. At Go Icon, we’re thrilled to be part of this journey, helping communities embrace innovation without compromising the human touch.


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