Building and maintaining close connections with others is important for everyone. Whether it’s with family members, coworkers, or friends, social engagement can help all of us, even introverts, live a full and healthy life.
For seniors, a variety of factors may present challenges to maintain an active social life. One of the greatest benefits of senior living is the natural way that activities, dining, and community life in general promote friendships and social interaction. Additionally, family members and residents each take comfort in the ease of visiting their loved one.
The COVID-19 pandemic has driven people around the globe to practice social distancing in an effort to quell the disease’s spread. Senior living communities such as Sunrise have taken several steps to help protect residents, team members, and others. This includes limiting activities to in-suite independent programming, delivering meals to resident’s rooms, and restricting all non-essential visitors.
Naturally, these changes are challenging for Sunrise residents and family members to handle. That’s why Sunrise has distributed over one thousand iPads to all of our communities. Team members are using these iPads, preinstalled with Skype and FaceTime, to facilitate video chats between residents and their loved ones on a regular basis. Some communities are even utilizing the iPads to allow residents to chat with their friends in other suites!
“Our team members use technology in a wide variety of ways at Sunrise communities in order to deliver consistent, high-quality care and bring meaningful days to residents,” says Mike Summers, Sunrise’s Chief Information Officer. “One of the best things about modern technology is how simple it has become for us to stay in regular contact with our friends and family. These iPads enable our residents and family members to take comfort in seeing and hearing each other while staying as safe as possible during this pandemic.”
Moreover, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunrise is now supporting its residents with telehealth appointments. To assist with this effort, additional iPads have been deployed for telehealth use.
These iPads are just one example of how Sunrise uses technology in our communities each day. For example, team members track resident care and health information through Sunrise CareConnect, a centralized electronic health record system. And Tableside Dining technology enables team members to view a resident’s meal preferences, doctor-prescribed food restrictions and allergens to help guide residents in their food selections.
Sunrise will continue to leverage technology to enhance the personalized care we provide, both throughout this situation and beyond. For updates on how Sunrise is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit our We Are Prepared page.
We are so proud of the way our team members are continuing to support our residents throughout this challenging pandemic. It’s never been more apparent—Heroes Wear Orange!