Artificial intelligence has proved to be an effective tool for improving staff and clinical efficiency, whether at a senior living organization or at a post-acute care provider.

Instead of providing reactive care after an incident has occurred, AI can assist aging services organizations to take a more proactive approach to care while also offering holistic well-being. Technologies that can reduce the burden of paperwork for care staff and enhance care delivery include automation of duplicative tasks, touchless vitals monitoring and AI-enhanced remote patient monitoring (or wellness monitoring) programs.

AI may seem like a buzzword, but everyone is trying to determine how they can apply it most effectively. Some are going all in to use AI as much as they can while others are taking a more conservative approach. The challenge is, many senior living and post-acute care organizations don’t feel their data or security is ready for AI. We’ll likely see a continued focus to shore up security posture and improve data governance in preparation for future uses of AI.

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Data analytics tools, infrastructure modernization and workforce management remain important priorities for senior living operators, who are also considering investments in engagement and experience platforms, smart home environments and wellness monitoring to improve resident satisfaction. Care decision-making support and predictive analytics are also top priorities.

Integration is another key priority for both senior living organizations and post-acute care providers. Instead of replacing their point solutions every few years, many operators and providers now wish to concentrate on platforms that allow them to expand as a company. By offering a single pane of glass, a unified platform also minimizes the number of dashboards and systems that staff must interact with — helping reduce burnout and improving staff satisfaction.

However, there are many technologies flooding the senior living space, and this can lead to analysis paralysis. With economic uncertainties and limited resources, operators and providers are prioritizing solutions that will be the most impactful to their organization, helping them to achieve organizational goals while continuing to enhance services and the care of residents and patients. This is where a trusted technology expert can help.

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Working with a trusted technology partner such as CDW can help senior living and post-acute care organizations navigate this complex environment. With deep experience and a wide portfolio of partnerships, CDW meets organizations wherever they are on their technology journey, whether they’re early adopters or looking to implement proven, established solutions. CDW can support operators and providers in identifying the right solutions, implementing them and even managing them if needed. We can also help organizations optimize and leverage the tools they already have in place.

CDW can help aging-services organizations align technology investments with their strategic goals by asking the right questions. Is this a technology that will drive meaningful outcomes or enhance operational efficiencies? Is it scalable? If you’re a large organization that operates in multiple states, it’s important that you consider technologies that are scalable to multiple sites and levels. That’s especially key for senior living organizations with campuses that offer multiple levels of services and care, such as independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and long-term care. Those all require very different service levels.

: Focus on integrated clinical automation platforms to mitigate nurse burnout.

It’s important to have technologies that can be customized to each care level, but those same technologies should also integrate with the different systems for each level of care so that older adults have the same experience, no matter which level of care they move to during their journey.

Collaborating with a technology partner such as CDW assists providers and operators in setting their three- and five-year strategies. It's not practical for your employees or financially viable for your organization to implement everything at once. To maximize operational savings, we assist in developing a workable plan that begins with fundamental requirements such as infrastructure and security, then move to optimizing operational efficiencies.

Whether an organization has an innovative culture or is just starting to modernize, CDW meets them where they are today and guides them toward their goals.

This article is part of HealthTech’s MonITor blog series.