Senior Living News Wire

LeadingAge’s Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) is releasing a white paper and selection matrix for senior living providers looking to implement an electronic health record (EHR) system. 

These tools are an expansion of the portfolio of free tools that CAST released last year to help long-term and post-acute care organizations plan for and identify EHR products that meet their needs.

The whitepaper outlines the detailed steps of planning, assessing and selecting an EHR system and defines the major components that these products offer. The update includes added sections on decision support systems, interoperability standards and health information exchange.

Also included in the whitepaper is a checklist of assessments to ensure the strategic planning of rolling out EHR technology aligns with the mission or goals of a provider. These include assessing one’s IT infrastructure, staff competency to identify training needs down the road, as well as the readiness of an organization in general. 

The selection matrix catalogs more than 200 major functionalities in 36 long-term and post-acute care organization EHR products, up from 22 in 2012, according to Majd Alwan, Ph.D, LeadingAge senior vice president for technology and executive director of CAST.

“EHR is a key, enabling technology for the future,” Alwan told SHN. “Having an EHR helps providers offer more accurate, timely documentation, and using the advanced features of this technology helps them increase efficiency and improve the quality of care for their residents.”

Now in its second year, the updated portfolio of CAST tools aim to allow LeadingAge members to meet the leadership required of pioneering technology solutions, according to Larry Minnix, president and CEO of LeadingAge.

“In an age where providers are looking to meet greater demand on a tighter budget, EHR’s are a great example of how technology is improving quality while reducing costs.”

As of April 2013, about $14.6 billion in meaningful use had been distributed to various healthcare professionals as incentive for EHR development, according to Robert Anthony, deputy director of the HIT Initiative Group at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of E-Health Standards and Services.

Written by Jason Oliva

Tech companies nationwide continue developing innovative designs with a focus on senior care technology. Whether it’s a virtual reality program simulating what it’s like living with dementia, or a rollout of touch-screen apps to keep residents “in the loop” of community happenings, there is a technology to meet a variety of care needs. Read on:

1. Senior Star Takes Virtual Dementia Tour on the Road

With Senior Star at Weber Place’s Virtual Dementia Tour, users can experience the reality of what it’s like living with Alzheimer’s. 

One of the largest operating free-standing memory care communities in the state of Illinois, Senior Star at Weber is now taking its Virtual Dementia Tour (VDT) on the road. 

Through the VDT tool, the Senior Star at Weber Place team is educating caregivers, medical professionals, caseworkers and family members of the critical needs of those who are living with Alzheimer’s.

The 15-minute program uses tools and activities to depict what it’s like for someone living with a form of dementia. Participants are asked to perform tasks in an altered state whereby the VDT artificially impairs the senses affecting the ability to interpret the environment. 

Participants reacting to the impaired sensory input lead to behaviors such as wandering, talking to oneself and not following instructions—behaviors often seen in dementia. 

Lead by expert Anna Walters, director of memory care at Senior Star at Weber Place and certified to conduct the VDT, the program creates a realistic scenario utilizing a home-like environment and activities of daily living.

The program also includes a question and answer session focusing on how to cope with Alzheimer’s patients and recognize some of the early signs.

 ”We are providing the VDT for hospitals and other health care providers, businesses and civic groups,” said Michelle Franzak, executive director of Senior Star at Weber Place. “It has been very helpful in understanding this terrible disease and how to cope and care for those suffering from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.”

2. Dakim BrainFitness Yields Improved Cognitive Skills

The results of a peer-reviewed clinical trial of Dakim BrainFitness, conducted by the UCLA Semel Institute, found that participants showed significant improvement in memory and language skills.

Additionally, researchers proposed that brain fitness tools such as Dakim BrainFitness may help protect individuals from cognitive decline commonly associated with aging and Alzheimer’s disease. 

The Dakim BrainFitness System is designed with a kiosk-style console that uses a touch-screen to provide a fully personalized workout that can help maintain brain fitness and slow the effects of cognitive decline. 

The program enables users to cross-train their brains to achieve peak mental functioning by touching on six essential cognitive domains. These include short-term memory; long-term memory; language; computation; visuospatial orientation; and critical thinking skills. 

Dakim BrainFitness is the only evidence-based cognition program approved by the U.S. Administration on Aging, enabling Area Agencies on Aging to use Title III, Part D funds for disease prevention and health promotion, to purchase Dakim for the seniors they serve.

The technology is used at more adult living communities than any other mental fitness program, and is now being used by healthcare professionals and rehabilitation centers in Texas, Washington, California, Kentucky and Minnesota.

3. Touchtown Apps Roll Out in Denver Retirement Community

The first wave of tablets with the new Touchtown Resident Apps is arriving at senior living communities and residents are quickly learning how to use the new technology.

Among those receiving the Touchtown tech are all 167 independent living residents at Clermont Park, a Denver retirement community. 

Touchtown Resident Apps provides a platform for seniors to stay connected through event sign-ups, daily check-ins instant messages, transportation requests, dining information and housekeeping services. The apps’ interface includes large icons and text, navigation, scrolling ability and a text-to-speech feature.

“It’s a communication tool that helps improve the quality of life for residents at senior living communities,” says Jeff Pepper, president and CEO of Touchtown. “And for organizations, Touchtown Resident Apps can be integrated with workflow or point-of-sale systems to help streamline operations.”

Touchtown offers more than 20 apps for senior living communities to choose from, each customizable on a community and individual level. Additional apps range from health and wellness resources to directories to a variety of interactive communication and information-sharing tools. 

“We’re already seeing how the apps allow for better and more personalized communication with residents,” says Jill Vitale-Aussem, executive director of Clermont Park. “It promotes interaction, gives residents an added sense of freedom, and also safety and security.”

From making reservations at the community restaurant or signing up for an exercise class, residents will be able to say “There’s an app for that.”

4. State Healthcare Association Streamlines Wellness Tech for Seniors

Linked Senior, Inc. and the Health Care Association of New Jersey (HCANJ) have announced a partnership to provide technology to enhance the quality of life for residents of New Jersey nursing homes and assisted living communities. 

The agreement will allow member facilities of HCANJ to purchase Linked Senior programming, specifically designed for seniors, at a reduced rate.

Linked Senior Inc. uses technology to support programming & wellness, opens communities to the world while helping management improve resident and family satisfaction, productivity and efficiencies. 

The system also includes a touch screen kiosk and content tailored for seniors with features including games, puzzles, custom slideshows, brain fitness and educational content. 

“Linked Senior’s approach will allow the individuals who reside in our long term care facilities the opportunity to enjoy programs tailored to their varied levels of health and abilities,” said Paul R. Langevin, president of HCANJ. “The methodology employed in their product will enhance out members’ ability to provide a more person-centered experience for all their residents.”

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Linked Senior Inc. is a leading provider of resident engagement solutions to the senior housing market.

5. Health System’s Technology Solution Reduces SNF Length of Stay

Virginia-based Centra Health has selected HealthMEDX to provide technology to manage patient care across all post-acute care settings, as well as enable the exchange of patient information across Centra Health’s entire acute-care continuum, including hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies and labs. 

Through Centra’s cardiac program, where a specially-trained cardiac nurse manages care for cardiac patients in SNFs using specialized care pathways, Centra has reduced patient length of stay from 4.52 days in 2006 to 3.85 days in 2012. 

Based on this success, Centra is developing similar programs for orthopedics and piloting Emergency Room Diversion Protocols to keep patients out of the ER. 

“With HealthMEDX’s long-term post-acute care EMR and connectivity platform, we will be able to enhance the quality of care across all settings and continue our evolution as a technology leader,” said John Paul Jones, M.D., chief medical information officer of Centra Health.

HealthMEDX is the only vendor that provides an integrated, person-centric system that includes a full electronic medical record and comprehensive billing system with integrated CRM. 

The product, known as Vision, supports the entree post-acute care continuum, including rehab, home care, hospice and long-term care for independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing. 

The HealthMEDX Exchange platform, with its system as a software design, allows post-acute care providers to connect with hospitals, physicians and payers to address readmission management and facilitate coordination across the care continuum.

6. Social Tech Teaches Seniors about Preventative Health

Preventative health has a whole new meaning at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC) for people ages 55 and older. 

Through its Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), members have the opportunity to become computer savvy through ConnectedLiving, a Quincy, Massachusetts-based company.

ConnectedLiving has developed a web-based social platform designed specifically for the senior living industry, servicing all segments of the market, including private pay and affordable senior living communities.

The partnership with PACE includes an additional focus on preventative health information, further encouraging seniors to learn about technology in a stimulating and social way. 

“What’s different about this relationship is not only teaching computer and Internet skills to members through exciting topics of interest, but to use ConnectedLiving in the future for preventative health education,” said Anna Hall, vice president of ConnectedLiving University. “Empowering seniors to be informed has proven value to their overall well-being.”

Recently, the company launched its ConnectedLiving University with online tools and resources for seniors and senior living communities that promote lifelong learning.

The ConnectedLiving Network, from which the University program is accessed, is a cloud-based social network tailored for seniors. The platform includes an easy-to-navigate interface providing secure Internet access, email, photos, a library, games and video chat.

In addition to online content for seniors, the program also provides extensive training for senior living community staff. The training curriculum was developed with an understanding of the needs of older adults and their caregivers. 

Written by Jason Oliva

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently released finalized guidance clarifying its position on the role of housing in accomplishing the goals of Olmstead, the landmark Supreme Court decision giving people with disabilities the right to have multiple housing options.  

Olmstead‘s objective is to help people with disabilities lead normal, integrated and independent lives. For some, this may mean living in a community setting where they can also receive supportive services if necessary, rather than a nursing home or some other institutional setting.

There has been a lot of cross-agency collaboration between the Department of Justice, the Department of Health & Human Services, and HUD to clarify and implement Olmstead, notes Michelle Norris, senior vice president of acquisitions and development at National Church Residences (NCR), which provides affordable housing to a variety of populations including the elderly and disabled. 

The ruling has implications for senior housing, especially for providers of HUD-assisted supportive housing. A significant number of disabled people are also elderly, Norris says, and because of the aging in place trend, that’s not expected to change.

“People are living in [their homes] longer and living longer,” she says, adding that the average age of people living in NCR housing is now 75. “As people head into their 80s, they generally have more limitations, chronic illness, and disabilities. We are going to see both sets, the elderly and those with disabilities, in our buildings.” 

While there have been increased efforts across the country to give more choices to disabled individuals who are institutionalized or housed in settings that are considered segregated, there has still be a lot of confusion about how housing providers should follow Olmstead, according to the HUD guidance. 

“[T]here is a great need for affordable, integrated housing opportunities where individuals with disabilities are able to live and interact with individuals without disabilities, while receiving the health care and long-term services and supports they need,” HUD says.

NCR’s action plan is to continue providing supportive housing for populations including seniors, the disabled, and the homeless, and to keep working with states that are providing funding for supportive housing and make sure they understand Olmstead policy.

The agency is exploring how it can fund additional integrated housing units with long-term healthcare and supportive services along with the funding it already provides for single-site supportive housing that already houses and supports individuals with disabilities. 

“HUD is taking this opportunity to advise housing providers, as they manage their portfolios of housing and develop new housing to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities, to consider the particular housing needs in their individual communities and in their state,” the guidance reads.

Through the finalized guidance, HUD is trying to help states understand their position from both a housing and supportive services perspective. 

“HUD and HHS have been going state by state educating people on the parameters [of Olmstead],” Norris says. “There’s room within this guidance; it’s not very, very strict, saying ‘you must do this, you can’t do that.’ It’s more balanced.”

Some independent living providers see opportunity in Olmstead and how it is enforced.

“We believe ILCs [independent living centers] can play a crucial role in the implementation of managed care,” said Liz Pazdral, California’s Independent Living Council Executive Director, in a statement.  ”ILCs have established and effective relationships with community-based organizations and can help managed care plans contain costs by assisting individuals living with disabilities to live independently in their homes rather than in institutions.”

California is transitioning to a managed care model for its dual eligible population, with an emphasis on home- and community-based services. Through the state’s Coordinated Care Initiative and Medicaid system, independent living  centers can work with managed care plans to expand access to HCBS services. This is accomplished by including those services in a benefit package for dual eligibles, says the California State Independent Living Council, and contracting with managed care organizations to deliver the services in a community setting.

“In the past, ILCs have never had to demonstrate to health plans the benefit of the services we provide and how those services can effect positive outcomes such as reducing re-hospitalization or providing in-home support services that keep individuals out of emergency rooms,” said Todd Teixeira, Silicon Valley Independent Living Center’s director of programs. “Given the role we can play in keeping costs down while providing quality services, it will be critical for ILCs to collect data and track outcomes that demonstrate our value to the managed care plans.”

Access the finalized HUD guidance.

Written by Alyssa Gerace

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) have developed a method for tracking the locations of multiple individuals within an indoor setting that has implications not only for healthcare, but broader security also.

Using a network of video cameras, CMU researchers were able to follow the movements of 13 people within a senior care facility, even though individuals sometimes slipped out of camera view.

Researchers used multiple cues to identify individuals from the video feed, such as apparel color, person detection, movement trajectory and even facial recognition. 

Multi-camera, multi-object tracking has been an active field of research for a decade, but automated techniques have only focused on well-controlled lab environments. 

Carnegie Mellon’s team, by contrast, proved their technique with actual residents and employees in a nursing facility—with camera views compromised by long hallways, doorways, people mingling in the hallways, variations in lighting and too few cameras to provide comprehensive, overlapping views.

The algorithm developed by CMU significantly improved on two leading algorithms in multi-camera, multi-object tracking. It located individuals within one meter of their actual position 88% of the time, compared with 35% and 56% for the other algorithms. 

The technology has drawn comparisons to the fictional Marauder’s Map used by popular book and movie series Harry Potter, which upon viewing and with a hint of magic, reveals the location of people moving about nearby.

While no magic was necessary to create the video monitoring tech, researches developed their tracking technique as part of an effort to monitor the health of individuals in senior care settings. 

“We thought it would be easy, but it turned out to be incredibly challenging,” said Alexander Hauptmann, principal systems scientist in the Computer Sciences Department (CSD) of CMU.

Something as simple as tracking based on color of clothing proved difficult, for instance, because the same color apparel can appear different to cameras in different locations, depending on variations in lighting. Additionally, a camera’s view of an individuals can often be blocked by other people passing in hallways or even by a piece of furniture. 

This is where face detection helped in re-identifying individuals on different cameras.

Yi Yang, a CSD post-doctoral researcher, noticed that faces can be recognized in less than 10% of the video frames. So, researchers developed mathematical models that enabled them to combine information, such as appearance, facial recognition and motion trajectories. 

Further work will be necessary to extend the technique during longer periods of time and enable real-time monitoring, CMU researchers agree, especially as they look for additional ways to use video to monitor resident activity while preserving privacy. 

“The goal is not to be Big Brother, but to alert the caregivers of subtle changes in activity levels or behaviors that indicate a change of health status,” Hauptmann said.

Written by Jason Oliva

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are once again at the center of reform talks in the latest chapter of the two government-sponsored entities’ troubled saga, but despite all the scrutiny, lenders say both agencies’ role in the senior housing industry is growing. 

“Both agencies have a very strong appetite for seniors housing assets,” says Allison Holland, a vice president with the healthcare group at KeyBank Real Estate Capital. “Historically, performance has been extremely strong in that asset class. It’s been a very good, stable source for them, and that continues to be the case [with plans] to grow that portion of their portfolio.” 

The wild ride of Fannie and Freddie’s stock prices year-to-date has fanned years-old talks regarding the fate of the two GSEs.

In May, speculative investors and hedge funds bet on the eventual privatization of the two agencies, with shares of Fannie and Freddie skyrocketing 1,300% to a market value of $48 billion before substantially deflating later in the month. By June 10, shares for both agencies were still up more than 600% from the beginning of the year.

Lawmakers have not been as optimistic as investors. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) has been drafting legislation regarding GSE reform which includes talk of winding down both agencies and liquidating stock, according to Bloomberg.

Despite years of talks regarding either the privatization of the GSEs or their complete dissolution, neither is likely to happen in the near term, according to Holland. 

“I’ve heard nothing [about changes to either agency], but even if the agencies were privatized, I can’t imagine they wouldn’t continue to keep pursuing the multifamily and seniors housing assets,” she says.

So far, both agencies’ senior housing portfolios are small compared to their overall multifamily commitments, but lenders are seeing swelling interest in senior housing by Fannie and Freddie.

In 2012, 3.55%—or $1.2 billion—of Fannie Mae’s $33.8 billion multifamily portfolio was for senior housing financing, according to the agency’s year-end report.  

Freddie Mac’s 2012 commitments to the senior housing space were even smaller, at $650 million, comprising about 2.26% of the agency’s $28.8 billion multifamily loan purchases and commitments in 2012, a spokesperson told SHN.

“Both agencies have displayed a steady focus in the senior housing industry,” says Neal Raburn, managing director of senior housing finance at Greystone Servicing Corporation, Inc. “Due to the growing volume [of deals], we have seen them both increase staff over time, and I would say that both agencies have a desire to increase their senior housing business.” 

KeyBank sold about $500 million of senior housing loans to Fannie, Freddie, and HUD in 2012, and also originated about $700 million in new commitments to the senior housing industry on its balance sheet. Greystone, which recently received Freddie Mac approval as a designated Senior Housing Seller/Servicer, provided more than $3 billion in agency financing in 2012. 

“Right now, you hear all of the talking heads discussing the reduction of volume by the agencies—but we’re not seeing that on the senior housing side,” Raburn said. “We’re seeing them very aggressively approaching deals.”

Written by Alyssa Gerace

Even in death, those gaming the Medicare and Medicaid system aren’t safe from justice.

The state of New York has recovered millions of dollars from the estate of a deceased Bronx nursing home owner who was indicted on Medicaid fraud charges before her passing, attorney general Eric Schneiderman announced on Wednesday. 

The late Helen Sieger, who owned the Kingsbridge Heights Rehabilitation and Care Center, allegedly payed thousands of dollars in kickbacks to a hospital social worker to steer patients into her facility. The agreement reached with her estate returns more than $2.5 million to the New York State Medicaid program.

“Our state’s Medicaid system is a critical resource for all New Yorkers, and in particular for our most vulnerable elderly citizens,” Schneiderman said in a statement. “My office is determined to protect taxpayer money from criminal schemes, and there are few programs as sacred as the Medicaid system that provides for our senior citizens. Those who steal from the elderly deserve to be prosecuted and the stolen funds fully restored.”

With the $2,502,963.74 being returned to the Medicaid program, the criminal kickback and grand larceny case against Sieger, filed in 2009, is now closed. Sieger reportedly jumped bail and left New York after her indictment, but was later located and returned by investigators from the Attorney General’s office in August 2010. She died in April 2011.

The illegal kickback scheme featured Sieger paying former social worker Frank Rivera to refer patients from Columbia Presbyterian Hospital to Kingsbridge, according to the 2009 Bronx County grand jury indictment. 

Sieger paid Rivera $300 for each referral admitted to Kingsbridge and a bonus of $1,000 for every 10 patients, according to the AG’s statement. In total, Rivera received nearly $20,000 from Sieger, while Sieger’s nursing home received $1.25 million in payments from Medicaid. 

Rivera has already pled guilty to felony and misdemeanor violations of the anti-kickback provisions of New York’s Social Services Law, and his sentence is pending. 

The total settlement figure includes damages that will be paid to the state of about $1.3 million in addition to the $1.25 million in illegally-gotten Medicaid reimbursements. 

Written by Alyssa Gerace

A Sacramento superior court judge has upheld a jury’s verdict finding Emeritus Senior Living (NYSE:ESC) responsible for the wrongful death of one of its California residents five years ago. In addition to upholding the jury’s verdict including a $23 million award in punitive damages to the late resident’s family, Judge Judy Holzer Hersher also awarded the plaintiffs’ lawyers with $4.3 million more in fees and costs, according to a Sacramento Bee report. 

In the ruling, Judge Hersher noted a high degree of reprehensibility on the part of Emeritus for the 81-year-old under the company’s care, who passed away due to sustained bed sores, according to the report.

“Justice was served, and Judge Judy Holzer Hersher is holding Emeritus’ feet to the fire in not letting them overturn the jury’s hard work in examining the overwhelming evidence in this case that the only way out of an Emeritus facility is in a coffin,” plaintiffs’ attorney Lesley Ann Clement told the Sac Bee following the ruling. 

After the initial March 8 verdict including a $23 million award to the family of the former resident in the wrongful death and elder abuse suit, Emeritus prepared to challenge the decision, engaging attorneys from top East Coast law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom, reported the Seattle Times. Emeritus’ new legal team includes Clifford Sloan, a former law clerk for Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens with extensive appeals litigation experience.

“We believe that the verdict was tainted by the admission of improper testimony and evidence and does not reflect the care that we provided to Ms. Joan Boice,” Emeritus spokeswoman Karen Lucas said in a statement. “We are proud of the high quality of care that Emeritus employees passionately provide to our 41,000 residents nationwide.”

Emeritus said it will appeal the ruling including the “inflammatory” evidence the company says led to a unsupported verdict. 

“In its post-trial motions and on appeal, Emeritus will challenge, among other important issues, the irrelevant and inflammatory evidence that led to an unconstitutional and unsupported punitive damages verdict,” the company stated. “We look forward to bringing this matter before the appellate courts in California to avoid similar outcomes in future cases where appropriate care was provided.”

Read the Sacramento Bee report. 

Written by Elizabeth Ecker

Senior living providers are actively seeking ways to make sure employees can provide residents the best care in the most efficient way possible, and they’re finding equipping front-line staff with mobile technology is essential to achieve that sweet spot.

Going Wireless

Having a Wi-Fi (wireless Internet) system as the foundation is the key.

“Once you’ve got that campus-wide wireless network, you can use anything on it that you want, whether it’s a regular desktop computer, a wireless laptop, tablets, or computer carts that get pushed from room to room,” says Bryan Fuhr, co-founder of Healthsense and vice president of marketing and business development.

In June 2012, Brookdale Senior Living—the nation’s largest senior living provider—announced the large-scale implementation of wireless network solutions into its communities to enable higher levels of care, the use of electronic medical records, and to provide wireless Internet access to residents.

“We’re finding mobility is key for our EMR applications. It gives us the ability to do bedside support and therapy in many locations, without having to be connected by a wire,” Chris Fadrowski, Senior Director of IT Infrastructure for Brookdale, said at the time.

Other senior living companies are following suit. Fuhr says he frequently encounters providers that are considering a substantial Wi-Fi investment if they haven’t already made one.

“Reinvesting in technology is now simply a requirement, not just for facilitating the mobility of staff, but also for delivering good care,” he says. “Delivering senior living services in the future is going to be close to impossible unless you’ve made those investments.”

About 40% of hospitals reported having Wi-Fi deployed across their entire campus, according to research released by wireless solutions provider Meru Networks, Inc. in March, and senior living is starting to catch up, says Fuhr.

“Senior living clearly has less capital than hospitals for capital expenditures like [pervasive Wi-Fi],” he says. “They need it as an investment, but they’re not doing this without knowing there’s a positive return on investment.”

Costs and ROI

The cost of deploying Wi-Fi or implementing a technology platform varies depending on the size of the community. It can cost anywhere from $50,000 to $200,000 for a midsize senior living community with about 80 units, estimates Sarah Jones, product marketing manager at Healthsense, depending on their needs.

There’s definitely pressure by stakeholders to prove or demonstrate ROI before making technology investments, Fuhr says, but mobile technology for senior living employees can actually increase revenue, according to Mark Woodka, CEO of OnShift, a senior living staffing software provider.

“Looking at front-line workers, if I’m running a senior living organization, there’s tremendous opportunity to recapture revenue leakage by equipping care staff with mobile technology,” Woodka says.

New residents usually undergo an assessment to determine what level of care and services they’ll need. But their condition isn’t static, he says, and could change from one week to the next.

The ability to instantly enter information into a mobile device makes it easier to capture all the services that are rendered at the point of care, he says, rather than returning to a main office or a kiosk in the hallway.

Wi-Fi-enabled mobility is also crucial to many alert systems, including Healthsense’s emergency call system which includes portable phones for staff-to-staff calls. The system-enabled phones are usually less expensive than equipping staff with some combination of pagers, walkie-talkies, or cell phones with costly usage plans.

Residents who use the system’s emergency alert pendants can connect directly with staff, and providers can track and analyze usage and care response times.

Especially on sprawling senior living campuses, but also in congregate living situations, the ability to quickly communicate and access information can be invaluable.

Upgrading Communications for Residents’ Safety

“Without a mobile device, caregivers are isolated. With the device, they can reach out to peers for help and assistance,” Fuhr says. Accessing a resident’s electronic health record via an iPad on the spot rather than having to locate paper files can facilitate a more timely—even life-saving—response.

Being aware of situations as they happen is of vital importance, says Mike McLeod, president of senior living technology provider Status Solutions, which recently introduced a mobile dashboard to its Situational Awareness and Response Assistant (SARA) automated alerting product.

“The beauty of mobile [devices] is [their] mobility,” he says. “No matter where you are, you’ll want to know what’s happening: if someone’s having a stroke, or if there’s a tornado coming. Awareness trumps ignorance.”

Adding an e-messenger component to SARA increases the alert system’s reach to basically any screen, whether TV, tablet, or iPhone.

The benefits are plentiful: Emergency alerts can be initiated from a resident’s mobile device and can be sent instantly to a staffer’s mobile device, usually resulting in faster response times.

OnShift noticed in the past year a huge uptick in smartphone adoption among front-line workers after tracking which browsers were being used to access its site.

In a lot of cases, says Woodka, smartphones are senior living staff’s primary computing device, and they may not even have a desktop computer.

Adding mobile capabilities to scheduling software allows employees to view schedules, request time off, or add a shift—a major perk for someone who may have another job and not enough time to make unnecessary trips to their workplace. On the executive side, mobile staffing software has perks, too.

“We wanted to offer labor trends, cost data, and projections at the fingertips of regional executives who may be moving between 12 to 15 communities,” says Woodka. “It’s a big trend with senior living: they want to staff properly, and being able to see [the numbers] in the moment is very beneficial to them.”

At its simplest, mobile technology helps front-line staff do their jobs and make sure a senior living community runs smoothly.

“Everyone should be able to know what’s going on at any given time, whether you’re the housekeeper, a caregiver, an administrator, the maintenance guy, etc.,” McLeod says. “To have a portal that allows them to be told, 100% of the time, what’s going on—that’s what it’s all about.”

Written by Alyssa Gerace

This article is sponsored by the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) as part of its efforts to advance excellence and explore topics impacting the future of senior living. For more information about ALFA, visit www.alfa.org.

Manor Village Life Centers Sells Senior Housing Property for $31 Million

An affiliate of Rauls Convalescent Home Inc., based in Macon, Ga., recently purchased Manor Village at Preston, a senior housing apartment complex, for $31 million, reports the Triangle Business Journal.

The new owner is changing the name of  the 166-unit community to Preston Pointe. 

Canada-based Manor Village developed the independent living property in 2010, county deed records show.

Southeastern Retirement Management now manages the property. —Alyssa Gerace

N.Y. Investor Buys Ohio Senior Living Community for $1.9 Million

A New York-based investor has acquired Fairborn Senior Housing in Fairborn, Ohio for $1.9 million, reports the Dayton Business Journal. 

DHorn Fairborn Senior Housing LLC is listed as the buyer of the 84-unit independent living community, which was originally built in 1930 as a high school before its conversion into apartments in the 1990s. 

Bart Weprin, a broker with Sperry Van Ness in Cincinnati, Ohio, represented the seller in the transaction, Fairborn Apartdela LLC. Occupancy was near 100% at time of sale, according to Weprin. —AG

Bell Hospital to Sell Senior Living Community

Bell Hospital plans to sell its Woodland Senior Living Community to an undisclosed buyer, reports the local Fox affiliate. 

The hospital received an offer for the building while it was at 50% occupancy. Bell told Fox it “felt it was appropriate to review operations and focus on core business areas.” 

Only around 13 people currently live in the community, and have about 45 days to relocate. —AG

Greenfield Senior Living Acquires Va. Senior Care Community

Greenfield Senior Living, based in Falls Church, Va., recently acquired an assisted living and memory care community located in Williamsburg, Va. 

The 48-unit community will be named Greenfield Assisted Living of Williamsburg.

Greenfield is planning a $1 million renovation for the new acquisition, expected to take about five months. The community will remain closed throughout the renovation. 

“The community will feature an on-site medical wellness office, and will partner with experienced healthcare professionals to transform collaboratively the assisted living experience,” said Kevin Bonello, Director of Communications for Greenfield Senior Living, Inc. —AG

NAI Capital Closes Purchase of N.C. Senior Living Community

Forest Pointe Apartments, LLC recently purchased a senior living community in North Carolina for an undisclosed sum, represented by NAI Capital’s Dave Stolte, John Alstrom, and Deborah Luedy.

The seller of the 150-unit independent living community is the Statesman Group of Companies.

“The buyer acquired the senior living community as part of its growth expansion plans in the southeastern part of the U.S.,” said Luedy. “Their immediate plans for the community are to continue its operation by providing various levels of services for the independent seniors and additional services for those in need of more supportive levels of care.” —AG

Urban Innovations Acquires Senior Housing Complex for $3 Million

Urban Innovations recently announced the acquisition of Prairie View Apartments, a senior housing community in Bellwood, Ill., for $3 million in cash. The Stough Group was the property’s seller.  

The apartment complex has 84 affordable senior housing units in 14 buildings that were 98% occupied at time of sale.

Urban Innovations plans to refinance the property and perform substantial rehabilitation on the property in the next 12 to 18 months, the company announced. The redevelopment could include roof and siding replacement and updating existing appliances and unit amenities.

Prairie View Apartments is marketed as an affordable active adult community. Developed in 1998 by the Stough Group, the complex is age restricted to residents age 62 or older, and rents cannot exceed 60% of the area median income. 

“Prairie View is a well-constructed, well-located property that was attractively priced,” said Monica Makin, vice president of acquisitions, residential housing at Urban Innovations. “Though the vacancy is low, it is in need of substantial rehab. This represents a great value-add acquisition for UI.” 

With the acquisition, Urban Innovations and its affiliates now own or manage 34 affordable housing properties in five states totaling more than 3,700 units. —AG

Ensign Acquires Two Assisted Living Communities in Utah and Calif.

The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) announced in early June the acquisition of Lake Ridge Senior Living, a 69-unit assisted living community in Orem, Utah, and of Santa Maria Terrace, a 110-unit assisted living community in Santa Maria, Calif., for an undisclosed sum. 

“This opportunistic acquisition adds assisted living services to the skilled nursing and rehabilitative services we are currently providing in Utah County,” Christopher Christensen, Ensign’s President and CEO, said of the Lake Ridge acquisition in a statement. “This operation enhances Ensign’s synergies in this market and further demonstrates our commitment to the Utah County healthcare community.” 

Bridgestone, Ensign’s operating arm, expects operations in the property to be mildly accretive to earnings in 2013. It was 72% occupied at time of acquisition. 

The other assisted living acquisition happened on the same day, in which an Ensign subsidiary acquired a California community that will be operated by a Bridgestone subsidiary. 

Both purchases were made with cash. —AG

Pathway Health Joins Forces with Redilearning Corp.

Pathway Health, a post-acute consulting services, interim management and education company, has joined forces with online education provider Redilearning Corp. in a new partnership that makes extensive critical clinical and operational education available to the post-acute and senior living industry in a digital format.

Pathway Health’s expertise and resources will now be delivered using the learning science and intuitive technology behind Redilearning’s Learning Management System (LMS).

“We had been seeking the right online education partner for some time,” said Deborah Schuna, chief executive officer for Pathway Health, in a statement. “Redilearning was the clear stand out. The company is led by seasoned senior living professionals and their courses are designed by master certified educators, so the content is stellar. Pair that with an advanced, intuitive technology platform and Redilearning wins hands down.”

“Pathway Health is highly respected in the industry, with more than 150 clinical and operational experts across the continuum of care,” said Redilearning chief executive officer, Michael Hemlepp. “This collaboration leverages Pathway Health’s highly-revered and in-demand expert insights with Redilearning’s unparalleled instructional design and delivery platform. It’s a powerful combination of critical content and leading edge technology not seen before in this industry.”

All market segments, from skilled nursing and rehabilitation to assisted living, home health and hospice, will be addressed in the partnership. The first collaboration is expected to launch later this month. —AG

Aviv REIT Closes $6.2 Million Acquisition of Two Senior Care Facilities

Aviv REIT, Inc. (NYSE:AVIV) announced on Tuesday the acquisition of two post-acute and long-term care skilled nursing facilities in Oklahoma for $6.2 million. The properties are triple-net leased to Preferred Care, the existing tenant and Aviv’s fourth-largest tenant. 

Preferred Care is a skilled nursing and assisted living operator with 109 communities in 12 states. The triple-net lease has an initial cash yield of 11.0%, initial lease term of 10 years, and an annual compounded escalator of 2%. The transaction was funded with Aviv’s revolving credit facility; year-to-date, the REIT has funded $35 million of investments. 

“We have been working with Preferred Care since 2008 and this transaction is another example of our relationship-oriented investment strategy leading to the growth of our business,” said Craig M. Bernfield, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aviv, in a statement. “We are committed to our strategy of owning a concentration of properties with multiple operators in our targeted states.” —AG

Avamere to Operate Portland, Ore. Senior Care Home

Avamere Family of Companies has partnered with Laurelhurst Village to manage the senior living and nursing home’s day-to-day operations.

Laurelhurst Village was established more than 100 years ago by the Sisters of Mercy and provides assisted living, skilled nursing, and inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation for Southeast Portland and surrounding communities.

The partnership between the two organizations will enhance an already strong local support presence that reflects each company’s long legacy of care, according to Lisa Sienkiewicz, regional director of operations for Avamere.

“Our unique brand of health care management services work toward higher operational efficiencies while focusing on greater clinical outcomes in the skilled setting,” says Gary Wart, President of Avamere Family of Companies. —AG

The Affordable Care Act is sure to impact the senior housing space, and the Big Three healthcare REITs expect their capital will be a crucial component for operators to stay in the game.

“The winners from the operating standpoint will be able to create new operating models or paradigms to lower the cost of care,” said Jay Flaherty, chairman and CEO of HCP, Inc. (NYSE:HCP) during a company presentation for REITWeek 2013, held this week in Chicago. “For us, this is a tremendous time to be making investments. It’s going to create new thinking about assets, and how those assets are needed.”

Medical office buildings (MOBs), for example, in the past have been used primarily as doctors’ offices. “Now, with the advances in technology, you’re seeing a significant amount of noninvasive surgical procedures done there, at a lower cost for the overall healthcare system,” he said.

MOBs can play a different role, including as part of a “virtual ACO,” said George Chapman, chairman, CEO, and president of Health Care REIT (NYSE:HCN) in his company’s presentation. HCN has multiple capital relationships at one such “ACO,” where a MOB and hospital system are flanked by a Genesis-run rehabilitation center and a Brandywine memory care community.

“We tell our senior housing operators, ‘If you’re part of a network, ultimately you’re going to have to assess how much risk you can take as part of that network,’” Chapman said. “Evidence-based care and measuring outcomes are going to be part of the ‘brave new world’ of healthcare, and your infrastructure is going to have to be better.” 

Improving infrastructure to stay competitive takes capital, though, and going forward, consolidation will certainly happen, he said.

“It’s almost inevitable that operators will have to come together, and that there will be M&A activity which may or may not give us more investment opportunities,” he said. “[The operators] will need to have better infrastructure, and better personnel to make their product better, and they may want to merge to create more power together, better systems together, and more opportunity to compete.” 

REITs have been aligning themselves with the biggest, best operators to help ensure continued investment success even after the healthcare landscape changes.

Health Care REIT has acquired senior housing giant Sunrise Senior Living in a $4.3 billion deal and has an established capital relationship with one of the nation’s largest post-acute care providers, Genesis Healthcare. HCP’s stated strategy is to partner with the people who are going to be leaders in their respective fields: Emeritus and Brookdale in senior housing, and HCR ManorCare on the skilled nursing and post acute side. 

For Chicago-based Ventas (NYSE:VTR), healthcare reform is not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when—and it’s already gearing up for changes in care coordination and risk sharing.

“Those are going to be important drivers of opportunity for our business as we look forward,” Ray Lewis, president of Ventas, during the REIT’s presentation. “It’s a real opportunity for us—you’re going to see a lot more vertical and horizontal integration as companies coordinate care, and prepare to take risk in preparing to care for those patients [for a set payment].”

How that will play out in the industry, according to Lewis, is that healthcare systems are going to move away from “tying up valuable capital” in real estate.

“As assets flow to the most efficient holders of real estate —REITs—I think we’ll play a role in driving this change or convergence,” Lewis said. “Big picture, that’s what the ACA will do for the healthcare REIT space, but it will be over time—not this year. [It will happen in] five to seven years, and that’s a real big opportunity for us.”

Written by Alyssa Gerace

BrightStar, a home care provider that pulled in $220 million of revenue in 2012, is making the jump into assisted living with plans to infuse a Four Seasons-Neiman Marcus flavor into the industry.

While the company is starting small, Shelly Sun, the company’s chief executive officer, told Crain’s Chicago Business that BrightStar is scheduled to open its first community in Madison, Wisc. early next year. Rather than go large, the company says it’s using the 36-unit community as a prototype, with half of the beds set aside for memory care.

The goal is to have 30 communities within five years, with hopes to go public as early as 2015.

“We want to be one-stop shopping for families,” Sun told Crain’s. “We’ve been providing home care, but as clients age many families have been asking us for recommendations for assisted living beyond that. Instead of referring them on to other companies, we’d like to keep them as our own.”

Making the jump into assisted living will not be easy: the pilot community will cost $6 million to build, and requires a more skilled group of workers than the home care currently provides. Sun told Crain’s she will need to set herself from the established players in the industry from the beginning.

“Most of the others offer homes with 200 residents or more. We’ll focus on smaller bed-and-breakfast-type settings,” she says. “Our rates will be higher as a result, sure. But we’ll be offering more of a Four Seasons-Neiman Marcus kind of experience.”

View the report here.

Written by John Yedinak

Doctors who practice primarily in hospitals might soon enter into unfamiliar waters as a demand grows for skilled nursing facilities (SNF), reports MedPage Today.

Coining the term “hospitalists” as a healthcare professional that mainly practices in a hospital, MedPage Today notes that the skill set for such workers in SNFs will become a “valuable tool,” as hospitals look to move patients into less-costly facilities post-discharge.

While supporters believe that these hospitalists can help fill a void in skilled nursing care, some believe that these professionals will not be up to the challenge of treating post-acute patients.

“These are seriously ill people for the most part, and primary care physicians—as we say in the South, bless their hearts—they don’t take care of acutely ill patients anymore,” said Larry Spratling, MD, chief medical officer at Banner Baywood Medical Center in Mesa, Arizona.

Caring for this population in a cost-effective way becomes even more important in the nation’s current healthcare environment, especially as managed care plans are steering patients toward lower-cost care settings. 

“I think this is a big growth area,” said Kerry Weiner—MD, chief medical officer at IPC, a North Hollywood, California hospitalist company—in the article. “I think it’s most appropriate for hospitalists and I think it’s proven to be effective.”

Read the MedPage Today article.

Written by Jason Oliva

The Innovation Series is Brought to you by Care Innovations, a joint venture between Intel Corporation and GE, committed to creating technology-based solutions that give people confidence to live independently, wherever they are. With GE’s expertise in healthcare and Intel’s expertise in technology – we’re innovating to change the way care and solutions are delivered.

Due to an increasing adoption of new communication technology by senior housing residents and their families, solutions are emerging to meet those who are already considered “tech savvy.”

The 55-plus age group is the fastest growing demographic online, according to a study from Koeppel Direct that also found more than 85% of people ages 65 and older are email users.

Whether the technology is used for a medical need, or simply to keep in touch, the solutions are becoming not just optional, but essential for those entering senior living communities, as the result of more seniors going—and staying—online.

A recent research paper published in the Journal of Information Technology set out to improve communication methods between the aging population and those around them.

“Aging in place is a sustainable strategy for aging societies all over the world, although there are still various issues to be resolved,” the authors wrote. “One of those issues, the isolation of the elderly, is expected to be tackled by technology.”

The research identified three strategies: providing a trigger for communication, support for establishing communication and requiring less effort while communicating; that interacted with an e-home concept to allow an aging person to connect with his or her family via online terminals.

Technology is developing with the same benefits in mind, taking into consideration residents already know how to use many of the tools.

Caremerge is one such technology that has developed to raise accountability among medical and care providers by streamlining the process of delivering medical records and updates among those who need them, thus improving the ease of communicating.

“Baby boomers are already plugged in,” says Caremerge founder and CEO Asif Khan, based in Chicago. “We’re seeing that trend and requirement. They want to have control, just like they can watch movies, deposit a check, balance accounts…the most important piece is their health. We’re centralizing it for them, so they can own it.”

The subscription-based platform runs across various, web-enabled devices, like mainstream apps such as Facebook, Khan says, requiring next to no training. Boomers are already adopting other technologies with health care being the next important step, he says.

“The patient should always be in the middle,” Khan says. “Whatever is going on throughout the person’s life, all of the different people interacting with that patient should see what each other is doing.”

Other technologies have emerged to consider baby boomers are increasingly moving into senior living communities with stronger demands than ever for readily-accessible tech solutions. Often they are providing their own equipment or hardware and expect their communities to be wired accordingly.

“We always assumed an interactive intelligent senior,” says Sarah Hoit, CEO of Boston-based ConnectedLiving, which approaches connectivity as a three-pronged platform including training, content and people. And the people are largely comfortable with tablets, computers and online solutions before they even arrive on site.

“Boomers aren’t going to come anywhere there isn’t technology structure,” Hoit says. “Without that infrastructure, nobody’s going to come.”

ConnectedLiving works via tablet or computer, from on-site, Apple-style Internet labs to hand-held devices that travel with the user. It works to connect residents with one another, with their families and friends, and with the care providers.

“The world is going all-tablet,” Hoit says. “I would put one in every room. Residents are coming with them or their kids have provided them. It’s where the world is going.”

Written by Elizabeth Ecker

The healthiest states for seniors are ones that reflect both individual well-being and access to key health and community resources, according to a report from United Health Foundation (UHF). 

Scoring the highest marks of all 50 states: Minnesota. 

“States with healthy seniors have a combination of positive personal behaviors and community support, which demonstrate that improving senior health will only come about by acting on individual, family, community and state levels,” said Reed Tuckson, M.D., senior advisor to UHF.

Among 34 health determinants considered in the study, were annual dental visits, a high percentage of volunteerism, creditable drug coverage, availability of home health care workers and a low percentage of marginal food insecurity—across which Minnesota ranks first, followed by Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Iowa. 

The state also ranks first for health outcomes, including a low rate of hospitalization for hip fractures; a high percentage of seniors who report “very good” or “excellent” health; a high prevalence of able-bodied seniors; low premature death rate; low prevalence of full-mouth tooth extractions; and few poor mental health days per month. 

Mississippi ranks 50th, as it faces a high percentage of seniors living in poverty that are at risk of hunger and a high rate of premature death. The state also faces a low percentage of seniors who report “very good” or “excellent” health, as well as a low rate of annual dental visits. Oklahoma, Louisiana, West Virginia and Arkansas follow Mississippi at the bottom of the rankings. 

While each state’s aging population faces their own unique challenges, caring for the greater nation’s senior demographic presents a looming crisis for the U.S. health care system, the report finds. 

Today, 1 in 8 Americans are aged 65 and older, according to UHF. By 2050, this age group is projected to more than double in size, from 40.3 million to 88.5 million. 

This increased number of older adults, combined with increasing rates of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases are on track to overwhelm our health care system, notes UHF. 

The number of chronic illnesses among seniors is “unnecessarily high,” according to Rhonda Randall, D.O., senior advisor to UHF and chief medical officer, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement.

“The coordination of care for seniors, particularly the 50 percent of the population with multiple chronic illnesses, is complex and increases pressure on our country’s caregivers and out health care system,” said Randall. 

View the state-by-state rankings.

Written by Jason Oliva

Capital Senior Living Corporation (NYSE: CSU) announced on Tuesday a branding overhaul that unites the identities of the company’s 100-plus communities and helps simplify the online search process for senior care services.

The new branding strategy and website redesign marks the first time in almost 20 years that CSU has undergone what it terms a “such a dynamic shift” and comes on the heels of Brookdale Senior Living’s national TV and print branding initiative, announced during the company’s first quarter earnings call with analysts. 

Visitors to CSU’s newly-designed website will find easy-to-use pull-down menus the company hopes will simplify the process of searching for independent living, assisted living and memory care communities.

“Our branding strategy and our new website solidify our commitment in ensuring value to our residents providing quality senior living services at reasonable prices,” said Lawrence A. Cohen, CEO.

The company’s new look includes an integrated marketing program which includes a refreshed corporate logo, enhanced marketing content, new responsive website and a new color palette and image scheme.

“While our website has undergone a dramatic visual change to make it easier to navigate, we also are providing our residents, their families and future residents with more quality content to help them view the inter-workings of our communities,” said Cohen.

The revamped website also allows visitors to read content about a community’s features, services, amenities and dining options, including floor plans, common areas, and exterior features of the building. 

Users can also learn about apartment and community features as well as planning resources and funding solutions for families via the company’s newly refurbished website.

As of the first quarter of 2013, CSU operates 102 senior living communities in geographically concentrated regions with an aggregate capacity of approximately 13,700 residents, coming in at number nine on the Assisted Living Federation of America’s 2013 list of largest providers. 

The complete makeover of CSU’s branding strategy and site unites the company’s communities under a single new corporate identity, while also facilitating the assimilation of newly-acquired communities. The company did not disclose how much it spent on the redesign. 

Written by Jason Oliva