WASHINGTON, D.C.: Here are three ways innovators are adding flair to senior living settings with simple and sleek solutions that can also improve resident wellness:
3. Your Grandmother’s Skype
There’s an impression that seniors don’t like technology, and in the age of the smartphone and social media, being disconnected can leave big gaps between generations. This is especially true of families with older members who live alone, as connecting with adult children, grandchildren and friends and family members might be more difficult without a seamless system.
This is the thought behind bloom, a technology system that allows families and friends to connect with one another across a couple different devices that are easy to use and require little direction. Bloom uses a few components to share videos, calls and photos for older adults.
The system does not require a password, and seniors can view their content from loved ones simply by wearing a bloomband around their wrist, which activates a tablet screen as the wearer approaches it. Family members can send videos and photos through the bloom app via their smartphones at any time, which seniors can watch on their device at home.