WiFi for senior living and long-term care facilities provides more than just enhanced Internet connectivity for residents. WiFi can significantly improve the delivery of care and maximize operational efficiencies among care providers and staff.
Senior living facility WiFi establishes a valuable connection that benefits many parties, thereby allowing:
- Residents to connect to their loved ones as well as their interests
- Families to more easily communicate with loved ones under care
- Care providers to connect to the data and records they need to provide the best care
As with any organization in hospitality, WiFi in senior living environments is the vital backbone to ensure things are running smoothly. With residents’ lifestyles in mind, wireless Internet connectivity has become essential to provide the comforts of home.
Mobile Adoption of Aging Adults
The sheer volume of seniors who are adopting mobile technology is increasing at a staggering rate. According to a Pew Internet study, only 14% of seniors aged 65 and older used the Internet in 2000. Today that number has grown to 59%, meaning the vast majority of seniors access the Internet. The same Pew study also found that more than half of seniors ages 65 and older own smartphones, which is more than double that of 2013.
Studies show that older adults who adopt mobile technologies into their lives tend to view them as essential aspects that positively impact their daily lives. Of seniors who use the Internet, 46% of them are active on social networking sites like Facebook. Compared to younger users, senior social media users have more persistent connections with friends and family members. In fact, some 81% of older adults who use social networking sites say that they socialize with others – either in person or online – daily.
Stimulation from interactive Internet-enabled devices provide seniors with a cognitive experience that keeps their minds and senses active. Effortless Internet connectivity in senior living facilities enables seniors to socialize with the people they love, stay current on news and events, utilize brain training games and ongoing education, and maintain an active engagement in their community.
WiFi for Senior Living Facility Care & Operations
WiFi connectivity has been shown to enhance the operational efficiency of long-term care and senior living facilities. Tablets, laptops, PCs, and other facility-owned devices frequently used by management and operations staff rely on high-speed WiFi access. Staff networks also require HIPAA compliance, which incorporates an added layer of security to maintain secure patient records. This is especially critical when patient health records and EMRs need to be accessed frequently as part of day-to-day operations.
The ongoing push for new technologies to streamline resident care has exposed weaknesses in old networks that lack the capacity to handle multiple users and devices at any given time. Although wired networks still serve a purpose, they’re being replaced by WiFi for several reasons.
Older EMR models required a clinician to stand at a hardwired computer to type in clinical data. With WiFi, medical records can be accessed and updated more efficiently, with workflow ensuring clinical protocols are followed and documented, therefore reducing errors and improving compliance.
Wireless connectivity enables faster communication between caregivers and physicians at the point of care, offering instant access to resident medical records and quicker response times. WiFi-enabled devices allow staff to provide better care to residents with bedside data collection, location-based monitoring, and instant communication with different departments. In turn, residents’ needs can be addressed promptly and with the most accurate and up-to-date information at a clinician’s fingertips.
Wireless Solutions for Senior Living and Long-term Care Facilities
There is much more that goes into a comprehensive WiFi network for senior living and assisted living facilities. A range of wireless-enabled sensing devices, including wearables and facility sensors and actuators, require Internet connectivity to perform. Some of these devices are not only life-enhancing but also life-sustaining.
As an industry-leading WiFi provider for hospitality, MDUs, and long-term care applications, BlueprintRF offers complete turnkey network installation and delivery, including 24/7 monitoring and resident support. We will ensure that your senior living facility WiFi solution provides maximum uptime, combined with the speed and bandwidth that your residents and staff members require. Contact us to learn more.
