A recent interview with LeadingAge member Graceworks Lutheran Services provides insight on bundling services such as internet and entertainment.

An interview with Dave Morgan, the director of technology and information systems, discussed why Graceworks made the switch and how it presents the idea to residents. Below are excerpts from “BUILD Talks: A Conversation with Graceworks Lutheran Services,” a Sentrics-sponsored article in Senior Housing News.

Bethany Village is a large Graceworks continuing care retirement community in Dayton, Ohio. In 2016, Bethany Village services were uneven as residents moved through the continuum of care. Sentrics, which provides a comprehensive suite of data-driven solutions to drive proactive care, partnered to help provide more seamless technology.

Bethany Village now offers bundled services through Sentrics, including TV, internet, and voice. With the bundling, Graceworks reduced some costs while improving services. Residents’ costs were streamlined into a single fee, rather than multiple line items that residents previously would question.

On the operational side, Graceworks hired an on-site Sentrics tech concierge service so that residents would have a single point of contact for questions about devices or connections. The tech concierge saved time for technology staff and other staff, who no longer needed to address residents’ tech questions.

The approach has been successful, increasing residents’ use of the services from 30-35% at rollout to 65%. “We’ve seen nearly a 15% increase in the last two years as residents felt the need to connect with their family in some way other in-person visits,” Morgan told Senior Housing News. “I expect it will continue to grow.”

To bring in additional revenue, Graceworks offers residents the option to pay extra for services such as a movie, sports, and music packages and digital video recorder (DVR) service.

For details on the Bethany Village service bundling and the Graceworks approach, read the full interview.