Technology has transformed the field of aging services over the past few decades. And that transformation is far from over.
Many of us welcome this transformation. We’re excited to imagine the unlimited ways technology could bolster our ability to deliver high-quality services and supports to a growing older population.
At the same time, the sheer pace of technological innovation makes most of us a bit uneasy. After all, it’s an overwhelming task to keep up with the growing number of technology solutions—and then select the best ones—all while running our organizations and caring for the people who depend on us.
That’s where LeadingAge and its Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) come in. We have worked for decades to become the trusted source of information about evolving technologies in the field of aging services. And we remain committed to ensuring that no LeadingAge member feels alone as it negotiates our ever-changing technology landscape.
That commitment was on full display at last week’s Leadership Summit in Washington, DC., where technology was front and center during almost every educational session.
A pre-summit symposium zeroed in on how broadband networks, now absent in many affordable senior housing communities, could offer older adults myriad, indispensable connections to family, friends, community resources, healthcare, and support services.
Members of the Moving Forward Coalition explored how a well-designed health information technology system could advance nursing home quality by giving care settings the tools they need to improve care coordination and deliver person-centered care.
Workforce experts urged LeadingAge members to embrace social media and other technology-enabled marketing techniques when recruiting new team members. And several members shared how they’re using a variety of infection-control technologies to wage war against COVID-19 and other viruses.
Even if you missed the Leadership Summit, you can still access CAST’s extensive collection of resources, which are designed to help you better understand and select technology solutions for your organization. We’re also working hard to help members take a holistic approach to technology adoption by selecting solutions that will best support their organization’s strategic goals, whether those goals call for increasing productivity, reducing labor costs, improving the resident and employee experience, or driving innovation.
We’re planning to expand our resources and services to meet emerging needs. During listening sessions held this winter, for example, members told us they want more help to improve their organizations’ technology adoption and address cybersecurity and data interoperability concerns. They’re looking for technology solutions to help them strengthen their workforce. And they want more opportunities to learn about technology from other LeadingAge members.
Count on us to continue providing you with expert information and guidance to help you address the pain points you encounter along your path to meaningful technology adoption. At the same time, we hope we can count on you to share the wisdom you’ve acquired while traveling along that path.
Working together, we can ensure that all LeadingAge members have an equal opportunity to use technology to transform their organizations and get them ready for the future. I hope you will join us on this exciting adventure.