Cost, Clicks & Outcomes: The Impact of Tech on Senior Living Rehab Therapy (Podcast)

Technology has long been the driving force behind rehab therapy. But just how much has it impacted senior living communities? 

Vice President of Product Management Therapy for Net Health, Jane Moffet, recently joined Charles Hale, CIO of Legacy Healthcare Services, on the McKnight’s Market Leaders Podcast with McKnight’s Senior Living Editor, Lois Bowers, to answer just that.

In an episode titled “Tech-Enabled Therapy for Senior Living: Improving Resident Care, Communication and Your Bottom Line,” the three discuss the role technology plays in the delivery of outstanding resident experiences and clinical and financial outcomes. 

Here are a few podcast highlights, including how technology has adapted to rapidly evolving rehab therapy needs in senior living communities.

How Has Senior Living Technology Evolved? 

“Over the last 20 years, the technology in senior living has just really changed,” Charles explains. “We did have an EMR system 17, 18 years ago, but it was a very antiquated system. We could collect billing information electronically, but we didn’t have electronic charting. We didn’t have an electronic scheduler.

“The progression of technology into senior living has really been fantastic to watch the last 17 years.”

So, now that senior living communities have undergone what Charles refers to as a “digital transformation,” what are the considerations for tech-enabled rehab therapy? According to both presenters, today’s technology boils down to cost, clicks and outcomes. 

Cost 

Technology is not cheap.

Because most senior living communities operate on a limited income, tech-enabled therapy acts as a high-value platform that aligns with your community’s budget and adds value to your rehab therapy operations. 

Clicks

Your rehab therapists didn’t pursue a specialized education to fumble around with technology. They sought out this career to treat patients! 

“They’re really not there to interact with software,” Jane says. “They’re really there to document effectively, quickly, in a way that will substantiate the skilled services that they are giving and allow them to be reimbursed for it. They need something that facilitates that.”

“And you might say, ‘Well, does that mean that they need something faster?’ Not necessarily,” she adds. “They need to be high-value touch, they need content that’s relative to the setting, and they need help understanding the regulatory piece of it.” 

Technology-enabled rehab therapy can limit the number of clicks to chart and enter charges, so therapists can allocate more time to patient care. 

Outcomes

Senior living residents are at the heart of rehab therapy. Tech-enabled therapy enables therapists to better understand how successful treatments are, how well patients are progressing, and what treatment plans are yielding a better outcome versus which are not.

Is Your Senior Living Technology Up to Speed? 

Look around your senior living community. Chances are, even your residents have adopted new forms of technology to connect with their families and the rest of the world.

When was the last time you and senior living community leaders and providers sought a new iteration of your rehab therapy technology or considered how technology could enhance your senior living community?

Tune into the podcast to discover how technology-enabled rehab therapy can create significant value in your senior living community!