Tips for Implementing Family Portals in Your Senior Living Community

We’re not even halfway through the 2020s, and this decade has already been quite a rollercoaster, especially for staff and residents of senior living communities. In many places, residents experienced months or even years of quarantine and lockdown periods, unable to see their loved ones. During this time, independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing facilities sought ways to innovate and think forward to connect residents and family members, ensuring both relatives and caregivers had real-time access to critical health updates and information.

Family portals soon became a staple among senior living communities, though their functions and features have evolved over the years. They still allow residents and loved ones to stay connected, but they also serve many other purposes, such as helping family members and residents manage social engagement, scheduling enrichment programs, and creating communications systems that are seamless and transparent. 

Below, we’ll explore why family portals are so vital within senior living communities, and look at some of the best practices you can employ when you’re ready to implement a program of your own.

Understanding the Value of Family Portals for Senior Living

Family portals are so much more than social calendars or digital bulletin boards. They provide useful and insightful information that can improve the senior living experience for residents and their family members, along with community staff members. Here are some examples of the value a family portal could bring to your community:

For residents:

• A one-stop shop to plan and schedule events and social activities
• An easy way to meet and connect with other residents and build relationships
• A place to share their lives with loved ones near and far
• A stronger sense of community and culture
• Improved physical, mental, and spiritual well-being

For family members:

• Simple tracking of activities to see how their loved ones are engaging
• A repository of photos and videos for a look inside the community
• Greater engagement, connections, and messaging with loved ones when they can’t be present in person
• Transparency into their relative’s routine, schedule, and care plan
• Peace of mind in knowing their loved one is in capable hands

For staff and communities:

• A place to schedule events and activities and provide updates in real-time
• Data and feedback from residents on what programs are being used and what they’d like to see added
• Insights into resident engagement to help you scale programs
• Improved satisfaction rates of residents and family members
• Greater staff satisfaction and reduced burnout

Best Practices for Family Portal Implementation

If you think a family portal will benefit your senior living community, or you already have a resident portal you’d like to enhance, here are some of the steps you can take for easy implementation and to encourage resident and family adoption:

Choose the Right Platform

There’s a lot of activity director software on the market these days, but they aren’t all created equally. Your goal is likely more than simply scheduling events or posting a few pictures for family members. You want an all-in-one platform that’s user-friendly for residents and their loved ones, that helps them stay connected, and that provides your staff members with insights they need to maximize engagement and satisfaction. Look for a comprehensive platform that performs all the functions you need, with an easy user experience. If you demo a platform, make sure to include actual residents and family members, and seek their feedback.

Ensure Privacy and Security

Privacy and data security are a top concern for everyone these days, but especially when it comes to sharing health-related information in a digital setting. Be sure you have residents’ and family members’ consent to share photos and videos, and protect any data shared through the family portal.

Provide Comprehensive Training

This includes training for staff members, residents, and family members who will all access and use the portal. Look for a platform that has a training or onboarding program that is simple, clear, and intuitive for users at all levels (those who are tech-savvy and otherwise).

Encourage Adoption and Usage

Many people are resistant to change, and you’ll find that some residents won’t quickly buy into your new family portal. That’s okay. Gentle persistence may be necessary until they’re fully on-board, and it might be best to start with family members and get their buy-in first. Lead with the most impactful features, like photo and video sharing for distant loved ones, or easy activity planning for your social butterfly residents. Remember that family members want to see and know that their loved ones are happy, healthy, and engaged — in fact, 94% say they’d choose a community with a family portal. 

Integrate with Other Systems

Introducing new platforms is a learning experience for residents and families, but there’s also a learning curve for staff members and employees. If your family portal or social engagement platform integrates with your other senior living software or EHR, you’ll find quicker onboarding and adoption among staff, and less stress. Integration also means they’ll be able to get started right away and have fewer errors or mistakes.

Monitor and Evaluate

Demos are great, but it helps to have a longer trial period during which you can really test out the platform. Look for one that offers in-depth data and analytics, so you see the impact that’s being made, and how you can use the insights gathered to make informed decisions for the future.

How Eldermark engage Can Help Your Senior Living Community

If you want a truly comprehensive community programming management platform and family portal that will integrate with best-in-class senior living software, Eldermark engage is the right choice for you. With Eldermark engage, you can build a portal that connects your residents, their families, and your staff in a space that is intuitive and accessible. You’ll be able to share information to keep residents engaged and keep their loved ones in-the-know. Plus, your activity and engagement staff can use the top-of-the-line analytics tools to improve enrichment and meet programming goals. Eldermark engage also integrates seamlessly with Eldermark NEXT, so you can keep all of your business operations on one smooth and seamless platform. 

Ready to find out how Eldermark engage can connect residents, loved ones, and employees? Schedule your engage demo today!