Day Two at the annual convention of the Assisted Living Federation of America in San Diego and the convergence of the highly personalized approach to care that is the hallmark of assisted living and rapidly advancing technology is clear … this year’s exhibit hall is filled with companies offering the newest in personal security and safety devices.  When it comes to emergency call systems, for example, it’s out with the pull cord and in with pendants equipped with wireless technology that works across a community’s entire campus.  Many of these systems can generate reports, so management can track trends in, for example, staff response time to calls. Among those present is Stanley Senior Technologies, part of Stanley Security Solutions.  We asked Stanley national accounts director Jason Stevens how communities can figure out which systems, among all of those on the market, are best for them.  Stevens says the “bells and whistles” are less important than whether community’s staff can be trained to use the systems.  “You can invest a lot in technology, but if the staff isn’t educated on how to use it, it’s pointless,” he says.  He also says it’s crucial to make sure that the community will get the technical support it needs after installation.  It’s an advantage he feels his company offers through its “900 employee technicians out there in vans, ready to provide support.”  So does all of the high tech take away from hi touch?  Stevens sums it up this way:

“This technology frees staff up to spend more time with residents, so it really increases the human touch.”