With hurricane season approaching, and the memory of what senior living communities experienced with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita still fresh on everyone's minds here at the annual convention of the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) in San Diego, conference attendees took part in a session on crisis planning and management yesterday.  While many senior communities will never experience a hurricane, all communities face the possibility of smaller-scale, yet very serious, crises such as fires, storm destruction, missing residents, and more.  Studies show that as many as half of assisted living communities don't have a formal crisis plan.  One company that does have a plan, and it's among the best, is Merrill Gardens, the Seattle, Washington-based company that operates 67 communities.  Its corporate communications director, Loree Wagner, served on the panel for yesterday's crisis session, and afterward, she talked with the Goldman Mature Market Report about the detailed crisis management booklet her company developed in 1997, just four years after the company's founding. 

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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.”

The senior living industry is alive and well, judging by turnout at the annual convention of the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA), which got underway today (Wednesday) in San Diego.   The Goldman Mature Market Report has been here since Tuesday and conference organizers say attendance is robust … about 2000 people in all … including senior living executives, reps from the full range of companies that serve the industry (everything from furniture to financial services), and experts on the array of issues that matter … care topics, Medicare Part D, customer service, and much  more.   Some of the buzz we’ve heard — Alzheimer’s is a growing presence in assisted living communities … as many as 67% of assisted living residents may have some kind of memory disorder … everyone’s talking about what needs to be done to better serve those residents.  Another topic: Diverse cultures … it’s coincidence, of course, that the big immigration rallies in southern California and across the country took place the same week as this convention … however, it highlights the growing range of cultures and languages in America and in senior living, both from a resident and staff perspective.  Also big — technology and its role in senior living.  Exhibitors are here to show off the latest in security technology and senior living executives say smart use of technology to run their companies is the key to success in the future.  That’s a wrap-up of Day One … we’ll keep you posted from San Diego!