Startups & financial fitness: How tech firms can be a bigger force for good

“Here’s how tech startups can be a positive force for good in the financial lives of so many residents in the Carolinas.”

September 13, 2021

By: Joshira Maduro

Editor’s note: Joshira Maduro is a research analyst at LendingTree in Charlotte. Startup Spotlight is part of WRAL TechWire’s Startup Monday lineup which also includes updates to our exclusive Startup Guide, our list of regional tech meetups, a review of last week’s headlines, and weekly calendars of events for the Triangle, the state, and a look ahead to next month.

When you hear the words “tech startup,” you might naturally think of traditional tech hubs such as San Francisco, New York City or even Austin, Texas. But tech is booming in North Carolina, employing thousands of people and helping to raise the financial fitness level of many local families.

This growing industry has the potential to create an increasing number of jobs and help local professionals upskill in order to meet the increasing demand for specialized jobs. Here’s how tech startups can be a positive force for good in the financial lives of so many residents in the Carolinas.

CONNECTING COMMUNITIES
Sometimes, creating more financially sound communities is core to what tech companies do — sometimes it’s a bonus. For K4Connect, establishing stronger links between seniors, friends and family and professional caregivers is their main mission. This just so happens to be an excellent tool for combating senior financial abuse.

Elder financial abuse costs Americans $2.6 billion to $36.5 billion annually. That’s a huge range, and part of why it’s so hard to get accurate numbers on senior financial abuse is the lack of reporting, whether due to shame on the elder’s part or simply not knowing how or having the awareness that the abuse is occuring.

K4Connect’s suite of communication tools makes it easy for seniors in long-term care to connect with their families and caregivers. “Any time you’re communicating with your family more, you’re talking about what’s going on in their lives, the more you can make sure that no one’s being taken advantage of; that there’s not someone preying on them in a way that can be detrimental,” said Cindy Phillips, managing partner and chief of staff at K4Connect.

This connection can also help residents become more aware of ongoing scams targeted at seniors. “Our platform allows that information to get shared more quickly in a community. Any time you hear about a scam that is hitting our community, we would want to put the word out.”

Since seniors are often at risk of financial abuse when procuring services — home repairs, grocery delivery, ride sharing — the company is also developing a new feature that will aggregate services in one marketplace. Thoroughly vetting services, and creating a solution where seniors only have to input their financial information once, can help reduce financial risks.

“As we grow, we’re thinking, ‘How do we protect people and give them peace of mind?’” said Phillips.

Many tech companies might already be developing the tools to build financially fit communities without realizing it. You don’t have to be a fintech start up to help with finances. K4Connect proves that all companies that touch consumers can play a role in developing financial literacy.

>> Read the full story on WRAL Techwire 

K4Connect Summer 2021 Product Update: The Importance of Listening to Senior Living Residents and Staff

“We asked and our residents answered. Learn how our latest K4Community release addresses some of the most common feedback we heard.“

By: Diana Gore | Product Marketing Manager, K4Connect

August 31, 2021

The summer months have been busy here at K4Connect. We’ve gathered feedback from hundreds of our users and as a result, we’re proud to deliver exciting new technologies and features to senior living communities and operators through our K4Community solution. 

This quarter, our team focused on features that benefit residents, their family members and community staff in the areas of:

  • Newly released Community Insights, a data offering for community staff and operators
  • Streamlined layout in K4Community Plus and the addition of a What’s New content section
  • Enhanced resident engagement and communication with notifications for community events and announcements

Here’s how our newest features and updates improve the lives of residents and increase staff efficiency in senior living communities.

1. NEW Community Insights
New data-driven reporting tools are available to all K4Community Team Hub users. Staff members now have easy access to data and usage metrics for residents using K4Community Plus, Voice, Resident Check-in, Smart Home and more. This feature enables senior living staff and operators to view key insights related to resident adoption and engagement, as well as staff engagement. The ability to track, measure and analyze community-wide technology usage means staff teams can create even better experiences in their communities based on timely data.

What types of data do communities have access to? Sample insights include:

  • Residents onboarded to the K4Community Plus App
  • Daily app interactions per resident and trending data
  • Daily posts via Team Hub by community team members and trending data
  • Most popular app features and event/activity popularity
  • Resident Check-In alert information
  • And more!

2. Enhancements in K4Community Plus:

  • Introducing a fresh new look on the Home Page. The addition of the What’s New section ensures residents always stay up to date on the newest information and content that has been shared since their last visit to the app. The Library section is where residents find an organized collection of content shared by the community. 
  • Dining also has a new home in our Web app making it easier to quickly find and view menu and dining balance information.

3. NEW Push Notifications – Increasing communication and community engagement for residents and staff.

  • Community staff members now have the ability to send residents a push notification (or alert) when publishing an important post to the K4Commuinty Plus App — whether that is a building notice, a new menu, a change to an event, or any other important information residents should be aware of.

  • Residents will also receive push notifications for community events/activities they have signed up for 15 minutes prior to the event.

We love the recent feedback shared by residents using the K4Community Plus App!

Check out Summer 2021 Release to get more information about all of this quarter’s updates. Ready to learn more about K4Community? Book a demo today!

Moving From Security to Connectivity, NC Entrepreneur Leads Team to Improve Senior Tech Gap

“…All of those things exist — we didn’t invent any of those things — but what we did do was bring them together in a common interface.”

July 25, 2021

By: Maija Ehlinger

Above all, Moody — who now calls North Carolina home — describes K4Connect as a mission-driven technology company. “I believe that we are all here to serve others and that we can do that corporately better than we can do as individuals. And the purpose of a corporation, and certainly our corporation, is to serve others. If we do that well, the benefit will flow to all our stakeholders, including or investors.”

The platform looks to integrate different technologies, data sources, and platforms for care home residents, staff members, and family members to use. “It’s how people interface with all wellness and health products or order meals, or look at content, or do a video chat with family. All of those things exist — we didn’t invent any of those things — but what we did do was bring them together in a common interface,” adds Moody.

Through a series of integrated APIs, the K4Connect platform is about connectivity. “Happier is all about connectivity…but it’s not about replacing humans. But it’s about using technology to augment those relationships and ultimately foster human engagement,” he said.

Built on top of FusionOS, an operating system designed specifically for senior living communities, K4Connect focuses on creating more independent living opportunities.

NC Tech For Independent Living 

That connectivity became even more important over the course of the pandemic.

“Our technology was incredibly needed before the pandemic, but not everybody saw it that way,” Moody tells Hypepotamus. “There were a couple of reasons for that. One, people always thought older people don’t like technology. Well, that’s actually not true. They just don’t like technology that’s designed by a 25-year-old for 25-year-olds.”

Usage skyrocketed as care facilities looked for ways to connect digitally with family members during quarantines and lockdowns.

In fact, upwards of 81% of residents of care facilities attended some sort of live virtual event, according to a report compiled by the K4Connect team.

The pandemic launched 33% of surveyed communities to invest in an engagement app as well, both for residents and also to help staff members navigate additional responsibilities that came up during COVID.

Investors have taken note. Forte Ventures and AXA Venture Partners both backed Series B rounds for the startup.

The team has grown to around 60 people, with many around the Raleigh area. Moody added the team is currently hiring rapidly. It has also grown a key partnership with Acts Retirement-Life Communities (Acts), a non-profit that manages senior living communities in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.

>>Read the full article on Hypepotamus

How COVID-19 Turned Older Adults Into Tech Enthusiasts

“As the pandemic closed the doors of senior living communities, residents turned to technology.“

By: Natalie Jones | Director of Marketing & Communications, K4Connect

July 1, 2021

The pandemic brought immeasurable challenges to people around the world. How do we get the information we need? How do we stay connected to people while in quarantine? How do I stay active and social?

Now, think about asking yourself these questions as an older adult. There is no doubt this demographic was hit harder than most by the impacts of the coronavirus. But, what we also saw was an inspiring shift in how older adults turned to technology to overcome many of these challenges. Particularly in senior living communities, residents leaned on technology to maintain personal connections, stay up to date on the important information and find creative ways to virtually socialize and connect.

We recently released our Summer 2021 Insights Report, “Trending Technologies To Navigate Life and Work In Senior Living During and Post-Pandemic,” that explores this very topic. We found that residents were leveraging various types of technology to successfully navigate daily life in their communities. Check out the infographic for highlights of the report, and head to this webpage to download the report in full.

Infographic describing how older adult residents and senior living community staff are using technology to navigate life and work post-pandemic.

Senior Living Tech is Now a Must-Have

K4Connect Co-Founder reveals how the senior living operators’ views on technology have changed since the arrival of COVID-19.

 

July 1, 2021

By: Danny Sullivan

Agetech company K4Connect this week unveiled a new report, based on a survey of staff and residents in senior living communities, which highlights the growing importance of technology in the sector. In particular, the report highlights a growing demand for those technologies that keep older adult residents and community staff connected, engaged and informed.

With the terrible impact of COVID-19 still being felt across the country, K4Connect’s report states that technology is a “universal tool for both residents and staff members to maintain and expand personal connections, better manage daily life in a community setting and increase operational efficiencies.”

Longevity.Technology: It’s common knowledge that older people have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic – not only are they most at risk from the virus itself, but they are also more likely to be impacted by factors such as isolation. We caught up with K4Connect co-founder and CEO Scott Moody to learn more.

When we first spoke with K4Connect last year, COVID-19 had not yet been declared a pandemic. Now, 15 months later, it’s clear that the period has been as challenging for the company as it has for many other businesses, not only due to delays in deployments, but also in terms of seeing the impact on the older demographic it ultimately serves.

“As a society, we were slow in the response to COVID,” says Moody. “And I do think part of that was because it was impacting a part of society that we don’t think about as much – older and less healthy older adults. And we will need to manage our way through that impact for a while. When they talk about COVID’s ‘long tail’, I think that’s particularly relevant in senior living and older adults.”

Technology for living

But, while COVID-19 is still clearly an ongoing concern, Moody is optimistic for the future.

“Now everybody’s really talking about the impact COVID is having, and what permanent impact it will have,” he says. “I think the silver lining could be that older adults are recognised as an important demographic that we need to think about when it comes to technology. And not just health technology, living technology too – engagement, video chat, and all those things that just help you live life.

“Prior to COVID, technology in senior living was seen as a ‘nice to have’ but I think that’s now become a must-have. If you think about the technology adoption curve and ‘crossing the chasm’ – the chasm in this sector has been obliterated, there is no chasm – if you’re not thinking about tech then you’re in the dark ages.”

Integrating communications technologies for seniors is a key component of K4Connect’s platform.

Moody believes that K4Connect’s approach of unifying technologies under a single “operating system” for senior living communities is well positioned to capitalise on this shift towards technology.

“There are a lot of great technologies out there and technology companies are paying attention to this market,” he says. “But they’re pursuing the market the way they pursue all markets. Whether it’s a device or an app or a system, they’ll pop it in your lap, and leave and you to figure out how to use it. They’re disparate, their information is siloed, and they’re not even necessarily designed for an older adult. So I think a lot of people are looking at these technologies, and thinking ‘Hey, this is great, it could really be helpful, but we’re overwhelmed.’ And that’s where we come in.”

Demand on the rise

The company’s lead product, K4Community, brings together a wide range of smart products for residents, staff and operators in a single, simple interface. And things have picked up as operators start to look beyond COVID again.

“Demand has definitely gone up – our revenues have doubled in the last three quarters,” says Moody, while admitting that the sector also faces challenges. “Occupancies down, so budgets are tight, and there are significant staffing challenges – technology people are in high demand.”

The budgeting challenges at its target customers mean that K4Connect has adapted its strategy a little, so the company will also now do smaller installations of single technologies as well as its full platform.

“Some people are only looking for one thing, like an app, or voice, or digital signage, and so we will now do that piece,” says Moody. “Our real value add, though, is where you’re integrating a lot of technologies in a community, or you want to integrate all of your communities.”

In addition to rolling out more integrations and improving workflows to benefit both residents and staff at senior living communities, K4Connect is also looking at ways to leverage the huge amounts of data to which it has access.

“We don’t sell the data, we don’t own the data, we don’t advertise to our members – we’re there to serve them – but at the end of the day, we could use this data to help improve their lives,” says Moody. “For example, if the platform detects you’re not sleeping well because you’re moving around a lot at night, then it could recommend lowering the temperature a few degrees at night and then warm it up in the morning – and the platform controls the thermostat. Because you often sleep better at a lower temperature, and if you sleep better, you will be healthier. And if you’re healthier, you are happier.”

Targeting aging in place

Earlier this year, K4Connect announced its participation in the 2021 REACH scale-up programme run by the National Association of Realtors. This is an indication of the company’s future plans to focus on bringing its technology into the home environment and the growing “aging in place” market.

“We want to get into the home, but we want to do it in the right way,” he says. “You’ll see us moving into that area this year. I’m particularly interested in serving those that are underserved, both technologically and economically. People are retiring with a lot less money than they used to, and so we need to think about how to serve those people, on a personal level, but also a societal level.”

Images courtesy of K4Connect

 

Read the story from Longevity Technology, here!

Tech is key to enriching resident life, optimizing staffing and driving occupancy: report

K4Connect’s Insights Report shows how technology is a universal tool for both residents and staff members of senior living communities to maintain personal connections, better manage daily life in a community setting and increase operational efficiencies. 

 

July 1st, 2021

By: Kathleen Steele Gaivin

Technology proved to be a lifeline for staff members and residents alike during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a newly released survey by K4Connect.

“As COVID-19 shut the doors of communities and those living and working inside were met with near immeasurable challenges, technology quickly transformed from an amenity to a  necessity,” according to a report of the results.

According to the report authors, more than 40% of the staff members surveyed estimated they saved more than 50% of their time per month with innovative technology. This reportedly lessened time spent on redundant tasks and allowed more time for resident engagement.

Technology was truly a boon that allowed staff to present virtual events for otherwise isolated residents, participants said.

“Even late in the pandemic from November of 2020 to March 2021, the number of virtual events created by staff increased by 134%,” according to the report.

About a third of the communities surveyed said they implemented a resident engagement app as well as a companion engagement app for friends and family outside of the community. A fourth of the communities deployed new voice technologies over the course of 2020.

Technology also has been shown to be a driving force in occupancy, K4Connect said. More than 80% of those surveyed indicated that offering technology as an amenity tended to improve occupancy rates.

Read the story from McKnight’s Senior Living, here!

83% of Senior Living Workers Say Technology Amenities Drive Occupancy

Senior living communities found that technology improved their workflows as well as provided necessary tools and amenities to help solve connectedness challenges between residents, the staff inside their buildings and loved ones outside a community.

 

By Chuck Sudo

Senior living providers have found offering technology platforms to residents as an amenity is a driver in boosting occupancy, and the platforms are streamlining the workflows of employees.

Residents, meanwhile, are now demanding a variety of content and experiences from providers to keep themselves engaged, and want video platforms in order to stay connected with staff and their neighbors inside a community, as well as loved ones outside a building’s walls.

These are among the main takeaways from a new summer insights report released Tuesday from senior living-focused technology company K4Connect. The report features user data from over 40 senior living communities across the country from January 2021 to April 2021, highlighting staff, resident and family member usage trends of the company’s platform, K4Community.

Additionally, the report includes survey data from over 360 residents and 50 staff members currently using K4Community in assisted living, independent living and memory care settings.

Overall, the findings were not surprising to K4Connect co-founder and CEO Scott Moody. All of the trends highlighted in the report were occurring naturally, pre-pandemic. But there was a gap in the technology adoption lifecycle between the innovators of technology and early adopters of platforms, and wider acceptance by a majority of consumers — this is known as “crossing the chasm.”

Covid-19 blew up the idea of the chasm, Moody told Senior Housing News.

“It accelerated the entire [adoption] process,” he said.

Technology driving occupancy gains

One revelation from the report is the importance of having technology platforms as an amenity for prospective residents, and how these platforms can drive occupancy rates: 83% of staff participating in the report indicated that offering technology as an amenity improves occupancy.

Having technology in place took on greater importance during the pandemic. As communities across the country went into lockdown protocols to keep residents safe, technology helped solve connectedness challenges between residents, the staff inside their buildings and loved ones outside a community.

A high number of residents proved to be tech savvy, as well: 92% of residents in the report owned a smartphone; 58% owned a device with a voice assistant; and 40% owned fitness trackers.

Throughout the pandemic, residents were receptive to and highly engaged with virtual events, which helped alleviate loneliness and isolation when their movements were restricted within communities. K4Connect reported a 98% increase in events accessed by residents via the K4Community app from January 2021 to March 2021. Even sign-ups by residents increased 84% during that span, and 81% participated in Zoom or other virtual meetings.

Moreover, 89% of residents indicated having a variety of content and experiences at their disposal is important to them, 83% said it was important to have access to a resident directory, and 70% believe having access to an app or website to make video calls is important to them.

This represents a sea change, compared to pre-pandemic times when residents were more focused on the types of activities a community offered, or physical amenities such as swimming pools, fitness centers or common spaces. As the industry heads into a post-pandemic environment, connectivity will matter even more.

“[Seniors don’t] want to move into a community where, if something like this happens again, they’re stuck in their room and don’t have the ability to communicate,” Moody said.

Improved employee workflows

Senior living staff also realized the benefits of having technology in place during Covid-19.

Staff shortages and retention challenges were compounded last year by positive Covid-19 tests among employees and their families. Additionally, long-term care staff members were essential workers, holding down their jobs while also having to manage personal difficulties brought on by school closures and fears that they might have carried the virus into their homes, after a shift.

As the pandemic progressed, senior living employees participating in the K4Connect report valued using technology that simplified and accelerated their daily tasks, from content creation and distribution to improved communications with residents.

The report revealed a 73% increase in the number of community notices, announcements and menu changes; 62% of communities in the study are using content automation, which lead to a time savings of 30% for staff; 42% and all community notices, announcements and menus managed by staff leveraged K4Community’s multiple audience/destination feature.

The time savings realized through these measures allowed employees to stay on the floor for longer periods of time and care for residents. Meanwhile, the combination of technology and in-person interactions resulted in better engagement, Moody told SHN.

And it appears as if a hybrid model of in-person and virtual activities will become the norm, in a post-pandemic landscape.

“[No one is saying], ‘We don’t need this stuff anymore,’” he said. “It fills an important part of their lives.”

 

More from Senior Housing News, here!

K4Connect Report Reveals Technology is Key to Enriching Resident Life, Optimizing Staffing and Driving Community Occupancy in Senior Living

Insights report demonstrates the rising importance of technologies that keep older adult residents and community staff connected, engaged and informed. 

 

RALEIGH, N.C., June 29, 2021 – In its first quarterly insights report released today by K4Connect, senior living residents and staff from across the nation reveal how technology is positively impacting their daily life and work post-pandemic. As COVID-19 shut the doors of communities and those living and working inside were met with near immeasurable challenges, technology quickly transformed from an amenity to a  necessity. The report explores the evolving role of technology beyond the pandemic and features insights into how operators can meet the new expectations of senior living residents and staff.

“We have long recognized the need for technologies that support older adults in their daily lives — it is the foundation for everything that we do. The pandemic challenges senior living faced undoubtedly accelerated that need,” said K4Connect CEO and Chief Mission Officer, Scott Moody. “Technology provided relief in critical areas of family connections, crisis communications, curbing resident social isolation, resident well-being and much more. We’re committed to helping senior living communities continue to leverage technology to provide great experiences for residents, as well as staff, both today and into the future.” 

In the report K4Connect Summer 2021 Insights Report: Trending Technologies To Navigate Life and Work in Senior Living During and Post-Pandemic, data and survey responses strongly point to technology as a universal tool for both residents and staff members to maintain and expand personal connections, better manage daily life in a community setting and increase operational efficiencies. The findings uncovered several notable themes:

  • Residents are not only open to using technology, but are eager to expand how they are using it to assist with and simplify daily activities such as receiving and sharing information, enjoying diverse content experiences (events, video), managing their lifestyles/schedules, and as a means of staying connected with friends, family and fellow residents. 
  • Staff value technologies that automate and accelerate redundant tasks, scale communications and help to curb resident social isolation.
  • Technology is a leading differentiator for communities and a critical sales and marketing tool. 

Insights Report Highlights:

  • Senior living operators are investing in technology to overcome challenges during and after the pandemic. Over 33% of communities implemented a resident engagement app and 31% launched a companion engagement app for friends and family outside of the community. Moreover, a fourth of communities deployed new voice technologies over the course of 2020.
  • Staff burnout and high turnover rates remain high priority issues for senior living communities. Technology can increase retention by creating a more efficient and productive workplace that reduces operational burdens on staff. Over 40% of staff estimate they saved over 50% of their time per month using automated features in the K4Community Team Hub digital staff tool to provide community-wide communications and event scheduling. 
  • Virtual experiences provided a dependable and scalable way to curb resident social isolation during quarantine. While residents are eager to return to socializing in-person, a hybrid offering of both virtual and in-person events will meet the new expectations for residents who want to maintain that connection to community programming from their apartments. Even late in the pandemic from November of 2020 to March 2021, the number of virtual events created by staff increased by 134%. Over 81% of residents attended live virtual events and 70% viewed pre-recorded content via the K4Community Plus resident app or K4Community Direct Broadcast in-room TV Channel. 
  • Community staff recognize technology as a driver of improving occupancy. 83% of staff indicated that offering technology as an amenity improves community occupancy. Respondents revealed the top three desired technologies to positively impact occupancy as: a resident engagement app, a resident well-check system and a companion app for friends and family.

This report includes usage and adoption trends of K4Connect’s premier senior living solution, K4Community, in addition to anonymous national survey responses from senior living communities representing diverse locations, sizes and care settings. Visit the website to download the full K4Connect Summer 2021 Insights Report.

 

About K4Connect:

K4Connect is a mission-driven technology company that integrates the best in technology to serve and empower older adults and individuals living with disabilities, together with the people, communities and organizations that also serve them. We believe that meaningful technologies have the power to make the lives of older adults simpler, healthier and happier. Our premier solution, K4Community, provides smart products and features that solve the challenges senior living residents and staff are facing today, focusing on the core categories of home, engagement and communication for residents, and productivity, services and data-driven insights for staff and operators. The entire experience is powered by our patented operating system built specifically for senior living, enabling our community partners to unlock the true value of enterprise data.

Based in Raleigh, N.C., K4Connect is currently serving tens of thousands of senior living residents and staff at over 800 continuing care, independent living and assisted living communities across the nation. For more information, please visit www.K4Connect.com. 

 

###

K4Connect Spring 2021 Product Update: Expanding the ways technology improves the lives of senior living residents and staff

“Learn about three new, impactful K4Community features and updates.“

By: Diana Gore | Product Marketing Manager, K4Connect

June 3, 2021

We’ve been hard at work the past three months to deliver on our mission to create simpler, healthier and happier lives for residents, their families, staff and community operators. At K4Connect we are relentless when it comes to innovation. And the result of that? We are constantly delivering exciting new technologies and features to senior living communities through our K4Community solution. 

This quarter, our team focused on improvements to features that benefit residents, their  family members and community staff in the areas of:

  • Enhanced communication and engagement capabilities in K4Community Plus
  • Expanded Resident Check-In functionality
  • New integration partners and additional capabilities with existing partners – content, dining and POS

Here’s how our newest features and updates improve the lives of residents and increase staff efficiency in senior living communities.

1. Enhancements in K4Community Plus:

  • Highly requested and highly anticipated updates to the Directory make filtering residents, family/friends and staff a breeze. Staff members can control whether or not they want to be included in the Directory as well as what contact information they want to share. 

  • New event updates make signing up for events and managing a calendar even simpler. Residents can now sign-up a guest for an event and join the waitlist if the event is full. They can also add community events to their personal calendar (iCal, Google Calendar) directly from the Event section of the resident app, eliminating the need to manage multiple calendars.

2. Expanded Resident Check-In functionality: Now, K4Community Alexa skill interaction(s) can be designated as a “check-in” event increasing the robust capabilities of our industry-leading K4Community Resident Check-In solution. That’s right – residents simply interacting with their Alexa device registers that they are up and active for the day with our automated check-in tool. 

3. Integration Updates: 
K4Community now offers the most expansive content integration options in senior living. In addition to our existing content partners; CuriosityStream, Coro Health and Spiro 100, we have two exciting new content partners that allow your residents to access even more dynamic content. It’s easy for staff to share and even easier for residents to experience.

  • Eversound Select programming provides curated, interactive content and programs that give residents instant access to unique experiences and allows them to connect, learn and discover new interests. Eversound Select offers topics like art, entertainment, history, fitness and more. Residents can access endless content anytime, anywhere from the mobile and web applications that are available through K4Community Plus and enjoy programming from the comfort of their own home through Direct Broadcast. 

 

  • One Day University provides access to over 500 fascinating TED talk-style lectures, from over 200 of the greatest professors from the world’s top schools. Together, with K4Community, the One Day University on-demand video library can be shared directly with your residents to encourage purposeful engagement and inspire life-long learning. 

  • An update to the Spiro100 integration allows staff to select and share specific content from the industry’s largest library of exercise and wellness programs through K4Community Plus and Direct Broadcast (the in-room TV channel). In addition, staff can save time by automating Spiro100 courses to display ahead of time or on a specific schedule. 

An exciting new Point of Sale (POS) integration and useful updates to our current POS partners were also prioritized this quarter. 

  • Our newest POS integration with ServingIntel enables residents to place meal orders in K4Community Plus, giving residents increased independence and eliminating the need for phone calls to staff and paper methods of meal ordering. ServingIntel is a leading provider of transaction management solutions for dining, retail and ancillary activities that enable senior living operators to increase Net Operating income (NOI) and best serve residents, resident’s families, guests and staff.

  • Our FullCount and Volante integrations have been streamlined to improve resident management and staff control in the K4Community Team Hub. Both POS integrations allow residents to view dining balance information directly in K4Community Plus.

 

Check out Spring 2021 Release to get more information about all of this quarter’s updates. Ready to learn more about K4Community? Book a demo today!

Older Americans Month: Meet Our Residents!

Older Americans Month

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Celebrating Older Americans Month by celebrating the lives and stories of a few of our community partner residents!

May 19, 2021

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

In tough times, communities find strength in people—and people find strength in their communities. In the past year, we’ve seen this time and again in communities across the country as residents and staff have found new ways to support each other.

In senior living communities, older adults are a key source of this strength. Through their experiences, successes, and difficulties, they have built resilience that helps them to face new challenges. When communities tap into this, they become stronger too.

Each May, the Administration for Community Living leads the celebration of Older Americans Month (OAM). This year’s theme is Communities of Strength, recognizing the important role older adults play in fostering the connection and engagement that build strong, resilient communities.  

When people of different ages, backgrounds, abilities, and talents share experiences—through action, story, or service—we help build strong communities. And that’s something to celebrate!  Together, we can find strength—and create a stronger future.

This year, one way K4Connect will celebrate Older Americans Month is by highlighting some of our amazing community members (residents). 

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”5/12″][movedo_single_image image=”2078″ shadow=”small”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”5/12″][movedo_empty_space][movedo_title increase_heading=”180″ line_type=”line”]

Meet Don Homer

[/movedo_title][/vc_column][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][movedo_title]

What was your first job?

[/movedo_title][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]

Delivering prescriptions on my bicycle at 14 years old. My first career job was as an electrical engineer with GE.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What are your top 3 movies of all time?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

Gone With the Wind, Star Wars and The Godfather

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

Italian food

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What world event(s) had the most impact on you?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

Vietnam

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What are you most proud of? 

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

My career and family.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

When you think you have problems, look over your shoulder, someone you see will have real problems.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What would you tell your 20 year old self?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

Pick a goal and get started.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What do you think the best age to be is? Why?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

30 – 40. You are no longer teenage impulsive; you’re working, healthy and settled with a family, and still invincible.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”5/12″][movedo_single_image image=”2075″ shadow=”small”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”5/12″][movedo_empty_space][movedo_title increase_heading=”180″ line_type=”line”]

Meet Deanna Hill

[/movedo_title][/vc_column][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][movedo_title]

What was your first job?

[/movedo_title][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]

My first job was at age 14 working at J B Ivey’s, a retail department store in Charlotte NC, making 50 cents an hour.  They were not open on Sundays and even closed the display windows so that people could not window shop on Sundays.  I worked in the boys’ clothing department and in greeting cards and gift wrap.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What are your top 3 movies of all time?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’, which I have seen 8 times including once here at the Cardinal, is my all-time favorite.  I’ve also read the book and been to Savanah to visit the actual locations shown in the movie.  Watching so many times was somewhat like shopping in a wonderful gift shop where you can’t see everything in just a few trips.  I also like ‘Pretty Woman’ and any movie Kevin Spacey is in.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

Well, it would be hard to do without my favorites: strawberry shortcake, anything lemon, Jiff Extra Crunchy peanut butter, and Kettle popcorn.  But being a vegetarian and wanting to feel good as long as possible, I suppose it would be a toss-up between Thai food or a salad with lots of fruit, veggies, onion, and beans or eggs for protein.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What world event(s) had the most impact on you?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

Like most people near my age, I remember exactly where I was when J F Kennedy was shot.  Then his brother Robert and Martin Luther King along with the civil rights movement.  We have come such a long way from those days but have much further to go.  

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What are you most proud of? 

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

My response will be in addition to my children and grandchildren, of course. As a volunteer in 1981 I helped organize a team of wonderful people to build a swim and racquet club and served as its first president.  That club brought families from several neighborhoods together for such fun, for the competition and good sport of swim meets, and for pool parties, laughter, and special celebrations.  I still love to ride by or visit and see children and young people enjoying time there.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

Don’t double trouble by wasting time or energy worrying.  Don’t make decisions out of fear.  Even in difficult times look for all the things to be grateful for, trust God, expect the best but be prepared for the worst, practice patience and kindness, show compassion.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What would you tell your 20 year old self?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

Learn the skill of being assertive instead of aggressive. Many want to be attractive or smart but the most important thing to be is kind. Don’t be so rigid and intent on doing things right; find the joy and have fun.  Be grateful in all things even through pain and heartbreak. Try always to be true to your values; forgive yourself when you fail and do better the next time. Remember you will be ‘less young’ one day yourself.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What do you think the best age to be is? Why?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

For me at age 48, having reared my children and learned to enjoy being ‘single again’, I experienced a freedom I had never felt before, not even in childhood.  I was in good health mentally and physically.  This was also a time of reinventing myself once again and starting another career that challenged me and helped others.  

If we ignore the health issues, life as a senior citizen is full of good memories, hopefully some wisdom gained throughout life, and others who are on the journey to the same destination we are and who support one another on that journey.  Opportunities abound to do the things one loves to do.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”5/12″][movedo_single_image image=”2077″ shadow=”small”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”5/12″][movedo_empty_space][movedo_title increase_heading=”180″ line_type=”line”]

Meet Alec Jablonover

[/movedo_title][/vc_column][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][movedo_title]

What was your first job?

[/movedo_title][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]

 My first job was with IBM Corporation in engineering development.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What are your top 3 movies of all time?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

My top 3 movies of all time : West Side Story; The Longest Day; My Fair Lady.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

If I could only eat one thing it would be dark chocolate.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What world event(s) had the most impact on you?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

The Birth of the State of Israel had most impact on my life because it opened the door for my family to escape the Romanian and soviet life and emigrate to Israel.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What are you most proud of? 

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

My biggest accomplishments are the development of my family and my professional accomplishments in management and use of languages.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

Maintaining social network, continued learning and finding ways to help others.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What would you tell your 20 year old self?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

Learn all the time from school, friends, family and develop sources of pride in yourself.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What do you think the best age to be is? Why?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

I believe the thirties because by then one has a pretty clear career path and a family may be developing to achieve a happy life.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”5/12″][movedo_single_image image=”2076″ shadow=”small”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”5/12″][movedo_empty_space][movedo_title increase_heading=”180″ line_type=”line”]

Meet Jim Cochrane

[/movedo_title][/vc_column][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][movedo_title]

What was your first job?

[/movedo_title][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]

Setting telephone poles in hot summer.

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What are your top 3 movies of all time?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins and The Magnificent 7

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

Ciopinno

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What world event(s) had the most impact on you?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

The fall of the Berlin Wall

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What are you most proud of? 

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

Raising two super children

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

Never give up (Winston Churchill)

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What would you tell your 20 year old self?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

Take more risks

[/vc_column_text][movedo_title]

What do you think the best age to be is? Why?

[/movedo_title][vc_column_text]

Today’s age – tomorrow’s age will be better!

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

We hope you enjoyed learning a bit about some of these fantastic residents. For more resources, visit the official OAM website, follow ACL on Twitter and Facebook, and join the conversation via #OlderAmericansMonth.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]