February 18, 2022

By: Kimberly Bonvissuto

Sequoia Living’s Viamonte at Walnut Creek strives to be seen as “the most technologically savvy community around,” Director of Life Enrichment Kate Douglas told McKnight’s Senior Living. Through a partnership with tech company K4Connect, Viamonte at Walnut Creek is working on its “cutting edge” image.

Those efforts are paying off. Over the past six months — after implementing the K4Community Plus app — the senior living community reports that daily app users grew by more than 50%, there was a 190% increase in the total number of voice commands given through K4Community Voice powered by Amazon Alexa, and there was a 200% increase in the number of smart lighting commands used. A majority of residents (77%) viewed community photos, 65% viewed community shared videos and 84% used smart lighting controls.

Another way technology is helping residents of the San Francisco Bay area community through the pandemic is a staff and resident directory that virtually “unmasks” everyone.

“Especially during COVID-19, the mask use limited our communities’ ability to connect,” Douglas said. “The directories hold photos of residents and staff, which has helped residents get to know each other — and staff members.”

Viamonte at Walnut Creek also is using technology to increase resident access to information through dining menus, entertainment content and community event listings; keep residents connected to loved ones through video chat, messaging and photo-sharing; provide access to smart home lighting features; and provide efficiencies for staffing and safety through a resident check-in program.