Health Insights Leads to Better and More Efficient Care

These are tough times for retirement community operators – Pressures on financial performance from bankers; pressures to attract and retain qualified staff; and pressure from residents and their family members to at least maintain, if not improve, the quality of life in the community. Technology can be a key strategy for operators who are seeking answers to these pain points but also need a measurable return on any investment in technology.

This “perfect storm” is heightened in memory care where residents are unable to respond – or respond accurately – to staff.

Most staff focus on residents during the daytime when they are out of their apartments. Yet at least half of their time is spent in their apartments. “Residents in memory care may not communicate accurately, so how do we know how to direct staff’s work for their care?” says Laurie Orlov, Principal Analyst, Aging and Health Technology Watch.

So how is Caspar.AI technology applied to the memory care setting? “Our patented AI technology doesn’t rely on cameras but utilizes a sophisticated sensor system that provides health insights for better and more efficient care,” says Ashutosh Saxena, President & CEO of Caspar.AI

Staffing Efficiencies

Caspar.AI provides actionable data points to staff: How many times does a resident require a nighttime room check or change? What are the resident’s nocturnal sleep and activity patterns? Armed with data – knowledge – community management can often reduce staffing intrusions into resident apartments and redirect that time to other, more productive uses. Efficiencies can be either direct or indirect:

• Direct efficiencies: Reduced or redirected FTEs as a result of fewer resident bed checks, fewer inquiries fielded from family members, and smarter staffing patterns through resident insights.
• Indirect efficiencies: Better motivated staff because of resident insights; key point of difference from competitors; and better care planning for residents.

Staff Can See Impact of Their Work

The data that is gathered provides staff with a more complete picture of a resident’s behavior. Because memory care residents cannot provide accurate feedback, the data tell staff that they are providing appropriate, needed care. Indirectly, this improves staff morale – When a staff member “hears” from a resident that care plans or medication plans are working, they feel their work is more valuable. Memory care residents thus provide staff with positive “feedback” that, in turn, contributes to reduced staff turnover in the community.

As an example, Caspar.AI provided a mapping of one resident’s walking patterns during what should have been restful sleep. This insight leads the community staff to work with the resident’s physician to prescribe a better, more effective medication program. The result? More restful nights for the resident, a more settled resident in the daytime, and an informed staff.

Better Care Plans

Caspar.AI technology also provides physicians with data that can help shape medication plans for residents. They are able to get insights into possible UTIs and sleep disorders. Such nighttime insights are not otherwise available without the Caspar system. Family members of residents can gain additional insight about their loved ones; when community staff can pass along insights to the resident’s family, the number of incoming calls from family members is reduced.

One FTE freed up  – With Caspar health insights, community management gains as much as seven hours of staff time per month per resident.

Bottomline

The implementation of the Caspar.AI system in a memory care community should satisfy the interests of all parties:

• One FTE freed up . Community management gains as much as seven hours of staff time per month per resident. This is about 1 FTE in a 30-apartment community – They can redirect staff time to other chores.
• Staff Morale Improvement. Staff members now have residents who “speak” about their nighttime challenges through data. This enables staff to better understand the needs of each resident and feel their work is more valued.
• Better Care Planning. Physicians gain greater insight into their patients and can thus focus their medication plans better.
• Increased Sales. The Sales Director has a unique selling proposition to offer families of prospective residents.

Let a Caspar.AI customer tell you more.

“We reduced nightly visits by staff with Caspar.AI. This increased our operating efficiency AND improved resident care, both at the same time.” Said Kelly Fieldhouse, Memory Care Director, United Methodist Communities at Bristol Glen, Newton, NJ.

Find out more how other communities are implementing the Caspar.AI system in their community by contacting: info@caspar.ai

About Caspar AI

Caspar.AI provides its retirement community clients with technology that increases efficiency while improving resident care. Automated check-ins, resident insights, and energy efficiency are three areas where Caspar.AI leads the industry. Caspar’s edge AI technology, with seven patents granted, does not require cameras or wearables – yet it produces medical & behavioral data inside the home that no one else can.