Senior living community uses Alexa AI to address staffing challenges
TECH DAILY NEWS | JUNE 6, 2023
Staffing challenges in senior living have been on the rise in the wake of the pandemic, with many operators using artificial intelligence and other technologies as a tool to cope with the issue. One senior living community is a prime example of how to use AI-based Alexa devices to both alleviate staffing inefficiencies and improve care for residents and their families.
Carlton Senior Living, a senior and assisted living operator in northern California, partnered with software company Speak2 to implement Alexa-enabled devices to increase communication between residents, families and staff and improve staffing efficiencies. Speak2 helped Carlton set up Alexa voice-enabled technology so that residents and staff can have conversations in real-time without opening an app or sitting at a computer.
For example, residents can say, “Alexa, I need a nurse.” Alexa will respond, “What kind of help do you need?” After the resident provides additional details, the request is routed to the appropriate person. Sometimes a caregiver or nurse isn’t required. For instance, if the resident’s request was to ask a nurse about that day’s activities, the device could answer that question, and the nurse wouldn’t have to make a stop on her rounds. The tools save staff time and give residents the answers they need more quickly.
The program has saved Carlton 25 hours of staff time related to data entry each month, and it also has lowered resident emergency pendant requests by 34% per day, officials said. For non-urgent requests, there was an 83% reduction in data entry.
“Alexa makes communicating accessible to residents more than anything else we’ve seen, and the impact on staff has been our biggest win.” Jessica Beck, director of communications at Carlton, said in a statement.
AI has been an effective tool in streamlining communication for senior living staff, in general. For instance, ChatGPT is replacing language-based tasks such as filling out patient forms. A recent study estimated that 40% of healthcare working hours could be augmented by using AI, and 42% of companies want to make a large investment in ChatGPT in 2023.