FORT MYERS, Fla. (September 18, 2023) – The combination of the K4Community platform and smart home integration is already making an impact for Cypress Cove luxury life plan community’s residents and team members, creating safer environments and improving staff efficiency.
In recent months, two residents called for help via voice command through Amazon Alexa when they felt unwell and were unable to get up. As per the well-designed system, the security and nurses’ offices were notified instantly and able to reach the residents in their homes within minutes to provide assistance.
Practical applications, such as the automated resident check-in feature, save both residents and staff time by automatically registering residents as up and moving without their having to press a button or make a call. This streamlines security checks to only those who are not up and moving yet, a fraction of the amount of residents who used to forget to check in daily.
“The beauty of the automated check-in technology is residents don’t have to do anything, especially a task they sometimes forget to do,” confirmed Executive Director Mary Franklin. “And if someone is in distress, help and comfort will arrive quickly.”
Another popular automated smart home task helping residents stay safe is motion-triggered dimmable lighting, most notably important during nighttime trips to the restroom, which can increase the chance of falls.
“Cypress Cove is committed to providing our residents with the highest quality of life possible,” said Vice President of Innovation, Joe Velderman. “Our partnership with K4Connect has allowed us to enhance our residents’ daily living experience, while also improving staff efficiency and reducing overhead costs. We look forward to continuing to provide innovative, technology-driven solutions to our residents.”
Cypress Cove’s Culinary Services leaders are also seeing benefits from dining orders through the K4Connect app, reducing the amount of paper orders staff need to collect and process.
The K4Connect platform seamlessly integrates with Cypress Cove’s existing systems, providing a centralized hub for residents and staff to manage daily tasks, from scheduling transportation requests to accessing community events, tailored to their preferences. Through the platform, residents have access to a variety of integrated features designed to enhance their daily living experience accessible and manageable through personal smart devices such as mobile, desktop, and Amazon Alexa, including:
- The ability to control their apartment’s temperature and lighting from anywhere in the home.
- Easy access to community news, activities, and dining menus through community digital signage, in-room TV, and daily app updates.
- Native communication features that keep residents connected to each other and their loved ones outside of the community, including video chat, chat messaging, and voice-dialing.
- Smart home motion sensors that provide peace of mind through passively monitoring the safety and well-being of residents, alerting staff if a resident has not checked-in for the day.
- The K4Connect platform has also proven to be a significant time-saver for Cypress Cove’s staff. With streamlined workflows and automated processes, staff members can focus on providing high quality care and personalized support to residents, rather than spending time on administrative tasks.
As each resident has a different comfort level with smart home technology, Cypress Cove offers two different packages at no charge. For high tech residents, custom packages are available for a fee. To learn more, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mtkbqb1Gng. Residents’ usage of smart devices ranges from zero to a whopping 20+ devices, including appliances!
Cypress Cove resident John Schwandke, a video hobbyist, created a video about his interest in K4Connect and smart home technology. View it here on his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKbe4vevQTY.
To interview a resident about their experience or schedule a tour of a K4Connect smart home, please contact Public Relations Manager Jennifer Benton at 239-349-3207 or jbenton@cypressliving.org. Additional innovative technologies employed at Cypress Cove that may be of interest to reporters include ubiquitous wi-fi, unusual behavior detection, and the newest generation of robots in the dining venue (having recently retired the first generation of dining robots.)
About K4Connect
Based in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, K4Connect is a mission-centered healthtech company delivering the best in technology and solutions to providers serving older adults and those living with disabilities. The company’s newly available Fusion Platform (43 patents) and award-winning K4Community solution serves tens of thousands of residents and staff in senior living communities across the United States. With K4Connect, operators are serving the needs of today’s residents and staff, while future-proofing operations and care for the next generation.
About Cypress Cove
Cypress Cove, a not-for-profit organization opened in 1999, is a well-established, highly respected, life plan community (formerly known as a continuing care retirement community) recognized nationally for innovation in senior living. Located on a beautiful 60-acre campus at HealthPark Florida in South Fort Myers, Cypress Cove is home to more than 650 residents and offers a full complement of quality living options—independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care assisted living, rehabilitative care, and home health.
Thank you to our friends at McKnight’s Senior Living for picking up this story: https://www.mcknightsseniorliving.com/home/news/tech-daily-news/senior-living-communitys-tech-investments-paying-off-increasing-resident-safety/.