Sep 20 2023
Management

Highlighting the Need for Innovation and Collaboration in Senior Care

The Thrive Event, a joint Thrive Center and CDW endeavor, invited customers to connect, share information and engage with the latest in post-acute and senior care technology.

Innovation has always been key to better patient care, and post-acute and senior care is no different. While innovation comes in many forms, the application of technology to senior care and post-acute care can transform care delivery as well as the resident and patient experience. However, it’s important that technology is applied thoughtfully.

The Thrive Center was established in Louisville, Ky., in November 2017 to showcase cutting-edge technology and provide education aimed at improving care and quality of life for older adults. The space highlights fall prevention technology alongside tools for interactive engagement, smart rooms and virtual reality.

Each year, CDW and Thrive Center host the Thrive Event to bring customers in the post-acute and senior care spaces together to network, brainstorm and learn about the latest technology and how providers are applying it in the real world.

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This event has evolved over the years. At first, attendees were mostly from the IT world. Today, invitations are extended to the whole C-suite, including CIOs, CTOs, chief strategy officers, clinical directors, operations personnel, nursing directors and more. The event has come to attract members of the C-suite who make technology decisions about the whole campus, not just traditional hardware. It focuses on the full service of technology and who is making related decisions.

Thrive Center creates a safe space for senior living and post-acute care organizations to learn and collaborate no matter where they are in their digital transformation journeys.

The Event Supports Conversation and Hands-On Time with Technology

The Thrive Event starts with a facility tour, giving attendees the opportunity to spend two hours exploring different senior care technology solutions through demos and discussion of use cases. This is followed by a networking event.

The second day includes interactive educational sessions. The events usually include 20 to 25 customers, creating an intimate environment for all to freely ask questions. This format is very different than the traditional speaker sessions, where audience members might not feel as engaged.

Some of the hot topics discussed this year included data analytics and smart home strategies. The discussion around cybersecurity revealed that many organizations still aren’t as focused on cybersecurity as they should be, so it’s important that these conversations keep happening.

All the organizations that attended are in different spots in their technology implementation journeys. This mix of providers discussed everything from necessary infrastructure to innovative solutions such as smart homes, automation and voice technology.

The senior care and post-acute care industries continue to face staff shortages, leading them to consider innovative solutions to provide care differently. The event also focused on how to account for this lack of staff while still caring for the same number of patients. The traditional mentality of “we’re doing this because it’s the way we’ve always done it” is giving way to a more innovative approach.

DISCOVER: How senior care communities adapt to modern tech expectations.

Senior Care Organizations Find Value in Collaboration

The Thrive Event found attendees engaging with technology directly and collaborating with other experts in their field. The open environment fostered discussion and connection.

Many of our customers end up staying in touch with each other after meeting at Thrive Center to collaborate and offer one another guidance. Making connections and networking is a valuable part of the event.

Those interested in learning more about Thrive Center can take a virtual tour of the campus and view videos of technology demos. More technologies are being added all the time, but the virtual tour is a good place to get a general idea of Thrive Center’s offerings.

Thrive Center CEO Sheri Rose collaborates with CDW and several organizations and startups to showcase the latest innovation solutions. Senior care and post-acute care organizations can also join the Thrive Alliance to be first to know about new technologies in the industry.

This article is part of HealthTech’s MonITor blog series. Interested in attending the Thrive Event? Send an email to info@thrivecenterky.com.

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