CCRC goes high-tech with wireless monitoring

Residents at a Virginia continuing care retirement community (CCRC) will soon have closer health monitoring, faster emergency response times and better quality of life—all through the air—thanks to a new partnership between Healthsense and Verizon Enhanced Communities.

The Virginian, a 350-unit CCRC in Fairfax, Va., will provide its residents with Healthsense’s suite of monitoring products designed to track activities of daily living and to provide WiFi notification of staff in case of an emergency. Verizon Enhanced Communities, a new Verizon business unit created in May to serve multi-unit communities, will provide the fiber optic infrastructure needed to support the large-scale WiFi project.

The project is the first for the new Healthsense/Verizon venture.

The new system will allow residents to remain in their homes longer while still receiving quality care and close monitoring from caregivers. "Healthsense technology enables us to provide the outstanding care our residents expect, giving them peace of mind, safety and security," said Chris Isherwood, executive director at The Virginian, in a release. "It provides a great deal of peace of mind for our residents' families and friends."

The investment also will be a value-add for the community’s reputation, Isherwood added. "Today's smart seniors are probably the first generation in the senior residential space really to understand and embrace how technology can have a positive impact on their lives," he added. “Whether they're looking for ways to maintain or improve their health or communicate more effectively, we believe The Virginian offers more than similar places nearby."

Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.