Celebrating Franklin Farrow

It’s time to introduce the next batch of 2024 Changemakers — senior living visionaries who are shaping the industry as we know it. Senior Housing News (SHN) has conducted thorough interviews with each of this year’s honorees, including the honoree we’re spotlighting today: Franklin Farrow. As the CEO and co-founder of Morning Pointe Senior Living, a Yardi senior living client that’s been in the industry since 1996, Farrow knows all about driving impactful change. In his conversation with SHN, Farrow shares how the company’s start still impacts how it operates today — as well as how he envisions Morning Pointe evolving in the future. Hear from Changemaker Franklin Farrow SHN: How have you changed as a leader since starting in this industry? Farrow: Our company was co-founded by myself and Greg Vital, who’s the president, 27 years ago in 1996. We each brought attributes and experiences, time, and talent to the table. He’s 15 years older, and so he had a different network of people than I did at the time. We blended our talents and experiences to launch the company. At that time, I was more capable of tasks and completion of thoughts and ideas. He was the more entrepreneurial leader having been in the business world in advance of me. To answer the question, I’ve transitioned from being more of executing the completion of the ideas that were generated to more of generating ideas and having others follow through on them. It’s been a metamorphosis of me, and I think this is true for any young professional who grows through any industry, that they are advanced because of their capacity to complete projects and they start leading others to help them complete projects, and then, ultimately, they start thinking and leading concepts and philosophies for others to complete and finalize and implement. I’m playing more of a top senior manager, owner role, setting larger vision, setting larger goals, and then, because I was involved in tasks and details, I’m able to articulate to them what I think the scope and capacity of the project is and make sure they have the resources, but don’t have to physically roll up my sleeves as much, although I enjoy that part. Also I have to caution myself that my time is more valuable being visionary and thought leading than task completion. SHN: If you could turn the lens back at yourself, what sort of changemaker do you think you are? What area do you think you’re a changemaker in? Farrow: I would say if you were to interview my senior management team who hears me pontificate and try to set direction, I think they would tell you that I do try to think through the mind, eyes, and feelings of those who are sitting in various seats, the seat of a regional operator, the seat of a senior manager, or the seat of a business office manager, or even a resident care aide. I’m constantly trying to shape and form the way we conduct our business, and I often use the word psychology. I’m not a psychologist. However, I’m constantly thinking, “What motivates a regional vice president or what motivates a nurse on the floor? What environment are they looking to operate in? How do they want to be treated?” I’m also trying to weave in principles of standards of conduct, ethics, and standards of the golden rule of doing to others. Not only are we trying to operate from the viewpoint of those in the seat or hot seat of those various capacities and roles, I’m also trying to say, “Let’s just do things because we want to be decent, honest, and upright standing people too, not just the pure business robotics of things.” I host a standing Tuesday morning session, where anyone in the company who can get away for 15 minutes can come and listen to an...

See The Value Of EHRs...

Forty percent of seniors take five-plus prescription medications on a regular basis — triple the rate from twenty years ago. In senior living communities, this level of medication use comes with a heightened risk for medication-related errors.  Fortunately, with effective technology solutions in place, providers can ensure they’re passing medications securely. This helps mitigate the risk of medication errors and in turn, enhances care, limits liability and boosts resident satisfaction. Our informative white paper explores the value of technology further, sharing the benefits of our single-stack, ever-evolving solutions: Yardi EHR and eMAR. Understanding medication errors in senior living The white paper — The Importance of EHRs in Senior Living — details the different types of medication errors with a focus on adverse drug events (ADEs). You’ll see how seniors are the highest-risk age group for ADEs, with supporting statistics like the following: Older adults are twice as likely than younger people to visit the emergency room due to an ADE, and seven times more likely to be hospitalized after an ER visit as a result. What can senior living providers do to help reduce ADEs? Implementing electronic health records and medication management technology is key — and the white paper shares why. You’ll see how EHR technology can help prevent anywhere from 28% to 95% of ADEs. See the power of technology Yardi EHR is our full-service electronic health record solution that combines your clinical intake process, wound care charting, behavior management, interoperability initiatives and more on a browser-based, mobile-friendly platform. By simplifying record keeping and centralizing workflows on a single online platform, you ensure residents receive accurate, effective care. When paired with Yardi eMAR, our dynamic medication management solution, our EHR solution offers even more benefits. Yardi eMAR eliminates inefficiencies and helps minimize...

Explore New Functionality

New features in the Yardi Senior Living Suite are here! This release includes improvements to Voyager Senior Housing, RentCafe Senior CRM, EHR and eMAR and as always, everything was powered by client feedback. Keep reading for a snapshot of what’s new! Our senior living clients can also explore new features documentation and webinars, shared below. See evolved functionality in Voyager Senior Housings Voyager Senior Housing is our community management solution that unites financial accounting and complete business oversight in one place. Courtesy of the new release, this single connected solution now offers: 1) Community Manager dashboard updates including features to move-in and manage services for residents plus the option to remove a pending manage service. 2) The ability to move non-residents into excluded units and bill them. 3) A new option to require lease execution at move-in. 4) Expanded abilities for managing leave of absence details after moving out Medicaid residents. 5) Refreshed entrance fee functionality such as amortization when a daily rate changes mid-month and ledger consolidation with drill down to individual transactions. Learn more about the Voyager Senior Housing new features. Explore new features in RentCafe Senior CRM RentCafe Senior CRM — our mobile-friendly sales and marketing solution — is built to help operators strengthen lead management, maximize occupancy and more. With the latest release, our clients benefit from: 1) The ability to capture gender identity and pronouns on the prospect profile which transfers to Voyager Senior Housing and EHR upon resident creation. 2) The option to set specific charge codes for concession in the proposal workflow. 3) Functionality to force a lease to be executed before you can move-in a resident. For a complete list of new features, clients can click Help in CRM and select Updates and New Features. Discover the latest in EHR & eMAR EHR (our full-service electronic health record solution) and eMAR (our dynamic medication management solution) are both designed to help staff deliver the highest quality care. Thanks to the new release, clients will now access: 1) The option to update all active and inactive care plans simultaneously with a new community care plan feature. 2) A new document signature section in the resident profile that gives better visibility into workflows and equips you to generate new documents for digital signature. 3) Usability enhancements to the order resolution queue that allow you to bulk archive, reprocess or delete. 4) The ability to view the complete field modification history of a progress note directly from the resident progress notes screen. 5) The option to link progress notes that different users entered, then view all linked notes at one time. Watch the EHR new features webinar and the EHR new features setup and configuration webinar. For a complete list of new features, clients can click Help in EHR and select Updates and New Features. Connect with team Yardi We’re pleased to provide our clients with exciting new functionality across the Senior Living Suite. New to Yardi senior living solutions and wanting more information? Book a meeting with our...

Honoring Justin Dickinson

The annual Changemakers series — sponsored by Yardi for the sixth year in a row — continues to celebrate innovative leadership in senior living. We’re loving the opportunity to feature visionaries like Justin Dickinson, co-founder of Evolve Senior Living, who’s part of this year’s Changemakers class. With Evolve launching in 2023, Dickinson has fresh insights on topics crucial to the industry today including value-based care, data visibility and more. Read on for a glimpse at his insightful interview with Senior Housing News (SHN). Learn from Changemaker Justin Dickinson SHN: Do you see yourself as a Changemaker? Are you always excited to drive change? Dickinson: Definitely. I think that the industry, depending on who you have spoken with or what your opinion is, was really founded in the early to mid-90s in terms of private pay, AL, and memory care. Over the course of time, the industry has shifted from more of a hospitality model to more of an acuity-driven model. As that shift has happened, there’s been a lot of change as it relates to data, technology, the operations, and the investment structure. I think that that change will continue to happen in what the future looks like in terms of hospitality or the acuity model is to be determined. I believe that is going to be more of a care-driven model. From my perspective, being a new operator, and a younger individual in the sector, I do view myself as a change agent, having the ability to look at some of these problems with a fresh set of eyes and with fresh perspective. I think it’ll be interesting as regulatory pressures persist and the model changes to continue to look at things through a new lens. SHN: Given where you think it needs to go, do you think that the industry is changing fast enough to keep up with the times? Dickinson: Change is happening faster now than it ever has. This change is being driven by some of the regulatory pressures I mentioned and external capital market pressures. You’re seeing consolidation abound. We went through the change curve that we saw on the data side through the ’90s and early 2000s. 2005 through late 2020 was the advent of the [Software as a Service] model. SaaS companies came about within our space and started to really make a move. I think now we’re starting to see AI make a big play, and I’ll layer that onto the SaaS model. The change curve on the data size is reaching a new era, which will further expedite change. Change is happening quickly, and stakeholders need to be prepared for that. SHN: Choose one artist, scientist, thinker, engineer, entrepreneur, or other person living or dead to help change the senior living industry for the better. In only a few words, who are you choosing and why are you choosing them? Dickinson: Steve Jobs, because he’s a revolutionary thinker and he helped to reimagine his sector. We can use that type of insight in ours from a technological perspective. Read more insights from Changemaker Justin Dickinson Explore Justin Dickinson’s interview with SHN. We look forward to highlighting the next batch of honorees — coming...

Recognizing Vassar Byrd

Ready for insightful stories and advice from a senior living leader? Courtesy of the 2024 Changemakers series, presented by Senior Housing News (SHN) and sponsored by Yardi for the sixth consecutive year, industry visionaries are sharing their experiences through in-depth interviews. Today’s honoree in focus is Vassar Byrd, CEO at The Kendal Corporation. Her Changemaker interview covers her thoughts on diversity, risk-taking and growth — paired with examples from her career. Read on for a highlight.     Say hello to Changemaker Vassar Byrd SHN: Think about a time you implemented a change and things didn’t go according to plan, how did you pivot and what did you learn as a leader? Vassar: There are so many failures. That’s part of not being afraid of change. The beauty of being a single-site is that, at that scale, you can afford to try new things and fail. The most important thing is to never fall in love with your own opinion. You’ve got to look for contrary voices. You’ve got to make sure that you don’t take yourself too seriously or your organization too seriously because we’re all just practicing all the time. I was trying to think of a specific example that would be interesting, and I would say I failed over and over and over figuring out how to make our operations team work well at Rose Villa in particular. I’d get parts of it to work, and then the rest wouldn’t. You have got to keep your eyes open to say, “Okay, that was not successful. Let’s try it this way.” It’s never going to be perfect, but you can get as close as possible. SHN: Changemakers tend to be risk-takers. Do you agree with that statement? And how do you describe your own appetite for risk? Vassar: I think people really misunderstand risk. Doing nothing is as risky as doing something. Doing nothing is a choice. For me, that’s a foundational principle. When you take into account that everything else around you is changing all the time, then doing nothing is even more risky than not changing. Why would you stand still if everything around you is changing? I will say that I have a great appetite for perspective, and that’s the perspective that makes the risk not scary. SHN: In what ways is Kendal is changing for the current times to be able to meet the demand? Vassar: I would say that we are really focusing on how we can partner with different kinds of organizations. I would love to find other interest groups, other affinity groups, other areas where we can make a difference, to do something with that organization that neither one of us could do by ourselves. Partnership is really key to diversifying who we are, diversifying the kinds of services that we offer, and the types of housing that we offer. Certainly, our Kendal at Home Affiliate is a huge part of the future. I’m super interested in growing that. See more from Changemaker Vassar Byrd Read Vassar Byrd’s full SHN interview. Don’t forget to continue visiting The Balance Sheet for the Changemaker interviews to come — released in batches as the series...

Celebrating Changemakers 2024

It’s time for the annual Changemakers series, a collection of in-depth, insightful interviews published by Senior Housing News (SHN). Each year, the series celebrates a group of senior living leaders driving positive change in the industry. As sponsor for the sixth year in a row, Yardi is proud to join SHN in presenting the 2024 class of honorees. These honorees are trailblazers, innovators, visionaries and more — and their interviews detail how they got to where they are today. We’re delighted to introduce the first batch of Changemakers as the series begins, starting with a dedicated Yardi senior living client: Chris Guay, founder and CEO of Vitality Living. In his interview, Guay discusses how Vitality is evolving in the industry, the importance of staff diversity and how he creates a safe environment across his communities. Read on for a highlight of what he shares — then check out his full interview with SHN. Meet Changemaker Chris Guay SHN: We at SHN think of you as a Changemaker, but do you think of yourself as a Changemaker? Guay: I do see myself as a Changemaker. I believe it was always in me. I started out working with Emeritus, and I think I was a Changemaker there; always trying to push us to do things differently and work things through. Then when I got the chance to start my own company, I had to put a little of that on hold initially, because you’re trying to build an organization and build it forward. We’ve been fortunate that I’ve got a really great team of people. We’ve been able to build a really good company. The last couple of years, I’ve been able to shift back into that Changemaker role. I like to change things. I’m always innovating, always trying to change. That sometimes drives my team crazy. I have to find that delicate balance of pushing us forward, but also making sure we’re not pushing so fast that we’re changing just for the sake of changing. I ask myself, “Is this going to improve the experience for our residents?” I’ve really tried to hone in on if a change is going to improve the experience for our team members as well. If a change makes it harder for a line staff or caregiver, it’s probably not a change we should do. The third customer that sometimes gets forgotten in this business, “Is that change going to have a positive impact for our ownership partners?” I filter everything through those three pieces. Then based on how that comes through that filter, then I decide what we’re moving on. SHN: Do you think that the industry is changing fast enough to keep up with the times? Guay: I don’t. I find myself getting into the same conversations that we’ve had for the last 10 years. There’s opportunity in that because if you are a company that’s innovative, there’s opportunity to excel. However, it’s hard to innovate when you’ve got different weights dragging you down. It’s not an easy time. I don’t think people aren’t changing because they don’t want to. I just think there are some headwinds that keep dragging us back. You’ve got to keep fighting, you’ve got to keep pushing. SHN: The coming year is sure to be a year of growth and evolution for this year’s senior living industry. In what way is Vitality growing and evolving? Guay: One, we’re preparing and we’re building. We like to build a team around what we see, where we think we are. We don’t wait for it to come. We try to get ahead of it. We are really trying to be a world-class sales organization. We also look at the digital space. How we win there and how we get really innovative there is important. We decided to invest on the people side. We’re really shifting into how do we become a...

Replacing Siloed Software

Siloed software systems often pose major challenges for senior living operators. Since they require navigating various platforms and manually transferring data, these systems waste valuable time, increase the risk of errors and place a burden on your staff. The Yardi Senior Living Suite, on the other hand, is an all-in-one, interconnected solution that unites financials, care, business intelligence and more on a single platform. With one integrated software solution, you unlock everything you need — all in one place. Why make the switch to a single connected solution? If you’ve used disconnected software tools, you’ve likely experienced the frustration of data-entry errors, time wasted digging for answers and the hassle of transferring information from one system to the next. That’s because disparate tools seldom speak to each other as efficiently as single-stack solutions do (or often, they don’t speak to each other at all). Not to mention, siloed systems aren’t necessarily as cost-effective as one fully integrated platform. They usually require varying licensing fees, plus you face the costs associated with maintaining and upgrading each individual system. With a single connected solution like the Yardi Senior Living Suite, you alleviate these challenges, risks and frustrations by accessing every tool needed in one secure place. You empower your teams with an intuitive, easy-to-access platform — all while improving care and enhancing efficiency. What makes the Yardi Senior Living Suite an unmatched solution? The Yardi Senior Living Suite offers more than your average solution. Uniquely designed to meet the needs of senior living operators, the suite of integrated tools is hosted on a cloud-based, HIPAA and SOX-compliant platform. These tools support the full spectrum of senior living — from assisted living to CCRCs to value-based care. We also place a strong emphasis on taking care of our clients and driving growth year-round, which results in a platform that’s ever-evolving, cutting-edge and built to help you succeed for the long term. We’re proud to be a Forbes Cloud 100 software provider supporting our clients for 40+ years. You can explore our full product suite to learn more, but some of the highlights include:    Voyager Senior Housing, our community management powerhouse that combines property management, financials and complete business oversight. Yardi Senior IQ, the only business intelligence solution built for senior living — a system that helps you make smarter, faster decisions with actionable information for your entire portfolio. Yardi EHR, our full-service, interoperable electronic health record solution that helps mitigate errors, limits liability and empowers staff to deliver the best resident care. Senior CRM IQ, our collection of mobile-friendly sales and marketing tools that help you attract new residents, nurture your leads and maximize occupancy.   RentCafe Senior Living Portal, our secure online platform that keeps residents, families and staff connected around the clock. Watch a webinar Integrated software offers advantages that siloed systems can’t match. If you’re ready to see the Yardi Senior Living Suite in action, explore our library of on-demand...

Summer & Fall Events

Attending any senior living events this summer — and throughout the fall season? Team Yardi looks forward to meeting you, discussing the latest industry challenges and sharing what’s new with our single connected solution. See below for a list of events we’ll be attending, plus book time to meet us at each! ASHA 2024 Mid-Year Meeting Meet us at the ASHA 2024 Mid-Year Meeting in Dana Point, California. Our team is excited to share how the Yardi Senior Living Suite works to empower staff, automate workflows and enhance resident care. Contact us to schedule time to meet at the event. Event details: Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach June 17-18, 2024 FSLA Annual Conference Attend the FSLA Annual Conference — Engage 2024 — in Orlando, Florida. Stop by booth 29 to see how our single connected solution helps providers drive success. Book time to connect with our team during the conference. Event details: The Ritz Carlton Orlando July 10-12, 2024 OHCA Annual Convention 2024 Find us at booth 708 at the OHCA Annual Convention 2024 in Portland, Oregon. We’ll show you how our single connected solution helps providers streamline operations and deliver better care. We are pleased to be an Awards Program co-sponsor. Get in touch to schedule time to meet. Event details: Oregon Convention Center September 17-18, 2024 2024 NIC Fall Conference Visit us at the Woodley Park meeting room at the 2024 NIC Fall Conference in Washington, D.C. You’ll learn how our fully integrated technology helps providers unify operations and deliver quality care. We are pleased to be an official NIC Conference partner. Reach out to book a meeting. Event details: Marriott Marquis Washington D.C. September 23-25, 2024 AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo Connect with us at the AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo in Orlando, Florida to explore how the Yardi Senior Living Suite creates a foundation for success. You’ll find team Yardi at booth 2119. Contact us to get a meeting on the books. Event details: Orange County Convention Center October 6-9, 2024 SMASH 2024 Let’s network at SMASH 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Come meet with us to discover how our single connected solution helps providers raise the bar. We are pleased to be a Premier Platinum sponsor. Connect with team Yardi to book a meeting at the show. Event details: JW Marriott Las Vegas October 14-16, 2024 LeadingAge Annual Meeting Meet with us at booth 2239 at the LeadingAge Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. Our team can’t wait to show you around the Yardi Senior Living Suite. Arrange a meeting with us. Event details: Music City Center October 27-30, 2024 CALA Fall Conference & Trade Show Connect with team Yardi at booth 510 at the CALA Fall Conference & Trade Show in Palm Springs, California. You’ll discover how our single connected solution offers every tool you need, all centralized in one place. We are pleased to be an Awards Luncheon sponsor. Schedule time with our team. Event details: Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel & Palm Springs Convention Center November 4-6, 2024 We look forward to meeting you! Looking to explore the Yardi Senior Living Suite prior to these events? Visit our product suite or watch a quick, on-demand...

Meet Senior CRM IQ

We’re thrilled to announce the release of Senior CRM IQ, our prospect-centric customer relationship management solution for senior living. Evolved from RentCafe Senior CRM and integrated with key elements of the Yardi Senior Living Suite, Senior CRM IQ is designed to provide seamless experiences for both sales counselors and prospective residents.  Meet Senior CRM IQ At Yardi, we prioritize listening to client feedback. We’ve taken thoughtful comments on RentCafe Senior CRM — and gathered insights on what CRM functionality is missing in the industry — to create a fresh, enhanced product. That’s Senior CRM IQ, which includes an attractive user interface, new features and evolved communication capabilities. Note that well-loved dashboards and features from RentCafe Senior CRM were kept, but we’ve added a whole new level of functionality and made things more user-friendly. There’s a range of exciting workflows in the product, but as a highlight, Senior CRM IQ clients will access: A Communication Hub: send and manage all communications with prospective residents including calls, texts and emails from one convenient location. Lead stages: unlock lead stages functionality that guides sales teams through the entire prospect journey. Benefit from seamless automation for common tasks at every stage, from lead all the way to move-in. A prospect overview page: see the prospect overview at the click of a button with a centralized, easy-to-access page that presents impactful data. Intuitive dashboards: manage your digital forms in one place with a comprehensive dashboard that shows every document and its various stages. Enjoy additional dashboards for managing waitlists, occupancy and more. Campaigns: benefit from new functionality that makes it easy to send email and text blasts, then track successes such as click and open rates. You have access to premade templates, or you can create campaigns on your own. Electronic leasing: save time on paperwork and streamline your move-in workflow with electronic leases. Enjoy simplified workflows for every step of the leasing process. Competitive analysis: centralize competitor data, streamline reporting and compare your communities quickly and efficiently. You enter competitor information directly in Senior CRM IQ then unlock organized, intuitively presented insights that live in one secure place. Explore our Senior CRM IQ product page to see more functionality. What makes Senior CRM IQ unique? In addition to offering unmatched features, Senior CRM IQ stands out from the crowd by uniting on a single integrated platform. As part of the Yardi Senior Living Suite, it connects with essential aspects of your business — from Yardi EHR to RentCafe Senior Living Portal. That centralization offers countless benefits, including time savings, a reduction in operational costs and prevention of data-entry errors. Most importantly, using one automated system equips you to deliver great service through the entire prospect-to-resident journey.   “We’re pleased to introduce Senior CRM IQ, a robust customer relationship management solution designed for the unique needs of senior living,” said Ray Elliott, vice president of senior living at Yardi. “With a fresh user interface, new features and enhanced communication abilities, this solution delivers seamless experiences for both sales counselors and prospective residents.” Get in touch to learn more Using RentCafe Senior CRM and ready to move to Senior CRM IQ? Simply contact your Yardi account manager for more details and to begin the transition. If you’re a new client, book time with our team to get started with Senior CRM...

Recognizing Older Americans Month

May marks Older Americans Month, a nationwide observance led by the Administration for Community Living that we’re proud to join. As an annual occurrence, Older Americans Month (OAM) is a time to recognize seniors’ contributions, shed light on aging trends and reaffirm commitments to helping older adults thrive. We’re inspired by this year’s theme — Powered by Connection — and the thoughtful efforts by industry associations, as well as senior living communities across the nation. Read on for a highlight of the meaning behind the 2024 theme, tips for how to get involved and more! Celebrate Older Americans Month this year The 2024 OAM theme is all about keeping older adults connected. More specifically, it recognizes the impact connections have on seniors’ health and wellness — and brings awareness to the role we can all play in building those connections.   As part of the observance this year, the Administration for Community Living shared a list of ideas for participating, including suggestions for how to create connections and boost seniors’ physical, mental and emotional health. Their list is full of fun ideas like coordinating a class on topics seniors are interested in, hosting a musical event or even planning a game night. Read the full list of suggestions for participating in Older Americans Month. See how LeadingAge is getting involved   LeadingAge, an industry association committed to serving older adults, is taking part in OAM with their annual “Video Share Day.” Occurring on May 15, Video Share Day invites LeadingAge members to post PSAs with ideas for keeping older adults connected. They’ve thoughtfully created resources for members to utilize including sample videos, social media captions and more.   Read more about LeadingAge’s efforts for OAM — and keep an eye out for videos shared across social media! We’re loving this video LeadingAge posted on LinkedIn to commence Video Share Day.   Learn how Yardi powers connections in senior living We hope you’re encouraged to take part in this year’s OAM theme, Powered by Connection. Read more about the importance of OAM. If you’d like to learn how Yardi’s senior living technology solutions — including RentCafe Senior Living Portal and RentCafe Wellness — power connections for older adults, reach out to our...

Happiness In Senior Living

It’s always a pleasure to spotlight stories from our wonderful senior living clients — we love sharing how they’re engaging residents, celebrating staff members and ultimately making a difference in their communities. In that spirit, we’ve compiled a roundup of recent finds from our clients’ blogs and social media pages. We hope you enjoy! Inspiring community art Watercrest Senior Living recently shared an array of photos from their community art shows, which they describe as “a celebration of creativity and community.” We wholeheartedly agree after seeing the amazing creations! Watercrest makes it an event to remember by inviting residents, families, associates and even local schools to participate. Explore the photos on their social media which showcase caricature drawings, hand-stitched blankets and more. Honoring Earth Day In honor of Earth Day, an annual event held on April 22, Pacifica Senior Living brought residents together to create delightful art projects — all out of recycled materials! In addition to sharing photos from the arts and crafts session, Pacifica also posted pictures of residents giving their community gardens extra love and care. Check out the photos Pacifica shared on LinkedIn. Volunteering with care As part of National Volunteer Awareness month, Maplewood Senior Living created a blog post highlighting volunteerism throughout their communities. The uplifting stories include residents volunteering — such as residents knitting baby clothes for mothers in need — to mentions of students and family members joining Maplewood for volunteer efforts. Thanks to those volunteering, residents are learning how to play musical instruments, write poetry and so much more.   Read Maplewood’s blog post to see the stories of volunteer initiatives across their communities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Ohio! Celebrating 2024 Nurse’s Week Did you know National Nurse’s Week occurs each year from May 6-12? Our clients love the opportunity to thank and recognize their care staff, so it’s no surprise to see them celebrate Nurse’s Week with pride. Brightview Senior Living shared a social media post extending their appreciation for nurses, complete with a collage of charming photos of their staff. Sagora Senior Living did the same, posting a heartfelt thank you on LinkedIn directed at the nurses across their 64 communities. Thanks for reading! We appreciate our amazing clients for sharing all the above — there’s nothing better than seeing the inspiration and joy you spread in your communities. If those reading have any questions on how we support our clients with dynamic senior living solutions, reach out to book time with...

See Success In Action

We love speaking with our clients to learn about their journey with the Yardi Senior Living Suite. Not only does it allow for evolving our solutions based on feedback, but it also offers the chance to share our clients’ experiences — and successes — with industry professionals.   That brings us to our expansive library of client testimonials which includes quick, engaging video interviews. We’ve compiled three videos to share below, featuring positive experiences from leading operators Shannex Incorporated, Watercrest Senior Living and Vitality Living. Ready to watch? See how Shannex boosts efficiency With insights coming from Director Heidi Leavitt-Hornmoen, the Shannex Incorporated video shares how with help from Yardi, the organization is saving time, increasing efficiency and optimizing resident services like never before. That’s because the Yardi Senior Living Suite allowed Shannex to eliminate manual workflows and centralize their data, streamlining operations and enabling staff to best serve their 5,000 residents. “The time efficiencies we found were significant,” notes Heidi in the video. “We were able to reduce our [accounts payable] processes by 76%. We also found a 54% reduction in accounts receivable.” Heidi also describes how since making the switch to Yardi, satisfaction among residents and families has increased. She notes how with RentCafe Senior Living Portal in particular, “the ability to send communication to every single contact that’s in our system was a big win.”   Watch Heidi speak more to the power of Yardi senior living software. Explore how Watercrest enhances care services   Hearing from Principal & CFO Joanie Williams, the Watercrest Senior Living video covers the importance of integration — with Joanie noting how with Yardi software, “there’s huge value because everything talks to one another, everything’s integrated.” Since swapping disparate systems with our single connected solution — designed for the unique needs of senior living — Watercrest has generated significant time savings which in turn, helps them devote more energy to resident care. “The benefit is very significant to our residents,” shares Joanie in the video. She elaborates by explaining how when you remove the need to manually input data and build reports, you equip your teams to focus on helping residents. Watch Joanie share more on the value of the Yardi Senior Living Suite.   Learn how Vitality makes data-driven decisions Featuring VP of Wellness Syndell Lawhon, the Vitality Living video focuses on the value of making data-driven decisions. For Vitality, using data to inform decisions is achievable with Yardi Senior IQ, our comprehensive business intelligence (BI) solution. Since implementing a fully integrated BI solution, Vitality now captures impactful, community-specific insights at the click of a button. That includes insights regarding occupancy, falls and more. With that real-time data at their fingertips — presented in a visual format — Vitality teams can make decisions that improve resident care, staffing levels and revenue. “With Yardi Senior IQ, you can get any kind of data slice any way you want,” says Syndell in the video. By having actionable insights ready to go in one secure place, Vitality also saves time across their communities. Teams no longer need to hand-key data or sort through spreadsheets to find the necessary answers. Watch Syndell offer more detail on success with Senior IQ. Learn more and get in touch Did you enjoy hearing from operators finding success with Yardi senior living software? Check out our library of success stories and case studies! Contact team Yardi if you’d like to inquire further or get a personalized demo....

Support Residents’ Wellbeing

Did you know we offer a comprehensive community wellness solution for senior living? Meet RentCafe Wellness — which enables you to support your residents’ wellbeing with online activity calendars, attendance tracking, real-time information sharing and more. What makes RentCafe Wellness a differentiator? Integrated with key elements in the Yardi Senior Living Suite, RentCafe Wellness is a single connected solution that helps you manage your community wellness initiatives. From activity scheduling to creating custom event calendars, the dynamic online platform makes it easy to support residents’ health and wellbeing. Functionality in RentCafe Wellness equips you to:    Schedule activities. Maximize efficiency by scheduling and marketing wellness activities with the ability to flag registration as required or optional, create recurring activities and set registration fees. Need to make changes such as adding new activities or updating the location? Staff can make modifications directly in the platform, with updates automatically flowing into the RentCafe Senior Living Portal (when licensed) for residents and family members to see. Keep families connected. Help family members see which activities residents are attending directly in RentCafe Senior Living Portal. Information populates in the portal in real time, allowing families to monitor the wellbeing of their loved ones continuously. Want to set parameters on who can view resident data? Staff can securely control which family members may view and register for wellness activities on a resident’s behalf. Create digital calendars. Create and display customized, resident-facing calendars to announce upcoming wellness opportunities. Offer a single calendar per community or multiple calendars per community by care. Easily designate which details remain consistent and which vary month to month. For added convenience, you can publish your digital calendars for residents and families to see in RentCafe Senior Living Portal. Prefer to use paper? Quickly export calendars to Word or PDF documents to print and share across your community. Enable online payments. Allow residents and responsible parties to pay for wellness activities directly in RentCafe Wellness. When you license Yardi Payment Processing, activity charges are paid just like other community charges with a one-time monthly ACH, debit or credit card payment, or by setting up autopay. Reduce errors and save time by automating activity charge batches. Empower staff. Boost productivity among community staff by enabling the management of calendar content, design and publication, as well as activity registration and attendance tracking — all from a single platform. RentCafe Wellness simplifies staff workflows, saves time and presents an efficient method for sharing upcoming wellness opportunities. Intuitive dashboards and KPIs help staff track RSVPs and attendance, identify changes in resident behavior and forecast staffing needs. Ready to see more? If you’re looking for more information on RentCafe Wellness, check out our quick infographic. Have questions or ready to book a demo? Reach out to team...

Perspectives on Closing Tech Gaps

We’ve reached the conclusion of our senior living blog series, where we share our perspectives on themes from Argentum’s recent technology survey. Argentum conducted the survey to assess where operators’ priorities lie when it comes to technology — and explore what innovations are needed to meet their expectations.   Four key themes emerged from the report, including today’s theme, the fourth and final: urgency to close technology gaps. In short, operators are recognizing that given the evolving state of the industry, it’s time to accelerate technology innovation and adoption. We share more of the survey findings below and give a highlight of how our ever-evolving single connected solution is built to meet every need. Urgency to close technology gaps According to Argentum’s research, operators recognize that technology innovation is needed to keep up with industry shifts. From staffing challenges to navigating a new generation of residents, senior living communities are constantly navigating something new.   When asked what innovation is needed in the tech space, survey respondents noted they’re seeking the following: solutions designed for the unique needs of senior living. And taking that a step further, they’re supportive of co-innovating with technology companies to create such solutions. 80% of respondents shared this sentiment. See how Yardi welcomes co-innovation At Yardi, we are committed to taking care of our clients, which involves listening to feedback and collaborating to shape the future of our solutions. And with 40 years of experience in the industry, we’ve consistently devoted our efforts to this. We know the senior living industry is constantly shifting, which means operators’ needs (especially as they relate to technology) are continuously shifting, too. Our products across the Yardi Senior Living Suite are a testament to this, as each solution — from EHR to business intelligence — is enhanced each year based on co-innovation with our clients. We stay in touch to ensure we’re understanding each client’s unique needs, challenges and goals, and our team of industry experts makes it a priority to evolve our solutions accordingly. At its core, our suite of products is designed to always meet the unique needs of senior living.   Of course, our clients can speak to their experience with this co-innovation best. Explore their success stories, case studies and testimonial videos to see how they’re building success thanks to a collaborative relationship with our team. Learn more & connect with us We loved bringing you this senior living blog series! If you’re interested to learn more about the Yardi Senior Living Suite, our integrated solution designed to meet operators’ unique needs, watch an on-demand webinar. You’re always welcome to reach out to our team, too, with questions or to book a personalized demo. Thanks for...

Senior Living Spotlight...

Did you catch our senior living spotlight at this year’s virtual Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC)? Our team shared some exciting updates on what’s new in the Yardi Senior Living Suite, which we’ll recap below. As always, we thank our clients who provided thoughtful feedback to make these updates possible. See what’s new with our senior living software Our senior living spotlight began with a general update from Ray Elliott, vice president of senior living at Yardi. In addition to recapping recent enhancements in the Yardi Senior Living Suite — Ray also shared what the roadmap looks like for the coming year. Clients received information on:   Voyager 8: as the next generation of our flagship community management solution, Voyager 8 includes a simplified user interface, more intuitive workflows, improved navigation and more. Ray highlighted how Voyager 8 sits on our angular platform, which allows for navigating to different Senior Living Suite products easier than ever. “With Voyager 8, all of these products sit on the same platform,” shared Ray. “It’s a much more contemporary platform — it’s faster, better and more scalable for our clients.” Additionally, Ray noted how the migration from Voyager 7S to Voyager 8 is a seamless transition for existing clients. “It’s going from one version to the other without a lot of additional work on your side,” he explained. Virtuoso: this is our brand-new artificial intelligence (AI) platform. Adaptable with Voyager 8, Virtuoso animates the entire Yardi suite of products by leveraging machine learning, generative AI, natural language and large language models. Learn about RentCafe Senior CRM IQ Next up was an overview of RentCafe Senior CRM IQ, a new product evolved from RentCafe Senior CRM. Led by Candace Seidle, senior team leader of CRM consulting, clients learned what...

Perspectives on Filling Tech Voids

Continuing our senior living blog series, we’re breaking down the next theme in Argentum’s recent technology survey — filling the technology void. This theme was inspired by the following: When asked what’s needed to improve resident health management, survey respondents claimed it’s better collaboration in the industry, investment in technology to support data sharing and a widespread adoption of electronic health record systems (EHRs). We take a closer look below, sharing more on Argentum’s findings — and covering how our senior living  technology can lend a helping hand. Filling the technology void What’s needed to achieve comprehensive health management in the senior living industry? According to Argentum’s findings, roughly 61% of respondents claimed it’s “partnerships and collaboration between health care systems and providers.” Collaboration was closely followed by investment in new technology to support data sharing and analytics (according to 58.06% of respondents) — and widespread adoption of EHRs (51.61% of respondents). Respondents also shared that when vetting technology solutions, having resources that show demonstratable return on investment (ROI) is needed. See how our senior living technology can help As a longstanding provider of care solutions in senior living, we recognize the importance of everything operators shared in Argentum’s survey. We continuously focus on the needs of the industry when evolving our technology, including Yardi EHR — our full-service electronic health record solution. Not only is Yardi EHR a leading solution built to help operators simplify record keeping, streamline caregiver tasks and more, it’s also an interoperable platform — meaning it connects with verified interface partners to exchange comprehensive data. Everything is automatic and seamless, with data flowing to and from Yardi EHR in real time. Speaking to the Argentum survey results, our interoperable partnership with Kno2 is a key avenue for collaborating with health care systems. Kno2 is a health information platform that offers access to unlimited cloud faxing, direct secure messaging and referral networks. In essence, you can connect Yardi EHR to all outside providers, HIEs and health systems via Kno2 — enabling better visibility and resident health management. Learn more about our interoperability initiatives and partnership with Kno2. Looking at additional ways Yardi EHR supports data sharing and improving resident health outcomes, it’s important to note the platform’s integration with Senior IQ, our dynamic business intelligence solution. Thanks to the seamless connection between these two systems — which unite on a single platform — our clients have access to real-time clinical data. Clinical data is drawn directly from Yardi EHR and presented via intuitive dashboards in Senior IQ, making it easy to track clinical trends, identify residents at risk, pinpoint problems and improve protocols. Learn more about the power of clinical data in Senior IQ. Discover how our clients are building success We understand the value in hearing from industry peers when exploring technology solutions. Be sure to explore Yardi senior living client success stories, case studies and testimonial videos to see how they’re driving success and maximizing ROI. Learn more from us Enjoying this blog series? Be sure to keep up with our other posts. If we sparked your interest in our solutions and how they can fill the industry’s technology void, reach out to learn more from our...

Perspectives on Driving Tech Adoption

We’re back for part two of our senior living blog series, where we share our perspectives on themes from Argentum’s recent technology survey. So far, we’ve covered the survey results and our take on silo-busting (replacing disparate systems with integrated, interoperable software). Today’s post is all about the next theme: Capital to drive technology adoption. In short, operators currently see limited capital as a barrier to adopting integrated technology — but their appetite for adoption is strong. And when asked what’s most important when vetting new solutions, their answer was simple: proven return on investment (ROI). Read on as we delve deeper into the survey results — and share how the Yardi Senior Living Suite offers maximum ROI. Capital to drive technology adoption: The importance of ROI For today’s operators, financial constraints act as barriers to adoption, deployment and effective utilization of integrated technology solutions. This was agreed upon by more than 50% of survey respondents, according to Argentum. That said, operators are confident that moving forward with integrated technology is crucial. They require proven ROI, though, when evaluating potential solutions. Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents deemed ROI as critical when vetting new software. Respondents also shared their priority “shopping list” in the search for integrated technology. This included integrating outcome data and health records, as well as building out a comprehensive data infrastructure for analytics. See how the Yardi Senior Living Suite optimizes ROI Plain and simple, by uniting every solution you need on a single integrated platform, the Yardi Senior Living Suite maximizes your ROI. You eliminate the need to license disparate software systems — which lowers your total cost of ownership and offers added benefits like time savings, prevention of data-entry errors, streamlined workflows and more. As it relates to the Argentum survey, here’s a glimpse of key integrations within the Yardi Senior Living Suite — all of which offer unmatched ROI: Yardi Voyager Senior Housing and RentCafe Senior CRM: access readily updated unit availability, create electronic leases with ease and utilize a comprehensive leasing workflow. Yardi Voyager Senior Housing and Yardi EHR: capture all care cost data — and view changes in care instantly — in one secure place. RentCafe Senior CRM and Yardi EHR: enjoy a database that centralizes the entire resident story through their prospect-to-resident journey, equipping caregivers to streamline assessments. Yardi EHR, eMAR and pharmacies: optimize orders by facilitating seamless communication between caregivers and pharmacy partners. Yardi Senior IQ and all of the above: unlock a business intelligence solution that automatically collects data from tools across the Senior Living Suite, including outcome data related to CRM and EHR, as well as financial analytics. Hear from Yardi clients, connect with our team We know proven ROI is what operators need most, so we invite you to reach out to our senior living team. We’ll give you a personalized, in-depth demo of our solutions to show exactly how they maximize your ROI. In the meantime, our fantastic clients can speak to their experience with our solutions. Explore Yardi senior living client success stories, case studies and testimonial videos to see how they’re building success and boosting ROI. Keep up with the series Be sure to read the other posts in this series. If you’d like to read the full Argentum survey, download it...

Perspectives on Silo-Busting

According to a recent Argentum survey, today’s senior living organizations recognize the need for integrated, interoperable software.   Argentum — a leading association serving companies that own, operate and support senior living communities — conducted the survey to assess where operators’ priorities lie when it comes to technology. Four key themes (including the importance of “silo-busting” and the need for integrated technology) emerged from the report. We’re all about keeping the pulse on the senior living landscape, so we’re releasing a blog series that delves into each theme. And as a leading provider of senior living management software, we’re sharing our perspectives along the way. Read on for our perspectives on the first theme — silo-busting — and stay tuned for the posts to come.   Silo-busting: The power of integration and interoperability As Argentum puts it, cohesive and integrated technology solutions are needed more than ever in the senior living industry. Among survey respondents, there was near unanimous consent on this — with majority calling attention to the need for silo-busting. Respondents also shared the barriers they see in getting there, citing the industry’s struggle with software incompatibility, lack of interoperability and resistance to change. Argentum notes how the call for silo-busting goes beyond reaching smoother operations in senior living communities. At its core, it’s a “strategic imperative for achieving comprehensive resident health management, which is critical for future participation in value-based care.” The survey respondents shed light on this, with only 23.5% stating they have a comprehensive view of resident health outcomes with their current technology. Meet our fully integrated solution We agree that senior living software needs the power of integration and interoperability. Both are needed to effectively centralize resident health data, promote accuracy, enhance care services and more. We prioritize both in the Yardi Senior Living Suite, our single connected solution that unites every tool you need in one place. Uniquely designed to meet the needs of senior living operators, the suite of integrated tools is hosted on a HIPAA and SOX-compliant platform. That includes financials, care, pharmacy, marketing, business intelligence and more. With Yardi, you say goodbye to the challenges associated with siloed solutions — and reap the benefits of working with the industry’s most trusted cloud provider. More specifically, when you partake in silo-busting and implement a fully integrated solution like ours, you’re equipped to save time, reduce costs, prevent errors, streamline operations and most importantly, improve resident care outcomes. Learn more about the value of integrated tools in the Yardi Senior Living Suite. Explore our interoperable platform We’ve covered that our solutions unite on a single platform, but what about seamless data exchange between information systems? On the care side we have Yardi EHR, our interoperable electronic health record solution, which channels interoperability through a range of verified interface partners. That means comprehensive data automatically flows to and from Yardi EHR in real time. Our partnership with Kno2 — a leading health information platform — allows you to seamlessly connect Yardi EHR to all outside providers, HIEs and health systems. And depending on your license, additional features may include Kno2-to-Kno2 messaging, online identity verification, Kno2 and national provider directories, message handling, unstructured document quality control tools and more. The connection between Yardi EHR and Kno2 ultimately aligns with value-based care initiatives — and offers you better visibility into residents’ overall health management. Additional health interfaces supported by Yardi EHR include a nurse call system, dietary management platform, infection control solution and more. Learn more about the power of interoperability in Yardi EHR. Get in touch with us We encourage you to read more of Argentum’s report and check out the next post in our series. Agree on the importance of silo-busting and ready to explore our single connected solution? Reach out to our senior living...

Offer Convenience

Did you know RentCafe Senior Living Portal makes it easy for residents and families to submit online payments, view health updates, communicate with care staff, sign forms electronically and more? Designed for the unique needs of senior living, the portal ensures all parties have a convenient place to complete every task needed — and stay in touch around the clock.   Keep families in the loop Give family members peace of mind with instant, centralized access to health progress notes and community news. Integration with Yardi EHR allows authorized family members to monitor health record trends — directly in the portal — to stay informed about the care of their loved ones. Enable online payments Offer residents and families the flexibility to make payments online. Authorized users can access current balance information, view statement history and schedule one-time or recurring payments using their bank account, credit or debit card. Improve wellness initiatives Effectively manage your community wellness programs with RentCafe Wellness, a dynamic online solution that’s fully integrated with RentCafe Senior Living Portal. Online activity calendars, attendance tracking and real-time information sharing help residents, families and staff stay connected. Expedite maintenance requests Allow residents and families to submit repair requests online, anytime, for faster resolution of maintenance issues. Service requests initiated through the portal automatically flow to integrated maintenance modules and mobile apps in the Yardi Senior Living Suite. Collect electronic signatures Digitize leases, pet contracts, care assessments — any document at all — and mark them for electronic signatures. All electronically signed documents are tied to the resident record in Yardi Voyager Senior Housing making everything easy to search, find and update. Guard your reputation Monitor and manage your community’s reputation by offering a convenient way to provide confidential feedback, directly in the...

Senior Living Events

We can’t wait to attend a range of senior living events in the upcoming months — all of which provide a unique opportunity to build connections, learn from each other and explore the latest industry trends. Our team is especially excited to show you around the Yardi Senior Living Suite, our fully integrated solution that unites financials, care, business intelligence and more on a single platform. Read on for a roundup of events we’re attending (and book time to meet us at each). Senior Housing News Sales & Marketing Conference Meet us at Senior Housing News Sales & Marketing Conference in Tampa, Florida. Contact us to schedule time to meet at the event. Event details: Tampa Marriott Water Street February 29-March 1, 2024 2024 NIC Spring Conference Come find us at the 2024 NIC Spring Conference in Dallas, Texas. Book time to connect with our team at the conference. Event details: Omni Dallas Hotel March 5-7, 2024 ASCHA 2024 Convention & Trade Show Network with us at the ASCHA 2024 Convention & Trade Show in Calgary, Alberta at booth 201. Get in touch to schedule time to meet. Event details: Hyatt Regency Calgary March 11-13, 2024 TALA 2024 Annual Conference & Industry Expo Find us at the TALA 2024 Annual Conference & Industry Expo in San Antonio, Texas. Reach out to book a meeting.  Event details: Hyatt Hill Country Resort April 2-4, 2024 Together We Care Convention & Trade Show Join us at booth 308 during the Together We Care Convention & Trade Show in Toronto, Ontario. Contact our team to get a meeting on the books. Event details: Toronto Congress Centre April 8-10, 2024 Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference Visit us at the Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference in Phoenix, Arizona at booth 3001. Schedule a meeting with us. Event details: Phoenix Convention Center April 29-May 1, 2024 2024 NIC Data & Analytics Conference Connect with us at the 2024 NIC Data & Analytics Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Contact team Yardi to book a meeting at the show. Event details: Minneapolis Marriott City Center May 21-22, 2024 CALA Spring Conference & Trade Show Let’s network at the CALA Spring Conference & Trade Show in Sacramento, California at booth 208. Book a meeting with our team. Event details: Hyatt Regency Sacramento & Sacramento Convention Center June 3-5, 2024 See you soon! We look forward to seeing you at the senior living events to come! If you’d like to explore our technology solutions prior to meeting with us, watch an on-demand...