When we talk about residents of senior living in 2019, we’re referring to members of the baby boomer and Gen X generations. Baby boomers are much more technologically adept than their counterparts from a few decades ago. In fact, a recent Pew study found that 40 percent of seniors now own smartphones. More specifically, 59 percent of 65- to 69-year-olds and 49 percent of 70- to 74-year-olds are smartphone owners.
Increasing smartphone adoption—coupled with the rise of streaming services, video calling, and social networks—has transformed the way senior living communities need to think about technology. As such, Wi-Fi is becoming more important for communities to implement as demographics are shifting. As more baby boomers and Gen Xers begin moving into senior living communities, Wi-Fi will become even more important.
Some senior living communities have the misconception that Wi-Fi is incredibly expensive. Thanks to innovation in connectivity technology, there are a number of affordable options for a powerful, reliable, and secure data network.
Are you happy with your senior living community’s current wireless capabilities? Or is it time to migrate to a new networking solution? To help you figure out whether you have the right Internet setup for your senior living community, here are four areas that you should evaluate:
1. Speed
A slow wireless connection can affect more than just Internet browsing on a laptop or mobile device. Some residents will use the Internet to watch over-the-top content on Netflix, other residents will connect with Skype or FaceTime to chat with their family members while they’re taking a walk.
Delivering a pleasant resident experience starts with having high-speed connections available across your entire property. To do that, you need a network that delivers the bandwidth needed to handle multiple devices and types of Internet usage simultaneously. You can also leverage a high-speed connection to better support your TV programming package, phone lines, or voice-enabled smart devices in the residence. Many properties leverage tiered bandwidth features to provide free access to all residents and revenue generating upgrade options for users with greater needs.
The best networks are able to accommodate traffic with ease by having the appropriate amount of bandwidth. This ensures fast connections for all users on multiple devices from any location on your property.
2. Scalability
Is your network capable of handling your senior living community’s connectivity needs as we move further into the future? Whether your property plans to add more rooms to the community or you just want to be ready to accommodate an ever-increasing amount of devices, your property needs a network that can keep pace with your growth.
It can be inefficient and costly to invest in the implementation of a new data network only to learn that you need to repeat the process again a couple years later to upgrade your capabilities. The best Internet solutions enable you to future-proof your senior living community’s technology needs thanks to a scalable network design that makes it easy to add extra bandwidth as needed.
3. Security and monitoring
With the influx of mobile devices on your property’s network, security is critical to keep your residents’ information safe. It’s important to protect your community’s network from unauthorized individuals who want to gain access to your network and compromise resident and employee personal information. Dedicated bandwidth for staff and usage monitoring are also valuable features to ensure users are unable to monopolize the network’s bandwidth allowing for proper allocation propertywide.
The best networks are designed by vendors that prioritize security, monitoring, and reporting capabilities. With the right network in place, you get the comfort that comes with knowing that confidential information is protected—always.
4. Reliability
Imagine one of your residents is planning to FaceTime with their grandchild at a specific time. When the moment comes, the resident is unable to connect with their loved one because the network is having connectivity issues. To avoid situations like this one, your senior living community should invest in a network that is reliable and properly supported
Leading networks have failover and continuity built into their foundations so that in the event an outage occurs, the user experiences minimal connectivity issues. Look for a provider that can design a network properly to ensure high availability and reliability. Additionally, verify that the vendor will provide round-the-clock support and remote monitoring of your network to troubleshoot issues quickly and alleviate the maintenance burden from your staff
Is It Time for Your Senior Living Community to Invest in a New Network?
If your network isn’t equipped with high-speed Internet, can’t scale to accommodate growth in your community, doesn’t have top-notch security, or isn’t reliable, it’s worth considering an alternative solution.
The right Internet setup at your senior living community can help your residents feel right at home, accessing the services and content they enjoy. Investing in a high-speed network is a practical way to gain a competitive advantage and make your property stand out among your peers that are slower to adapt to modern technology.
Your provider for high-speed Internet is a key partner that has the expertise and experience with other senior living communities to custom design the network that meets your needs. They can walk you through the design and implementation stages and support your team on a 24/7 basis.
