A number of weeks ago I attended AgeTech California, a densely packed one day conference on technology and aging. One of the presenters talked a little about a machine manufactured by SoloHealth that allowed their clients to do a machine based, Self-administered health and wellness check several times each week, with the data being automatically transmitted to the healthcare staff. The big win for the senior organization was that rather than consuming valuable human resources to do routine blood pressure and screening checks, they had more time to focus on clients who really needed a human touch.
A number of weeks ago I attended AgeTech California, a densely packed one day conference on technology and aging. One of the presenters talked a little about a machine manufactured by SoloHealth that allowed their clients to do a machine based, Self-administered health and wellness check several times each week, with the data being automatically transmitted to the healthcare staff.
The big win for the senior organization was that rather than consuming valuable human resources to do routine blood pressure and screening checks, they had more time to focus on clients who really needed a human touch.
It got me to wondering if this would be a good fit for senior living communities as a tool to that would allow care staff to be more efficient. I recently chatted with Bart Forster the CEO of SoloHealth and Eric Hoell Solo’s VP of SoloHealth, about what they are doing and their vision for the company. Solo Kiosks are being rolled out to in Walmarts, Sam’s Clubs , Safeway and other high traffic areas. It is free to the users with the company deriving their income by selling advertising that plays during the testing and reporting process.
How It Works
A user, sits on the device and either registers as a first time user or logs-in as a returning user. They then choose the tests they want to use for that session which today include: vision, weight, blood pressure, BMI, a health risk assessment and pain assessment. What follows is a series of questions that are designed to do two thing: (1) identify potential health risks and (2) more narrowly target the advertising the user will see during the testing and reporting process. If you choose all of the options the whole process takes about 7 minutes. At the end of the assessment the user will see their results on the screen in front of them and optionally they can receive a report by email. Finally, a user can log in to the SoloHealth website and track changes in their health and risk conditions over time.
SoloHealth and Senior Housing Residents
These devices could be a good fit for large independent senior housing communities, but probably not for smaller communities. Because for smaller communities, the advertising model does not make economic sense and as importantly, particularly for assisted living communities, it would be difficult for many of the residents to maneuver in and out of the kiosk.
The Big Win
These kiosks are a huge advertising opportunity waiting to happen, for assisted living companies. We know assisted living decisions are largely driven by children of seniors. We also know these children are typically women in their late forties, fifties and sixties. They are frequently the same ones that grocery shop and pick-up prescriptions for their families and their aging parents. They are the target market for assisted living, but it is hard to figure out how to get to them without at the same time touching and paying for a bunch of non-quailed leads. By adding just one or two additional questions to the initial assessment process the kiosk software could be programed to narrowly identify qualified prospects and present well targeted assisted living advertising.
Have any of you seen and or tried the kiosks, and what do you think? What do you think of it as an advertising medium?
Steve Moran
These kiosks sound like an interesting advertising opportunity, but I was confused by your headline, “Cheaper and Better then Referral Agencies…”. If the referral agencies you are working with are not bringing value and doing their homework to pre-qualify the leads they are sending, I can understand why you don’t see them as worthwhile, but please don’t think they are all like that. I hear complaints all the time from assisted living marketing directors who are contacted by families responding to ad campaigns who are completely unqualified. They would rather work with a reputable placement agency and know when they are sent a prospective resident they will be able to afford the community and will fit in with the other residents. There is no cost unless they move in and become a paying resident.
From a family’s perspective, they often want more than slick advertising to choose the best option for their loved one. They appreciate working with someone who knows the pros and cons of each community and has received feedback from others who have moved there in the past. Having a hand to hold and guide them to choose the best long term care option can be a valuable partnership for all.
This sounds great! I would love to see this in A.L.F’s and in the Reminiscence area, if at all possible.
I can’t tell from the picture ,but, can you press a lever to make the seat go back? I am just wondering about those in wheelchairs. Do they have to get out of the wheelchair? Or (hopefully) can you press on a lever to move the chair part back to make room for a wheelchair?
This would be of great help to the residence where I volunteer. Instead of waiting for an RN to check their blood pressure we could have them sit in the chair and have the BP, Weight, BMI, and other tests done as often as we want to. Do they take their Temp as well? Is there a test to see if they are sufficiently hydrated? We have had some issues with several people being dehydrated.
Any other information on this would be most helpful. I would love to pass this on to the staff where I volunteer.
Hi Linda:
You ask a good question with regard to referral agencies . . . and perhaps it is a bit of a stretch, but here is why it is part of the title. I consider the big national referral agencies to be terrible parasites on the senior housing communities. They provide little if any value to either the senior communities or seniors and yet they suck millions upon millions of dollars out of the industry. Those are dollars that could be used to reduce monthly service fees, improve care and services to residents or provide additional profits to the owners of those properties, who are the ones that have taken the risk and provide the services.
It is ultimately something that is just short of blackmail in that if a community does not sign-on with the referral agencies they will lose residents even if they are the best/right solution for those residents.
Because of this, I am intrigued by anything that will give senior housing communities direct access to prospects without having to pay exorbitant fees to referral agencies.
Two more things:
1. If any big national referral agency wants to make a case that I have it all wrong, I would gladly publish a rebuttal article.
2. I have written about referral agencies a number of times and the articles get lots of comments, but never once have I had a senior housing company respond that they love the agencies.
Steve Moran
Hi Cheryl:
You ask great questions and honestly, the things you are looking for including easy access to the seats don’t currently exist which is the other reason they are not a great fit for senior housing communities.
Steve Moran
From LinkedIn Groups
I am of the opinion that the Solo Health Machine could serve the purpose of adverstising for some communities but the ‘Baby Boomers” might find the technology more appealing than the residents.
My concern as a medical professional is that every encounter with a resident provides so much valuable information. Just touching someone and having an exchange of conversation even for short periods can make a huge difference. During brief interactions educated staff can assess levels of hydration, bowel function, incontinence, weight change and a myriad of physical and mental health signs and symptoms that if caught early enough will save residents hours of anguish and discomfort.
Obviously residents need to be phycially and cognitively able to use the machines so IL would be a better fit but even then I have concerns about what the resident would do with the information provided.
By clare sims
Steve, to address your comments about national, impersonal referral agencies: You and I mostly agree on this issue. I believe if any community has to rely on placement agencies to get most of their residents, there’s probably something wrong with their in-house marketing, or there is not enough positive word-of-mouth from satisfied families (which is the most effective advertising). Honestly, I am aware of several places with terrible reputations which have very nice websites and advertising. There is unfortunately little correlation between the quality of care provided and slickness of advertising. I think many places would do better to spend their advertising budget on hiring and retaining better staff, but that’s just my opinion.
You are not alone in your criticisms. I have recently heard of at least one large national chain that has cancelled contracts with a large referral agency as a result of complaints like yours. Just yesterday I received a revised contract from a chain of communities which requires I personally meet with and assess any client I am referring, plus visit them within 60 days after move-in. I have no problem with these requirements, because that’s what I would do anyway. Most of the internet-based companies would find these terms impossible. Where there is potential money to be made, there will always be companies that try to find a way to profit with the least amount of effort. This is an evolving field which I believe can fulfill an important unmet need if it’s done professionally and ethically and with the right motives.
Linda, don’t get me wrong. I think there are people who run local referral agencies who provide a real service to both seniors and senior communities. But these guys who are primarily just big on-line SEO experts, that then extract big fees do the industry and seniors no good at all.
Steve
Interesting idea, which will have great benefit in reaching more people who need even minimal access to healthcare information. It is not for everyone, but is a start. …cheaper than putting each device in the home.
Hi, was wondering what the initial cost of the machine would be? And also the cost of the monthly monitoring? I feel this would be a fabulous marketing tool for IL communities, because IL residents tend to get “lost” in the crowd because of the way the fla. Statues read that do not “allow” hands on nursing care in IL? So by the time the nursing team are called to an IL resident, they are so compromised, that usually they have to go out to the hospital? Something like this would be a huge benefit in this arena! Thank you!