As artificial intelligence (AI) improves in terms of accuracy and reliability, designers and operators of senior living environments are finding more practical uses of the technology to optimize the design process, improve construction efficiency, and enhance operations and residents and staff experiences.
The Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments (SAGE) recently hosted the webinar “Harnessing AI: Transformative Applications in Senior Living Design, Construction & Operations.”
During the session, speakers Jeffery Beegle, senior director of projects at Three Pillars Senior Living Communities (Dousman, Wis.), and Isaac Wallace, senior living market sector leader at Erdman (Madison, Wis.), shared practical AI applications, case studies, and future trends.
Here are three takeaways from the webinar:
AI as an operations tool for senior living design
Looking at operations within senior living environments, the speakers noted among the most common and widely accepted uses of AI are transcription programs, search engines, and scheduling and billing applications. These tools can help to reduce staff workloads and allow caregivers to spend more time with residents, Beegle said.
Additionally, AI is being implemented in new products that can also help staff to monitor residents’ vital signs and enhance their safety. For example, a smart toilet can monitor intake levels of stool and urine samples and add that information to medical records; and AI-enabled mats and underlayment in flooring products can be used to detect falls, as well as track when residents get out of bed. This data can help caregivers identify and respond to changes in routines or health.
Using AI to expedite design for senior living projects
For architects and designers in senior living, AI tools can help visualize projects for clients much earlier in the process. For example, Wallace says, AI applications can translate rough sketches and broad metrics into design mock-ups through a rapid iterative process to help architects understand the spatial needs of a facility design.
“We’re able to quickly go from some really quick massing models that might give clients an idea of the square footage to a more visual representation that can get clients and investors really excited about a project,” Wallace says.
Developing best practices for AI in senior living communities
Both speakers cautioned that while AI technology has come a long way and can be used to augment design and operations, it will not be able to replace human interactions.
For example, the speakers shared how a community installed AI-enabled mirrors in a memory care neighborhood that talked to residents and could answer simple questions such as the time of day or weather updates. The idea was for the AI-enabled mirrors to provide a sense of companionship for the residents, Beegle said, but instead the technology proved to be confusing to some residents with cognitive health concerns.
“We’re going to find ways of implementing AI that work for some people and not for others,” Beegle said, with best practices emerging as more data is collected about how AI works in senior environments.
For more resources from SAGE, visit here.
Robert McCune is senior editor of Environments for Aging and can be reached at [email protected].
