Delivering engagement software that enhances resident well-being and staff operational efficiency
Organization name
Presbyterian Homes & Services (Minnesota)
Main Contributor
Rob Lahammer, VP of Engagement & Advocacy
Organization Type
Life Plan Communities, Independent Living Communities, Rental Communities
Organization Description
Presbyterian Homes & Services (PHS), based in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a non-profit, faith-based organization providing a broad array of high quality housing choices, and care and service options for older adults. Over 7,100 employees serve more than 26,000 older adults through 60 PHS-affiliated senior living communities in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin, and through Optage® home and community services. PHS is also co-owner of Genevive, the largest geriatric primary care practice in Minnesota, providing comprehensive care for over 15,000 older adults. https://www.preshomes.org/
Project Description
Third largest non-profit senior living provider, Presbyterian Home & Services (PHS) partners with Wellzesta to deliver engagement software that enhances resident well-being and staff operational efficiency.
Vendor Partner Description
Wellzesta is a health-tech software company providing resident and employee engage-ment solutions in senior living and home care. Organizations who partner with Wellzesta value our industry-leading engagement rates, focus on holistic wellness, and detailed data analytics.
Socialization Modality
Community App, Event/Activity Sharing, Video Chat, E-Mail, Text Chat, Digital Signage, Community Blog, E-Reader/Electronic Books, Art, Games, Exercise, Music, Facilitated Communications and Conversations, Travel
System Embodiment
Tablet, desktop computer, laptop, smartphone, digital signage, and television
Business Model
Private pay, private insurance, Medicare
Partnership
Wellzesta, a software company specializing in eldercare engagement platforms is pleased to welcome Presbyterian Homes & Services (PHS), headquartered in Roseville, Minnesota as one of its newest client-partners.
Increased Social Networks and Reduced Social Isolation & Feelings of Loneliness
Wellzesta’s software platforms allow senior living organizations to effectively engage with their residents, families, and staff, while providing personalized experiences for residents. Residents easily discover what’s happening in their community each day, while planning for better health and well-being. The Wellzesta Life platform allows employees to work in teams, rather than silos and provides operational efficiencies, allowing for more meaningful staff and resident interaction.
“Presbyterian Homes & Services is excited to partner with Wellzesta. Together we can increase our capacity to know our residents and staff better and provide them opportunities to live more purposeful engaged lives. We reviewed 10 different engagement platforms and found that the team at Wellzesta and their product have the most potential for our organization,” said Rob Lahammer, VP of Engagement and Advocacy for Presbyterian Homes & Services.
Increased Staff Efficiencies and Enterprise-Wide Communication
As a large organization, PHS can now send out corporate messages and information to all campuses in one click publish. This helps keep all of the campuses aligned and informed. The Wellzesta Life platform created bi-directional communication across departments and saved time by pushing out notifications to all residents quickly and sharing resources like menus and amenity openings with ease. Residents can easily find all community information, such as event details, social information, and community documents right at their fingertips.
One important way Presbyterian Homes & Services shares information is through Wellzesta Life’s Messaging feature. The organization can provide enterprise level messaging - by pushing messages from the corporate office to all campuses. This helps with corporate branding, message consistency, and keeps each campus involved. Many of these messages are video based and also can include ties to live events, recorded events, or shared events across the enterprise. Each message can be sent to the entire campus, one person, one building, etc. so this indicates a high degree of engagement. By moving the majority of messages into the digital world, staff save time since updates to the schedule take seconds to make (not hours).
Another way that Wellzesta Life increased staff efficiency was through Documents and Services. Within the app, documents like our monthly update from our executive director can be viewed, and service requests or questions related to housekeeping, mail, maintenance, etc., can be routed to the appropriate recipient. Residents feel empowered knowing that when they need assistance, they can usually find answers or request help through the Life app. This frees up staff, increasing their productivity. Additionally, Wellzesta enhanced the staff experience by adding "tool tips" that are live within the platform, so staff can easily find and navigate to what they need. Staff can also see recent enhancements, software updates, and tutorials in the live Knowledge Base and "tool tip" technology.
The Importance of Purposeful Living
Established in 1955, Presbyterian Homes & Services has earned the reputation as an innovative leader dedicated to promoting independence, purposeful living, and overall well-being for those they serve. Today, PHS is one of the largest nonprofit providers of senior housing and services in the nation. PHS puts people first. And since 1955, it’s the people who have been critical to their mission. When caring and compassionate employees come together as a team and support older adults so they can thrive and find purpose among friends, that’s the power of community.
“The Wellzesta team is honored to partner with such an amazing organization like Presbyterian Home & Services. PHS’s dedication to helping residents discover purpose is rooted in their daily work. We’re excited to provide a solid platform and partnership to support the organization’s goals in tailoring meaningful programming for residents, improving connectivity among campuses, saving staff time, and increasing engagement,” said Kyle Robinson, Co-Founder and Partner at Wellzesta.
Lessons Learned/ Advice to Share with Others
Having a clear content strategy (what to publish and when) makes it easier on the staff’s time. Wellzesta’s team now offers both content strategy templates, timelines, and examples. A lesson associated with the content strategy plan is the designation of one to two individual team members to execute the tactical components. Additionally, marketing the program and platform ahead of time with both staff and residents helps them get excited and acclimated to how the software can benefit their daily lives. Wellzesta offers marketing materials, in-person presentation sessions, and follow-up Q&A for residents.