How to Choose an IT Solution for Senior Living Facilities
Running a senior living facility involves managing schedules, communicating consistently and providing reliable coordination of care. Technology helps staff with everything from updating electronic health records (EHRs) to keeping families updated about their loved ones. Choosing the right IT partner ensures a facility's operational efficiency.
When senior living facilities seek the best IT solution, leadership often wants to know how to find a provider that can support safety, reliability and long-term growth. A solid solution provides backup for clinical teams, administrative functions and on-site care staff, while minimizing risk of outages or security gaps.
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Senior Living IT Partner
The best IT provider for your organization will be the one that aligns with your mission to serve and protect the seniors in your care. Resident safety and the ability to remain open depend on systems and infrastructure being trustworthy, which is crucial in an increasingly digital era.
The FBI reported that health care had the second-most cyberthreats of any industry in 2024. Of the 444 reported incidents, 238 were ransomware threats, and 206 were data breaches. Senior living facilities operate in the same risk environment as other medical services, so the technology partner must be able to enhance protections without introducing additional complications.
You should also consider features that reflect the real-world environments in which senior living facilities must operate, including dependability, compliance, support, costs and usability.
What Is the Best Value IT Solution for Senior Living Facilities? 5 Top Providers
Industry experience and long-term stability are top considerations in selecting an IT partner, since many facilities need vendors that are available throughout years of upgrades, expansions and regulatory changes. These five providers have a proven track record with organizations that serve older adults.
1. Prelude Services
Prelude Services is a full-service IT partner supporting the senior living industry with managed IT services, EHR hosting, cybersecurity, network monitoring and help desk services for mission-critical facilities, where uptime directly impacts the continuum of care. Prelude Services integrates with leading EHR solutions in the senior living market, providing secure access to clinical data while minimizing disruptions to workflows.
It also implements cybersecurity measures, including threat monitoring, hosting security, and support for security and confidentiality documentation. In addition, it ensures compliance with HIPAA and other relevant regulations. The Prelude Services system is a multi-campus solution that standardizes systems and communications across locations. Having long served nonprofit senior living organizations, it is a good choice for administrators looking to work with a partner that understands the realities of resident-centered care.
2. ThriveWell Tech
ThriveWell Tech provides senior living and health care organizations with managed IT and cybersecurity services, including infrastructure modernization and security that helps organizations refresh aging systems and procedures. Reviews highlight the excellent risk assessment practices, support for cloud migration and workforce training that improve digital literacy among care teams.
The company also provides implementation services for EHRs and other clinical applications. In the senior living space, in particular, where various organizations may utilize a combination of legacy and newer applications, integration helps stabilize the environment. Facilities that need to upgrade outdated systems or face increasing cybersecurity challenges have sought out ThriveWell for its expertise and focus on the health care industry.
3. Virtual Care Provider, Inc. (VCPI)
DAS Health recently acquired VCPI, but maintains everything users love about the program. VCPI provides IT management, cybersecurity and application hosting services for long-term care and senior living organizations. 24/7 service enables nurses, aides and administrators to work varying shifts as needed. VCPI is a long-term care specialist that understands the challenges associated with slow networks, system latency and the need for secure access.
The company provides incident response planning and monitoring tools to help administrators detect and react to unusual activity on its systems. VCPI is ideal for organizations that require managed IT services and consulting support to complement their internal processes. Its familiarity with regulatory expectations across multiple states can ease compliance for operators with multiple locations.
4. Verus Cloud Secure
Verus Cloud Secure provides cloud management, cybersecurity and cloud infrastructure services to senior living, assisted living and other health care organizations. It helps organizations migrate to the cloud and secure infrastructure. Multiple senior living organizations have been early adopters of Verus Cloud Secure, thanks to its focus on secure remote access for organizations with staff who work from mobile workstations or travel throughout the day.
It also works with organizations to develop disaster recovery plans tailored to the specific needs of the residents. Additionally, if equipment or systems are outdated or located in separate areas of the facility, you can integrate the Verus Cloud Secure platform with centralized technology to create a more reliable environment for staff and residents.
5. MatrixCare
MatrixCare supports senior living facilities and their IT needs. The company's offerings include services that help senior living facilities operate safely and effectively. These services integrate with the various platforms that administrators use, as well as a cloud-hosted system. If an organization seeks an integrated solution that documents, coordinates care and securely accesses data, the MatrixCare technology ecosystem is a good fit.
A facility may choose MatrixCare due to its features that facilitate documentation and communication among the care team. Another appealing feature is its technology support services for providers who want additional guidance on software and infrastructure.
Comparing the Best Providers of IT Solutions for Senior Living Facilities
Although many providers offer similar capabilities, the five above stand out for consistently offering high-quality, reliable solutions. Determining the best value IT solution for senior living facilities can be a time-consuming process. The table below compares the top options across multiple areas.
|
Provider |
Best For |
Key Strength |
Experience |
|
Prelude Services |
Full-service senior living facilities |
Support and managed IT |
Senior living and aging services |
|
ThriveWell Tech |
Organizations going through facility upgrades |
Risk assessments |
Health care and senior living |
|
VCPI |
Multisite operations |
Compliance |
Long-term care and senior living |
|
Verus Cloud Secure |
Companies needing cloud-based management |
Security and cloud migration |
Assisted living and health care customers |
|
MatrixCare |
Unified systems |
EHR integration |
Senior living and acute care |
How to Choose the Best Technology Partner
The best IT infrastructure is the one that's responsive to the needs of your facility. Senior living conditions can change quickly, depending on the level of care residents require and applicable regulations. Health care organizations benefit from transparent communication, especially when they have questions related to the vendor's domain.
When assessing data input capabilities, consider vendors' data portability. Residents' data will likely be transferred between facilities, levels of care and clinical partners, so portability should not impact timeliness or compliance. Integration considerations for data movement are also important. Even the best IT solution will be less successful if it does not interface with existing EHRs and pharmacy and life-safety systems.
Health care administrators should also consider the total cost of ownership over time. Total cost includes licensing, hardware upgrades and training. Pricing transparency allows you to understand where recurring costs fit within your budget.
Cybersecurity support is another essential factor in decision-making. With the increasing number of cyber threats affecting the health care sector, a vendor's ability to monitor behaviors, respond to alerts and provide recommendations may offer a competitive advantage. An effective IT partner will reduce risk levels and help to optimize operations while supporting care teams.
Building Confidence in Every Level of Care
Senior living IT runs around the clock. A trusted technology partner can help to ensure it runs smarter, safer and faster. From robust cybersecurity to infrastructure modernization, the best solutions provide a solid foundation from which to build stronger practices in senior living facilities.
Ideally, with a partner that matches their operations, senior care leadership can provide quality residential care to their populations. Now is the time to decide which of these options most aligns with your needs and the needs of the communities you support.
