Abstract

Background:

Increasingly, the senior living sector has begun to realize that it needs to embrace innovation to meet the expectations of today’s and tomorrow’s older adults. There is a growing understanding of the need to listen to seniors and design for a differentiated resident experience.

In 2016, Revera, an owner, operator and investor in the senior living sector, created the Revera Innovators in Aging program as a platform to invest in and scale innovations to improve the aging experience. Through the program, the company’s innovation team works closely with entrepreneurs to pilot new products, services and technologies at Revera retirement residences and long term care homes across Canada, and provides advisory services, coaching and strategic support.

The program includes:

• A $20 million fund to help bring to market the most promising products, services and technologies that will make a real difference in the lives of older people.
• Two people who live in the company’s long term care homes and retirement residences have been appointed as Resident Innovation Ambassadors, sharing their experiences and voicing a residents’ perspective on innovations Revera is considering investing in or piloting.
• Training in design thinking and opportunities for employees across Canada to create and submit their own innovations to be considered for implementation across the country.

Workshop Outline:

The purpose of this workshop is to explore the increasing influence of technology and innovation in the senior living sector broadly, and for seniors specifically. The session will be interactive, providing the audience with insights into the technology landscape for seniors and an understanding of how organizations can quickly and efficiently create an innovation structure to support the creativity and risk-taking required in the senior living sector today.

Through the session attendees will:

• better understand how technology and innovation are impacting and enabling the lives of seniors;
• learn about and see cutting edge technologies designed to allow seniors to live their life to the fullest;
• gain knowledge of how to design innovation initiatives within their organizations and how to engage the seniors they serve.

SPECIAL FEATURE: A live question and answer period with Revera’s two current Resident Innovation Ambassadors about their roles, technology and innovation.

Learning Objectives:

Innovation is critical in creating the aging experience that residents expect and deserve. Attendees will gain the following skills and learnings:

For researchers:

• How to engage meaningfully with seniors to deeply understand their needs and wants;
• How to design solutions with the senior at the centre;
• How to co-create with industry who can help to commercialize and scale.

For industry:

• How to create a strong innovation ecosystem;
• How to create a culture of innovation within your organization in a practical way;
• How to choose strong research and companies that align to your innovation objectives;
• How to recruit strong seniors who can become Ambassadors;

How to glean and use seniors’ insight.