Change is exciting and challenging, especially when you’ve just acquired a new senior living community. One crucial aspect of this transition in ownership is making sure your community’s information technology (IT) makes it through the handover without a hitch.
While software and cybersecurity also play vital roles, in this article we’ll focus on the hardware and infrastructure side of senior living community acquisitions and explore some key strategies and tactics that RSN Technologies relies on for seamless and successful transitions.
5 IT and infrastructure tips for senior living community acquisitions
1. Evaluate the community’s existing systems
The first step is to know what we’re working with. RSN’s standard acquisition form gives our clients a detailed yet straightforward checklist for a comprehensive evaluation of the existing IT systems.
We gather and share as much non-proprietary information as possible to make sure we understand the scope and scale of the systems in place, including servers, network infrastructure, workstations, and telecommunications equipment. With this knowledge, we can identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement to lay a solid foundation for your community’s future success.
2. Go in with a plan
For a successful transition, we work with you to develop a detailed plan outlining steps, responsibilities, and timelines, and prioritizing tasks based on their impact and urgency. IT for senior living providers is RSN’s area of expertise and has been for 25 years.
3. Get your in-house IT staff and consultant on the same team
Your staff members and residents are the ones who interact with the IT infrastructure daily. Involve them in the transition process by seeking their input and understanding their needs. Empower them to share insights, concerns, and suggestions.
RSN’s engineers will be on hand to communicate with your in-house IT team if you have one. We’re fluent in “geek speak,” as well as translating the details into language your executive director can understand. Don’t worry–we’ll make it all make sense!
4. Get ahead by planning ahead
Make sure you have measures such as backup power supplies, redundant network connections, and redundant hardware components in place to minimize downtime and ensure uninterrupted services.
Proactive planning in this regard will help you overcome unexpected challenges during the changeover.
RSN also recommends setting up parallel “transfer of management” protocols with providers ahead of time for a smooth transition. You want this to be as easy as flicking a switch!
5. Plan for “all hands on deck” for the transition
At last, the big day has arrived, the day when you officially take over management of your new community! This is not the day to send everyone home early!
RSN Technologies suggests having all your critical staff from maintenance and management, as well as IT, on hand for the transition. You don’t want to be locked out of a vital room because maintenance is out for the day or have any decision makers from management out of the loop.
On our end, we always schedule a dedicated team to be present for 24-48 hours for each transition. Even if it only takes four hours for the IT changeover to complete, we are ready and standing by to tackle any issues that may occur.
Grace–The RSN Technologies Difference
Here at RSN we work with technology and systems—but we do it for people. We do it for the senior living providers we serve, and the older adults and families who rely on them.
We never lose sight of this perspective, even during the tense or unexpectedly difficult moments of an ownership change (and they happen).
Our core value of Grace reminds us that it’s always okay to slow down, take a deep breath, and communicate clearly and with respect. Whatever the challenge, at RSN Technologies we know that we can reach a graceful and effective solution for our clients. Contact us today to learn how we can partner with you for your next senior living community acquisition.