In the coming decades, American society will enter a time when our population will experience rapid aging as Boomers and younger generation cross the 65-plus threshold in increasing numbers. By the 2030s, these older Americans will represent about 20 percent of the entire population. As the number of older adults in the United States grow, so too does the need for programs and communities that serve the needs of those individuals.

At Marjorie P. Lee, We’re Dedicated to Making a Difference.

As Americans get older, the senior living and care services provided by retirement communities like ours will be in high demand.

“As people live longer, many folks are coming to us later in life, when there is an acute need for more services, particularly on the healthcare side,” says Doug Spitler, President and CEO of ERH. “We want to make sure we can meet their increasing healthcare needs, while ensuring they still maintain their independence and lifestyle choices as much as possible.”

We’ve found that the lines between assisted living and independent living are blurring as American seniors look for retirement communities or in-home care providers that can provide the experience they need throughout the continuum of care. They want services that allow them to age in place—within their old family home or in an apartment at their retirement community.

To meet these changing needs, our master plan will shift our communities focus from differentiating these two categories to a more integrated concept of “residential living” that will allow residents—save for those individuals who need secure memory care environment—to stay where they live and receive care that works for them, rather than having to move to different parts of the building to receive customized services as their needs change.

Here’s what we have in the works:

• We will dramatically increase memory-support accommodations for residents to four times the current number with the entire fifth floor being devoted to memory support
• We will also create Centers of Excellence for selected therapies and expand short-term complex-care rehab services
• Our campus will undergo major redesigns and upgrades in 2016 to make our new program of individualized service possible.

In addition to these organizational changes, residents and Marjorie may also notice a new “face” among us. Our community is currently piloting a new telemedicine program that uses as VGo robot to connect residents to physicians and family members over long distances.

Marjorie P. Lee Moves into the Digital Age

The wheeled robot stands about 4 feet tall and features a 4-inch-square screen where the remote operator’s face appears. Remote operators use a secure Internet connection to direct the VGo independently and use the robots audio visual equipment to listen and talk to the people in the room as if he or she was physically present.

In addition to visual and audio communication capabilities, the VGo enables doctors to remotely monitor vital signs such as heart rate, pulse, body temperature and breathing through connective devices. The robot’s camera has zooming capabilities that allow a physician to get a better view of a specific area, wound or injury. Working in conjunction with The Christ Hospital and University of Cincinnati Medical Center, the program has already exceeded expectations.

 Introducing the new technology has allowed us to better care for residents who have experienced an extended illness or returned after a surgery.

“Before the VGo, our nurses spent a lot of time back and forth with physicians on the phone painting a picture of what the resident’s condition was like,” says Judi Dean, Director of Nursing at Marjorie P. Lee. “The physician usually wanted to see the resident, and that meant a trip to the hospital, often unnecessarily. Using VGo, the physician can see the resident and make the proper diagnosis. It’s valuable, and it can prevent re-hospitalizations.”