Leonard Florence Center

Boston’s Chelsea Jewish Foundation won the top prize in the High Tech/High Touch category of McKnight’s Excellence in Technology Awards — Connect Our World.

The High Tech/High Touch category recognizes excellence in using technology to improve staff-resident interactions. The Chelsea Jewish Foundation’s skilled nursing community, called the Leonard Florence Center, has units for residents with multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Center residents worked with engineers to develop assistive devices that allow them to perform functions such as adjusting window shades, controlling room temperature and changing TV channels via eye-movement sensors. Click here to read a McKnight’s article about one of the project’s gurus.

The SNF’s use of technology “is simply an outstanding example of how technology supports the independence of severely handicapped residents, who need the technology most, improves communications with other residents and staff, and allows staff to meet residents need and to focus on quality high-touch interactions,” one judge wrote.

The Silver Award winner in this category was Attic Angel Place, a Madison, WI-based continuing care retirement facility for creating an Internet-based volunteer scheduling program. Alverno Healthcare Care Facility, located in Clinton, IA, took home the Bronze Award. The facility was recognized for its creative use of iPads, laptop and desktop computers, all of which help residents have face-to-face virtual interactions with family and friends.

In all, the McKnight’s Excellence In Technology Awards will recognize winners in five categories. The schedule for the rest of this week’s announcements can be found below:

Click here, and here, for winners announced earlier this week.

Thursday – Innovator of the Year

This honors a notably innovative use of technology to improve both care and the bottom line.

Friday – Transitions Award

Recognizes an organization that harnessed technology to improve and/or reduce transitions between long-term care facilities and other care settings.