Meet Melissa Smith, the Lifestyle Director for Legacy at Forest Ridge, an Assisted Living and Memory Care Community in Schertz, Texas.  As the Lifestyle Director, her responsibilities include maintaining a wide variety of activities for the entire community.  It's a big job, which is why HUR SmartTouch technology is one of her most valuable resources.  Melissa estimates that by utilizing HUR solutions to track attendance, enable independent training and improve quality of life, she saves an average of 56 hours every week! 

Q: Your title doesn't specifically mention "wellness." How does the HUR equipment support you in your role as a Lifestyle Director?

A: First and foremost, HUR equipment supports our community's culture of wellness by helping residents remain physically strong to fully participate in the activities they enjoy.  For us, promoting a culture of wellness means supporting the whole person - physical, social, spiritual and emotional.  But, physical is primary because when physical health is in decline, it can prevent them from participating in activities that feed their social, spiritual and emotional needs.  The HUR equipment is a tremendous resource for helping our residents maintain their physical well-being so they can fully engage in life within our community.

That being said, we are a small community with limited staff resources.  HUR equipment saves me and my team valuable time every week by allowing us to focus our energy on patient care instead of administrative tasks.  In fact, we estimate the HUR equipment with HUR SmartTouch saves an average of 56 hours a week.

Q: Wow! That is a significant number! Can you please explain what this looks like?

A: Sure! We estimate the HUR SmartTouch technology saves us 17 hours each week through automated attendance tracking and being able to easily see who has visited recently and who might need some extra encouragement that week.

Through HUR SmartTouch, HUR equipment automatically loads the personalized training for each resident, adjusts the seat, and sets the resistance level. This saves us around 14 hours a week because so many of our residents are empowered to train independently, with little or no assistance from my staff.

And, we believe that the equipment saves us around 25 hours each week simply because our residents have the mobility, endurance, and stamina to go about their daily lives, participating in the activities they enjoy, with little to no staff assistance.

"I enjoy using the HUR machines because it is based on my schedule and preference.  I understand the benefits of group exercise, but I enjoy the private time of the early mornings.  I usually spend time on the fitness machines in the morning to help ease the stiffness of joints and muscles from sleeping." ~LouAnn L.

Q: Can you tell me more about how HUR's attendance tracking saves so much time?

A: Keeping track of how often our residents are getting to the fitness center to train is a high priority for me.  One of the main reasons our residents choose to be here is for the social connection.  If they aren't physically well and can't participate in the community, they begin to feel lonely and depressed.  This emotional state can cause them to become more sedentary, causing further physical decline.  It's a vicious cycle.

My goal is to do everything I can to prevent the decline in the first place, and that means making sure they get into the fitness center to train.  Because the HUR equipment tracks usage and records all the stats from each workout, I don't have to be there all day taking notes on who's there and who's not and watching for residents who are skipping exercises or not performing well.  I simply get on the computer and look at the numbers to identify residents who might need some extra encouragement or attention.  This is huge, and saves us around 17 hours a week. 

Q: Can you help us understand how independent training saves your 14 hours a week?

A: If every resident who came into the fitness center needed assistance throughout their workout, I would need to spend most of my time there.  Furthermore, I'd need at least one or two other staff members there all the time to assist.  Since the HUR SmartTouch allows our residents to train independently, my staff and I are able to spend more time out in the community.

For example, one of our residents who uses a wheelchair has built up so much strength through regular training on the HUR equipment, that he can lift himself out of the chair and onto the HUR equipment on his own.  More than that, he's functioning with remarkable independence outside the gym in daily life.  He's an excellent example of how the equipment is saving staff time inside and outside the gym.

"I have always been a strong woman physically and mentally.  I enjoy the HUR machines because it takes the place of what I am used to doing - physical labor.  It keeps me strong, healthy and active and keeps my muscles from failing.  It is why I can enjoy other activities and have the strength to help others." ~ Malinda M.

Q: You mentioned the HUR equipment is saving your staff 25 hours a week just because your residents are more mobile and independent.  The gentleman you mentioned is a great example of that.  Could you give me more examples?

A: Sure. When we began to look at the impact the equipment has had on individual residents, noting the residents that no longer need as much daily assistance, the reality of how much time the equipment is saving us really came into focus.

Having residents who are independent and capable of engaging in the community without a lot of assistance means our staff can focus more time on the culture and quality of living rather than spending the bulk of their time assisting residents with day-to-day-tasks.

A: Sure. When we began to look at the impact the equipment has had on individual residents, noting the residents that no longer need as much daily assistance, the reality of how much time the equipment is saving us really came into focus.

Having residents who are independent and capable of engaging in the community without a lot of assistance means our staff can focus more time on the culture and quality of living rather than spending the bulk of their time assisting residents with day-to-day-tasks.