ConnectedLiving Helps Emeritus Senior Living Weather Hurricane Sandy by Keeping Family Members Informed

QUINCY, Mass., Nov. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- When Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast last week, ConnectedLiving, a mission-based organization helping senior citizens live richer, more connected lives through the use of technology, worked with partner Emeritus Senior Living to keep communities safe and family members informed of their loved ones' statuses. Through email blasts and constant updates, family members were comforted to know that their loved ones in Emeritus Senior Living communities were safe.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120531/NE16955LOGO )

"ConnectedLiving was a vital resource during this unprecedented weather event," said Michele DeClemente-Hughes, Vice President of Operations, Northeast Division, Emeritus Senior Living. "Even as our sites lost power and the phone lines went down, we were able to leverage ConnectedLiving's notification tool to send out continuous updates to family members that their loved ones were safe.  This was essential in helping us keep more than 1,100 families informed before, during and after the storm."

The ConnectedLiving Network is a cloud-based social platform that integrates hardware, software and content with training and support. The Network is designed to be convenient for seniors, their family members and the staff at senior living communities. Simple alerts and email notification tools are designed for situations in which hundreds of family members need to be notified of something at once. In the case of natural disasters, this tool gives peace of mind to the family members who cannot reach their loved ones by phone.

As the storm approached, 28 Emeritus communities in New Jersey, New York and New England leveraged ConnectedLiving to keep families informed about the status of their loved ones, and to assure them of their safety. Updates from individual Emeritus communities were sent to family members by email during the storm and in the days that followed. Because resident and family contact information is stored on the ConnectedLiving Network, ConnectedLiving staff members were able to access the information remotely and communicate on behalf of the Emeritus residents.  In addition, ConnectedLiving Ambassadors remained at many of the Emeritus locations during the storm to help provide additional support and activities for residents.

"Obviously, natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy have a dramatic and devastating effect on those concerned," said Sarah Hoit, CEO and co-founder of ConnectedLiving, "One of the hardest things for those with loved ones is not knowing how they've fared. We're glad that Emeritus and ConnectedLiving were able in some small way to provide peace of mind in the wake of such a terrible tragedy."

About ConnectedLiving
Founded in 2007, ConnectedLiving® is helping senior citizens live richer, more connected lives by combining simplified technology with high-touch personal support. Through the award-winning ConnectedLiving Network, a Web-based social platform designed specifically for the senior living industry, the company brings together seniors, their families, and community administrators in a secure, private online community. Coupled with the company's unique approach to training and support, ConnectedLiving integrates social networking, distance learning, community menus and calendars, and an extensive administrator dashboard to help get entire communities online and connected. ConnectedLiving has been adopted by the most recognized thought-leaders in both the private senior living industry and the public housing authorities across the country. www.connectedliving.com

About Emeritus Senior Living
Emeritus Senior Living is the nation's largest memory care and assisted living provider, with the ability to serve nearly 50,000 residents. More than 28,000 employees support more than 470 communities throughout 44 states coast to coast. Emeritus offers the spectrum of senior residential choices, care options and life enrichment programs that fulfill individual needs and promote purposeful living throughout the aging process. Its experts provide insights on senior living, care, wellness, brain health, caregiving and family topics at www.Emeritus.com, which also offers details on the organization's services. Emeritus is based in Seattle, Wash.; its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ESC.

Contact:
Karen Pantinas
Davies Murphy Group
[email protected]
1-781-418-2413

SOURCE Connected Living