Senior facility is taking cyber route to compete

The previous day, an 80-year-old resident used the same system to surf the Internet for the first time.

Such scenes are becoming more common as assisted living homes offer more and newer technology to their residents.

Rexford Place is the first assisting living home in Maryland to test out My Vigorous Mind, a Web-based brain wellness software that engages users through games, pictures, music, reading and e-mail, according to the software company. About 20 of Rexford’s residents have already signed up for the program, which was developed with the assistance of neuroscientists.

‘‘More people coming into assisted living homes want computers and Internet access,” said Kim Jackson, executive director of Rexford Place in Lanham. ‘‘Families see [these programs] as an avenue to help their loved ones continue to keep their memory skills.”

Jackson said having the program draws more active residents to Rexford Place and allows the facility to offer something new, engaging and different from what its competitors provide.

‘‘This is a radically different way to attack the problem of brain wellness,” said Megan Campbell, vice president of operations at IntegraCare of Wexford, Pa., which owns and manages Rexford Place. IntegraCare manages nine facilities; the other eight are in Pennsylvania.

The touch screen system simplifies computer use to appeal to all users, even those unfamiliar with computers, said Yuval Malinsky, CEO of My Vigorous Mind of Newton, Mass. He said the program, which is used at 400 facilities in Europe and was only recently released in the United States, allays residents’ worries of being lonely or bored because they can still interact with their family and friends through the program.

‘‘They talk and tell other people about it. This keeps up facility occupancy and ensures profitability,” Malinsky said. He said the program’s ability to delay the onset of dementia and memory loss also cuts down on staff work, as residents stay mentally healthy longer.

Cecelia Kelly, director of Rexford’s Pathways program for residents with serious memory loss, said anything facilities can do to help people retain their memory is important. As the nation’s population continues to age, cases of Alzheimer’s disease also increase, she said.

My Vigorous Mind allows staff and relatives to track the mental condition of users, with their consent, based on their game scores. The same scoring system is used to provide a competitive activity for other residents.

Danna Kauffman, vice president of public policy for Lifespan, the largest senior care provider association in Maryland, said many of today’s seniors are fairly computer-savvy, so anything that emphasizes the home atmosphere will draw attention.

While brain wellness programs aren’t a major trend among senior facilities, she said, many are turning to fitness activities using the Nintendo Wii video game system. Some facilities even have their own Wii bowling leagues to simulate the sport’s arm and wrist movements.

Rexford is also working toward incorporating the Wii as part of its $1.5 million renovation, which will include a larger activity room, along with other family-friendly amenities such as a theater room and country-styled kitchen.

Campbell said the brain program’s most distinctive feature is that visitors remember it and it may encourage them to consider Rexford.

‘‘We’re the first kid on the block to have it,” Campbell said.