According to a recent Argentum survey, today’s senior living organizations recognize the need for integrated, interoperable software.   Argentum — a leading association serving companies that own, operate and support senior living communities — conducted the survey to assess where operators’ priorities lie when it comes to technology. Four key themes (including the importance of “silo-busting” and the need for integrated technology) emerged from the report. We’re all about keeping the pulse on the senior living landscape, so we’re releasing a blog series that delves into each theme. And as a leading provider of senior living management software, we’re sharing our perspectives along the way. Read on for our perspectives on the first theme — silo-busting — and stay tuned for the posts to come.   Silo-busting: The power of integration and interoperability As Argentum puts it, cohesive and integrated technology solutions are needed more than ever in the senior living industry. Among survey respondents, there was near unanimous consent on this — with majority calling attention to the need for silo-busting. Respondents also shared the barriers they see in getting there, citing the industry’s struggle with software incompatibility, lack of interoperability and resistance to change. Argentum notes how the call for silo-busting goes beyond reaching smoother operations in senior living communities. At its core, it’s a “strategic imperative for achieving comprehensive resident health management, which is critical for future participation in value-based care.” The survey respondents shed light on this, with only 23.5% stating they have a comprehensive view of resident health outcomes with their current technology. Meet our fully integrated solution We agree that senior living software needs the power of integration and interoperability. Both are needed to effectively centralize resident health data, promote accuracy, enhance care services and more. We prioritize both in the Yardi Senior Living Suite, our single connected solution that unites every tool you need in one place. Uniquely designed to meet the needs of senior living operators, the suite of integrated tools is hosted on a HIPAA and SOX-compliant platform. That includes financials, care, pharmacy, marketing, business intelligence and more. With Yardi, you say goodbye to the challenges associated with siloed solutions — and reap the benefits of working with the industry’s most trusted cloud provider. More specifically, when you partake in silo-busting and implement a fully integrated solution like ours, you’re equipped to save time, reduce costs, prevent errors, streamline operations and most importantly, improve resident care outcomes. Learn more about the value of integrated tools in the Yardi Senior Living Suite. Explore our interoperable platform We’ve covered that our solutions unite on a single platform, but what about seamless data exchange between information systems? On the care side we have Yardi EHR, our interoperable electronic health record solution, which channels interoperability through a range of verified interface partners. That means comprehensive data automatically flows to and from Yardi EHR in real time. Our partnership with Kno2 — a leading health information platform — allows you to seamlessly connect Yardi EHR to all outside providers, HIEs and health systems. And depending on your license, additional features may include Kno2-to-Kno2 messaging, online identity verification, Kno2 and national provider directories, message handling, unstructured document quality control tools and more. The connection between Yardi EHR and Kno2 ultimately aligns with value-based care initiatives — and offers you better visibility into residents’ overall health management. Additional health interfaces supported by Yardi EHR include a nurse call system, dietary management platform, infection control solution and more. Learn more about the power of interoperability in Yardi EHR. Get in touch with us We encourage you to read more of Argentum’s report and check out the next post in our series. Agree on the importance of silo-busting and ready to explore our single connected solution? Reach out to our senior living...

Yardi-supported Guiding Eyes for the Blind is a nonprofit founded in 1954 in Yorktown Heights, NY. Guiding Eyes for the Blind provides guide dogs to people with vision loss. This one-of-a-kind nonprofit organization is known worldwide as a center of excellence with a spirit of innovation. Since 1954, Guiding Eyes has graduated over 10,000 guide dog teams and is one of only two guide dog schools to serve people who are Deafblind. Guiding Eyes provides services, programs, and follow-up support to their clients at no cost and serves all 50 states, including Canada. Guiding Eyes also collaborates with guide dog organizations worldwide to share expertise and information on genetics, breeding and training. Guiding Eyes aims to graduate 150+ guide dog teams and support 1,000 active guide dog teams yearly. The journey of a guide dog takes about two-plus years and includes the following: Breeding and care: focus on the human-dog bond for up to eight weeks. Training with a skilled volunteer puppy raiser: eight weeks to 15 months. Formal harness training: hundreds of repetitions in various settings, five to 12 months. Training with blind people: on-site or in the student’s home area, 10-15 days. Follow-up Support: Throughout the partnerships, it averages eight years. Guiding Eyes is beginning to build a new Canine Wellness and Training Facility over the next three years to provide the best environment for guide dogs in training and enable its organization to grow and place more guide dog teams annually. “Guiding Eyes relies on the support of individuals, corporations and foundations to facilitate our work. We do not receive government grants. We also have a network of 1,700+ volunteers who make the mission possible every step of the way,” said Rebekah Cross, director of donor relations for Guiding Eyes. Funding from Yardi helps Guiding Eyes assist in training and placing a guide dog for someone blind in the local NY/CT/NJ area, directly impacting donors. “At Guiding Eyes for the Blind, we are incredibly grateful for the support received from Yardi over the past two years. Yardi’s support plays an integral role in enabling us to fulfill our mission of providing guide dogs to people with vision loss,” expressed Cross. Breeding, raising, and training a guide dog is resource intensive, both financially and through the hundreds of people involved in each guide dog, and costs up to $50,000 annually per dog. Yet, the ROI is priceless through the opportunities resulting from the increased independence and confidence partnering with a guide dog brings. Jaydene and Nita Every individual receiving a Guiding Eyes guide dog has a unique and diverse experience and vision loss journey. Still, the resounding sentiments from all graduates are the feelings of joy, freedom, safety and confidence provided by their four-legged partners. NYC native Jaydene lost her sight as a teenager and received services from a local agency that she now works for, providing technology support and training for those with vision loss. Before getting her first guide dog, Licorice, she realized how much more quickly friends with guide dogs walked. Living in the greater New York City area, Guiding Eyes is a household name she applied to and took that leap of faith. “I have a much greater sense of independence. I like to say that a guide dog is the fine wine of mobility and travel,” shared Jaydene. Nita is now Jaydene’s second guide dog, a yellow Labrador Retriever, “With Nita, I can get wherever I need to the fastest and safest way possible.” Read more about Jaydene’s journey at Guiding Eyes and more fun perks about Nita. Volunteer Opportunities Guiding Eyes has many volunteer opportunities, from home socialization of six to eight-week-old puppies to puppy raising and sitting to fostering a brood or stud in its breeding program. They also have opportunities on its campuses in Yorktown Heights, NY and Patterson, NY, ranging from administrative to dog care. Learn more and...

An article published here almost three years ago explored the state of housing construction, which were reaching the highest prices in 15 years because of rising demand driven by low mortgage interest rates and the spiriling cost of materials such as steel and copper wire. By May 2021, lumber price spikes alone added nearly $12,000 to the market value of a newly built multifamily home. A Wells Fargo economist noted, “New residential construction remains strong but building material pricing and availability are likely to remain significant headwinds.” Crane and building construction site against blue sky Today, construction has slowed “due to supply chain bottlenecks, rising costs and high-interest rates,” says Construction Dive, a news source for construction and building industry trends. The federal funds interest rate recorded a 22-year high in September 2023, potentially making financing more expensive going forward as interest rates fluctuate and impact the feasibility of some projects. Materials, supply chain impacts While prices for some materials such as lumber and softwood lumber declined in 2023, other materials have seen sharp increases. Concrete products, for example, were 14.8% higher in 2023 than in 2022. Construction equipment and machinery also saw double-digit price growth from 2022-23. Furthermore, the supply chain is still recovering from the massive bottleneck caused by COVID-19. Federal law requiring federally funded construction projects to employ U.S.-created materials poses a formidable challenge to manufacturing capacity. “Supply chain challenges mean that even the most diligent contractors are likely to get hit with parts shortages and delays,” says Construction Dive. Worker shortage persists Another persistent problem is the shortage of skilled construction workers.  “Demand for construction workers is at an all-time high but the number of skilled workers is lower than ever,” Construction Dive says, with 91% of contractors having trouble filling positions in 2023 and the industry needing about 546,000 additional workers — including engineers, superintendents, project managers, safety and quality managers and architects — to meet production demands this year. Property insurance leader The Hartford projects that more than 40% of the current U.S. construction workforce will retire in the next decade. Meanwhile, job openings remain at a historic high level. “The expectation is that construction worker shortfalls will remain elevated,” says Anirban Basu, chief economist for Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), a national construction industry trade association. Pipeline strength boosts industry These factors contribute to an environment in which “contractors are looking for ways to cut costs, protect their assets and stay ahead of potential losses,” says Construction Dive. But many insiders believe the economy is still strong enough to keep the industry out of serious trouble. In fact, a JLL forecast of U.S. and Canada construction trends for 2024 forecast notes that a strong project pipeline will keep the industry busy through the year, despite higher interest rates and slower private starts. JLL projects construction cost growth of 2% to 4% this year, with shorter lead times and more stable prices for most materials. “We believe some of the pressures are easing from the COVID-19 pandemic and related issues, like product delays, have slowly alleviated. Yet there are still some bottlenecks with things like electrical equipment, so it is still critical to plan well in advance,” says Chris O’Hala, managing director of construction risk engineering for The Hartford. With the industry in flux, it will be important for leaders to “address any potential risk factors. A lot of leaders have been increasing their planning efforts and looking into technology solutions to combat the ongoing labor shortage,” says David DeSilva, head of construction at The Hartford. Further boosts to construction could come from legislation passed in 2021 and 2022: the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act and the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act. Tips from Construction Dive and other insiders that can help construction firms remain stable include: Developing a contingency plan for material shortages or delays...

March is Women’s History Month. Here’s a look at nine impactful women, past and present, who have changed the course of technology and science. Ada Lovelace. The very first computer programmer was a woman! Ada Lovelace is considered the founder of scientific computing. Lovelace was an English mathematician who published the first code meant to be carried out by a machine. Sadly, she did not live to see her work used in Charles Babbage’s analytical engine. Still, her previously little-known work and approach to science have broken through to inspire present-day young women interested in computer programming. Ana Roqué de Duprey. Ana Roqué de Duprey was the first woman in Puerto Rico to write a geography textbook for students, which the Department of Education of Puerto Rico adopted. Roqué had a passion for astronomy and education, founding several girls-only schools and the College of Mayagüez, which later became the Mayagüez Campus of the University of Puerto Rico. Roqué wrote the Botany of the Antilles, the most comprehensive study of flora in the Caribbean at the beginning of the 20th century and was also influential in the fight for Puerto Rican women’s right to vote. Edith Clarke. Edith Clarke was the first woman electrical engineer. Struggling to find work as a female engineer, she became the first professionally employed female electrical engineer in the United States in 1922. She paved the way for women in STEM and engineering and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2015. Katherine Johnson was an African American space scientist and mathematician who enormously contributed to America’s aeronautics and space programs by incorporating computing skills. She played a huge role in calculating critical trajectories in the Space Race, calculating the trajectory for Alan Shepard, the first American in space, and the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the moon. In 2015, Johnson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Johnson is now retired and continues to encourage students to pursue careers in science and technology. Maria Klawe, the first female president of Harvey Mudd College, was a prominent computer scientist. She worked hard to ignite passion for the STEM field among diverse groups. Her workhelped support the computer science personnel’s innovation ability during her tenure at Harvey Mudd College. It has raised the percentage of women majoring in computer science from less than 15 percent to more than 40 percent today. Sally Ride. Sally Ride transformed history by becoming the first American woman to fly into space in 1983. After her second shuttle to space, Ride retired from NASA and pursued her passion for education by inspiring young people. Ride passed away in 2012, but her legacy and work inspire young women nationwide. Dr. Gladys West. One of the most inspirational black leaders and pioneers of the tech industry. Dr. West is credited with writing the code that made GPS possible. Over the years, she worked to account for the tidal, gravitational and other forces that distort the understanding of Earth’s shape. Without her tireless efforts, GPS as we know it may not exist today! Megan Smith. Former President Obama named Megan Smith the first female United States Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in the Office of Science and Technology. Before this role, Smith served as CEO of PlanetOut. This leading LGBTQ online community broke many barriers by partnering with several major web players. She was also the former Vice President of Google. After leaving politics, she pushed for more diversity in the tech sector during her years as CTO and helped create the Tech Jobs Tour, a country-wide effort to put more people in tech jobs. Gayle Nobel. Gayle Nobel is a 77-year-old retired Jewish engineer. Her quirky ways have captured the eyes of many on social media with her heart of gold. In her working years as an engineer, Gayle has over 50 patents registered. She always wanted to be a pilot,...

The latest Yardi Matrix Self Storage webinar provided insights into the current state of the economy and its impact on the self-storage industry. Find a full recording of the March 6 webinar here and view the presentation deck here. The self storage sector began seeing weaker performance in 2023 due to a decline in demand, primarily caused by low home sales (due to high interest rates) and subsequent reduced mobility nationwide. There has been a 25 percent reduction in state-to-state migration compared to 2021 and 2022. Consequentially, self storage revenue growth was nearly flat last year, driven by declining occupancy and decelerating street rent growth.  Find the most recent monthly report on the self storage sector from Yardi Matrix. A near term expansion in self storage supply is forecast, while the coming years are expected to show an overall inventory decrease. Jeff Adler, vice president of Yardi Matrix, mentioned new rental strategies employed by REITS that keep street rents low and quickly moving vacant spaces, impacting same-store rent growth negatively. Despite construction and completions remaining steady, same-store rent growth was -3 percent in January. Adler discussed the current state of the market, highlighting that occupancy and rent increases during the pandemic pushed same-store sales revenues up by 37 percent. However, same-store occupancies have now declined to pre-COVID levels, hovering around 90 percent, and the decline in street rents is affecting overall revenues. Matrix analysts believe that that the sector may not see a significant performance improvement until home sales recover, expected in late 2024 or early 2025. “I think an improvement really doesn’t happen until home sales happen, which means the for-sale market opens up and that means (lower) interest rates, and that’s later in 2024, maybe early 25,” Adler said. However, potential opportunities in self storage are not unheard of. Locations where supply pressures were putting downward pressure on street rents, such as Orlando, Tampa, and Atlanta. Markets that experienced declining supply over the past few years, like New York, Denver, and Minneapolis, are considered to be on the mend. “These are places that really were hit hard a few years ago. But supply is waning. So they’re the first to kind of bounce, and I would say there are opportunities for stressed or distressed properties, you know, acquired in 2021 and 22 or developed in 2023,” Adler said. Gain more insight on the state of the economy as a whole and projections for the housing market by listening to the webinar...

Each year, Yardi distributes philanthropic aid to organizations selected by its employees. Decatur, Ga. based Global Village Project (GVP), founded in 2009, is a one-of-a-kind, tuition-free middle school created to meet refugee girls’ unique and holistic needs. Refugees arriving in the U.S. often find their children facing obstacles to an equitable education or needing to catch up academically. New students are typically placed in classrooms according to their age. Girls — who often have additional family responsibilities inside the home and who may face cultural pressure to pursue paths other than education — are at further risk of dropping out of school. “In contrast to these typical odds, when given access to a school community that is deeply committed to understanding and meeting their unique needs, we see our students and alumni thriving within and beyond the classroom,” said Leah Kuenzi, senior grants manager for GVP. GVP’s mission is to reactivate the schooling of refugee girls so they can access all the benefits of an education. GVP is a dual-accredited (State of Georgia and Southern Association of Independent Schools) special-purpose middle school offering a three-year accelerated curriculum designed so that students can overcome gaps in their education and get caught up academically before moving on to high school and beyond. Typically, 45 students are enrolled yearly, the maximum capacity for the current space. Growing at a rapid pace In recent years, the Atlanta area has seen a 300% increase in refugee arrivals. Per this trend, since 2017, GVP has had to turn away, on average, 44% of the students applying each year due to the limited scale of operations and space constraints. GVP plans to relocate to a larger venue to accommodate its growing needs, with the intention of being able to accept 100 kids yearly. Luckily, a large donation was made, and GVP will be renovating a three-building campus with over 26,000 square feet of space just four miles away from its current location. Funding from Yardi has helped GVP respond with agility to areas of greatest need and support for their current operations. “While all grant funds are meaningful to our organization, it’s especially exciting to know that our work caught the attention and won the support of the entire team at the Atlanta Yardi office,” explained Kuenzi. “As our name implies, we know that “it takes a village” and are so grateful that Yardi Systems chooses to be a part of ours!” Mathematical Thinking Caroline Henry is a math teacher at Global Village Project. She teaches newcomers and intermediate students. Henry teaches math a bit differently than a typical math teacher would. Instead of students just showing a numerical answer, she invites the students to the board and has them explain their thinking of the problem and their strategy aloud and analyze as a group what the best strategies are. Henry always allows those to “pass” if they wish, but to her delight, most girls jump at the chance to share their mathematical thinking with their school sisters. Last year, one reserved student would clap with such enthusiasm that it quickly became a tradition. “If you feel safe and brave enough to stand in front of the class, show us your math and explain it in English, you deserve a round of applause!” This same student has carried this tradition forward to a new group of girls, and the classroom is full of shouts of encouragement, congratulations, clapping, and so much joy. Henry says this is the joy and great privilege of her work at GVP. “These seemingly small things that we celebrate each day at GVP really are not small things at all: a girl has survived, a girl has adapted and is beginning to thrive, a girl is getting an education,” said Henry. At GVP, refugee girls feel safe taking risks, trying new things, and honoring one another. “Thank you for your part in...

The Yardi Investment Management team has amped up its real estate investment management website to provide new value for all owners, investors and investment managers.  The website represents a single repository for information about the Yardi Investment Suite and its elements: investor services, investment accounting, debt management and investment analysis. Readers can view user testimonials and schedule a live demo.  “Website users can easily find insight into ways to improve their investor service, analytic capabilities, reporting, compliance, and more. The site reflects the interconnectivity or integration of the Investment Suite, the only software solution that provides visibility through the entire real estate investment lifecycle,” says Chris Barbier, senior director of investment management for Yardi. “Readers are encouraged to navigate and reach out with any questions or comments.”  Read more about the value available from the Yardi Investment...

Changes to HOTMA guidelines are coming fast, particularly as implementation deadlines approach. If you don’t keep up with changing compliance rules, your team could be learning outdated information. HOTMA stands for the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016. Years in development, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is now publishing final rules and developing technological standards for submitting compliance data. Don’t risk implementing HOTMA without knowing current standards. There’s a lot to learn and it all can become overwhelming without a well-informed training professional on your team or a contract with an outside affordable housing consultant. Plan Your HOTMA Training Just in time for 2024 implementation deadlines, affordable housing providers have a new opportunity to receive HOTMA training from the DeSilva Housing Group (DHG), a leading consultant serving the industry nationally. DHG calls this series the HOTMA Express. It’s an appropriate name because the trainings are fast and designed to catch up affordable housing providers with the latest changes to HOTMA implementation guidance. HOTMA Express sessions begin in March. The first in the series will happen in in Charlotte, NC and the next in Gatlinburg, TN. Registration fees for those two sessions are currently discounted by 50%. HOTMA Express trainings continue this summer and early fall in cities across the country. “We designed these courses with flexibility to adapt to HUD as they solidify HOTMA implementation guidelines. My team is diligently keeps up with notices in the Federal Register, and our learners can be assured that the content taught to be up to date with all current policies and procedures,” says Jenny DeSilva, DHG founder and president. DHG expects the training to be especially beneficial because they are live, in-person sessions. There will be ample opportunity for group discussion, questions and answers, and sharing successes and challenges. Attendees should feel comfortable to raise topics and respond to others as the live training environment will foster personal communication. How is Yardi Involved? Yardi® is the exclusive sponsor of DHG’s HOTMA Express trainings. Chris Voss, Yardi vice president of Affordable Housing, explains why. “Many of our clients have asked about the best ways to access HOTMA training. We do our best to make sure they know Yardi solutions will be ready once everything is set by HUD. But, training on best-practices for implementation new policies and procedures will often require a consultant with professional training experience. DHG is a perfect choice to serve in that role not only for our clients, but the industry as a whole,” says Voss. Get On Board While DHG’s HOTMA Express is sponsored by Yardi, it’s open to anyone who would like to register. You can find the training schedule and registration links on the DHG website. “This is a great opportunity for Yardi to help the affordable housing industry prepare for some of the most significant changes we’ve seen in years from HUD. Our team will be there during the live sessions to not only learn from DHG, but also to hear directly from affordable housing providers, clients and not, about their current challenges and effective strategies for HOTMA implementation,” says Voss. Yardi clients seeking even more affordable housing and PHA training, including HOTMA and dozens of other topics, can sign up for the Yardi Forum, coming to National Harbor, Maryland May 23 and...

We can’t wait to attend a range of senior living events in the upcoming months — all of which provide a unique opportunity to build connections, learn from each other and explore the latest industry trends. Our team is especially excited to show you around the Yardi Senior Living Suite, our fully integrated solution that unites financials, care, business intelligence and more on a single platform. Read on for a roundup of events we’re attending (and book time to meet us at each). Senior Housing News Sales & Marketing Conference Meet us at Senior Housing News Sales & Marketing Conference in Tampa, Florida. Contact us to schedule time to meet at the event. Event details: Tampa Marriott Water Street February 29-March 1, 2024 2024 NIC Spring Conference Come find us at the 2024 NIC Spring Conference in Dallas, Texas. Book time to connect with our team at the conference. Event details: Omni Dallas Hotel March 5-7, 2024 ASCHA 2024 Convention & Trade Show Network with us at the ASCHA 2024 Convention & Trade Show in Calgary, Alberta at booth 201. Get in touch to schedule time to meet. Event details: Hyatt Regency Calgary March 11-13, 2024 TALA 2024 Annual Conference & Industry Expo Find us at the TALA 2024 Annual Conference & Industry Expo in San Antonio, Texas. Reach out to book a meeting.  Event details: Hyatt Hill Country Resort April 2-4, 2024 Together We Care Convention & Trade Show Join us at booth 308 during the Together We Care Convention & Trade Show in Toronto, Ontario. Contact our team to get a meeting on the books. Event details: Toronto Congress Centre April 8-10, 2024 Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference Visit us at the Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference in Phoenix, Arizona at booth 3001. Schedule a meeting with us. Event details: Phoenix Convention Center April 29-May 1, 2024 2024 NIC Data & Analytics Conference Connect with us at the 2024 NIC Data & Analytics Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Contact team Yardi to book a meeting at the show. Event details: Minneapolis Marriott City Center May 21-22, 2024 CALA Spring Conference & Trade Show Let’s network at the CALA Spring Conference & Trade Show in Sacramento, California at booth 208. Book a meeting with our team. Event details: Hyatt Regency Sacramento & Sacramento Convention Center June 3-5, 2024 See you soon! We look forward to seeing you at the senior living events to come! If you’d like to explore our technology solutions prior to meeting with us, watch an on-demand...