Long term care technology is rapidly becoming non-negotiable for providers aiming to deliver higher quality service, ensure compliance, and manage rising operational pressures. A new survey—McKnight’s inaugural State of Technology Survey—shows that long term care providers are not just aware of the pressure, they are actively moving to capitalize on technology.
Why Technology Matters More Than Ever in Long Term Care
Providers in long term care are facing a convergence of challenges:
- Escalating regulatory demands
- Growing privacy and cybersecurity threats
- Increased expectations for data accuracy
- Wide workforce shortages
These pressures make long term care technology not just a “nice to have,” but a core component of sustainability and quality care. The survey underscores this: over 91% of respondents report that technology is strategically important to their organizations’ goals over the next one to two years. Roughly 51.5% even said it is extremely important.
Sector-Wise Variations: Who’s Leading, Who’s Catching Up
The survey grouped responses across three LTC subsectors: home care, skilled nursing, and senior living. Each is at a different stage of technology adoption and strategy maturity.
|
Subsector
|
% Saying Technology is “Extremely Important
|
Biggest Moves / Weaknesses
|
|---|---|---|
|
Home Care
|
Otto
|
Highest in “extremely important” designation but also more likely to be just beginning tech exploration.
|
|
Skilled Nursing
|
~50%
|
Strong in recognizing compliance, but lower in overall tech strategy maturity compared to others.
|
|
Senior Living
|
~49%
|
Very active in piloting and rolling out tools; lowest share saying they are not pursuing tech changes.
|
So while all sectors see long term care technology as important, home care is early in the game, skilled nursing is somewhere in the middle, and senior living seems most aggressive in moving forward.
How Providers Are Adopting Technology
The survey does more than just measure attitude—it tracks action. Here’s a breakdown:
- ~2% are fully implementing multiple tech systems
- ~30% are piloting or rolling out selected tools
- ~8% are just starting to explore new technologies
- ~6% report having a mature tech strategy in place
- ~5% currently are not pursuing tech changes
These numbers reveal a varied landscape: many providers are in transition (piloting, exploring), fewer have fully matured technology strategies, but almost everyone sees the importance.
Priorities: What LTC Providers Care About Most
The survey asked providers to rate what aspects of technology adoption are most important. Here are the top priorities in the long term care technology space:
- Protecting against data hacks
- Enhancing clinical outcomes
- Ensuring regulatory compliance
- Innovating resident engagement / safety tools
- Staff tech training and skill building
Across subsectors:
- Home care emphasizes clinical outcomes and privacy/security.
- Skilled nursing strongly focuses on regulatory compliance and secure data handling.
- Senior living shows broader spread in priorities but data security and clinical outcomes still top.
When asked for their top 3 priorities from a list of 12, clinical outcomes was overwhelmingly #1 (~60.3% of all respondents). Others frequently cited include government compliance (~38.5%) and innovating resident engagement tools (~34.6%).
Confidence & Capability: Are Providers Prepared?
Awareness and priority are one thing—confidence and capability are another. The survey finds that confidence in understanding and using advanced technologies like AI, remote monitoring, and sophisticated data systems is still mixed.
- Senior Living leads in confidence (~72.4% — combining “very confident” and “somewhat confident”)
- Skilled Nursing and Home Care follow, but with somewhat lower confidence levels.
Moreover, most respondents believe that clinical care teams will benefit the most from tech-related training and education—far more than HR, operations, or marketing. This underscores how providers see long term care technology directly impacting patient care delivery.
What’s Holding Long Term Care Back?
Even as providers express eagerness for long term care technology, there are obstacles:
- Many organizations are still in the early exploration or piloting phases, which means full system integration and scale remain limited.
- Strategy maturity is low: only about 11-12% say their tech strategy is “mature.”
- Confidence gaps still exist—especially with newer tech (AI, remote patient monitoring).
These barriers suggest the next phase of growth will require investment—not just in tech tools, but in infrastructure, training, change management, and cybersecurity.
What Comes Next: Roadmap for Long Term Care Providers
To fully leverage long term care technology, providers and stakeholders should consider:
- Developing a clear tech strategy — map out short-, medium-, and long-term tech goals aligned with care outcomes, compliance, and security.
- Investing in pilot programs wisely — test tools at a small scale, measure ROI, and iterate before full roll-out.
- Focus on data privacy and cybersecurity — given its top priority ranking, LTC providers must build secure systems and protocols.
- Training and empowering clinical staff — since they are at the center of care, their comfort with technology will determine success.
- Regulatory alignment — choosing technologies that help not just with outcomes but with documentation, compliance, and reporting.
Conclusion
The latest survey makes it clear: long term care technology is no longer optional—it’s essential. While much work remains—especially around strategy maturity, confidence in newer technologies, and operational readiness—providers across home care, skilled nursing, and senior living are moving forward. The question is not if long term care technology will shape the future—it’s how fast and how effectively providers can adapt.
💬 We’d love to hear your thoughts — how do you see long term care technology shaping the future of patient outcomes and compliance? Share your perspective in the comments below, and don’t forget to like, share, and follow for more insights on healthcare innovation.
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