✨ Resident Life

Here at Wake Robin in Vermont, we have a resident installed and resident operated listserv that serves our 400+ residents. We have four resident volunteer moderators and are governed under the umbrella of our resident association. The platform is hosted by a non-profit vendor in San Francisco ($15./month cost) and operates seamlessly. First and foremost, it requires only revealing one's email address and no other private or personal information; it is as simple to use as using email and three years in operation has proved a valuable and valued part of our community. And yes, we briefly considered Google Groups and find this simple email subscription listserv meets the needs of a wide range of resident comfort with technology.

In response to the question about a "bulletin board", at Wind Crest we use Google Groups to setup a listserv for each building. Each building has a listserv manager. Any resident in the building can ask for help and any resident can respond. If a resident has something to give away or sell, they can send a message to the building. This system is resident created and resident controlled. The building managers have a listserv to share announcements of events for the campus. There is one email address for each building. This makes it simple to use.

Charles Nadler

Wind Crest CCRC (Erickson Senior Living)

Highlands Ranch, Colorado

We don't currently have any type of an online portal, but the UniGuest functions listed here look like they'd be very useful for our community.

Does anyone have an idea of startup cost and cost charged to the corporation per month?

Thanks!

Deborah

We use Icon at our community as well. I was actually invited to sit on the Icon resident customer advisory board and so may have some pull here. We have our first meet up next week. I can see about getting these added. Ive never had an issue with them adding stuff and generally have been able to get them to move quite quickly.

Icon does have a bulletin board feature to Rob's question that we use in our community.

Michael

What follows below was written by ChatGPT based on my prompts. Maybe it will be helpful.

-------------- ChatGPT --------------------------------

🔍 What is an "Interested List"?

• A non-committal list for residents who are curious or potentially available to attend an event.
• Unlike a formal RSVP or waitlist (which implies commitment if accepted), it’s a soft flag: “Let me know if there’s an opening—I’m interested, but not obligated.”

🧠 How this can be implemented in event management systems:

✅ 1. Workaround via Tags or Status Options

• Some systems (like Touchtown, part of Uniguest) allow custom status fields or multiple RSVP categories.
• Example: Instead of just “Going / Not Going,” you might have:
• ✅ Yes
• 🕒 Waitlist
• 👀 Interested
• Staff can then sort or filter by status when managing the event.

✅ 2. Manual Signup List

• A separate “Interested?” sign-up sheet could be created (physical or digital form).
• Residents add their name to express interest—no commitment until contacted.
• Staff then use this to fill late cancellations or expand capacity.

✅ 3. Online Forms with Optional Opt-In

• Some platforms allow creating a Google Form or Wufoo-style survey linked from the resident portal or newsletter:
• Checkbox: “I’m interested but not ready to commit”
• Follow-up: “How should we contact you if space becomes available?”

✅ 4. Email Groups or Notifications

• Residents who mark themselves as “interested” are tagged or grouped in the system.
• If seats open up, staff send a message: “A spot just opened for the trip to the Art Museum. Reply if you’d like to claim it.”

🚫 Limitations of Common Platforms:

Most senior living resident platforms (e.g., Touchtown, Cubigo, K4Connect) don’t currently offer:

• A built-in interested-but-not-waitlisted tier.
• A fully automated workflow from “interested” to “offered” to “committed.”

However, staff-managed hybrid workflows are very doable. Residents often appreciate having an option that reflects flexibility and consideration without pressure to commit prematurely.

💡 Recommendation:

If you're using a Uniguest platform like Touchtown, consider:

• Adding a third RSVP status ("Interested") if the system allows.
• Creating a manual process (notebook, form, or spreadsheet) for staff to track these expressions of interest.
• Offering proactive reminders to those on the Interested List if the event fills or expands.

Richmond Shreve

NaCCRA Board Member

Forum Moderator

Our CCRC uses UniGuest as well, and it's generally accepted as a useful resource (some residents do not use it). Our version does not include the signup module in this discussion. Many here would like to know if there is a bulletin board module available in which residents could post queries about all kinds of things: stuff to exchange or give away, help with mobile phone or computer questions, handicraft help, etc., etc. There is so much knowledge among residents and the willingness to share it, it seems a shame not to be able to tap it. I can imagine issues relating to privacy and the need for formal moderation in such a module--one wouldn't want it to become another social media platform, for example.

Do any of you whose CCRCs use UniGuest have such a module? If so, does it seem to function satisfactorily? Have there been problems or controversies? What are its limitations in your view(s)?

Many thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Rob Bowman

Seattle

We use UniGuest and it works well. Our management keeps refining it to make it better on an ongoing basis. Nothing is perfect but it is pretty good.

Because of the way technology is advancing in our culture, anything technological keeps changing almost day by day. And we need to adapt along with it if we want be on top of things. As far as I can see, this type of change is going on everywhere and in every other aspect of our lives (medical, travel, banking, etc.). It's everywhere. The good old days when things were simple doesn't exist anymore.

Maura Conry

NaCCRA

Forum Monitor

We had a CareMerge portal a number of years ago and it was terrible. Our community switched to Uniguest (previously TouchTown) and we are quite satisfied with it. Within Uniguest we can link to a program called FullCount to order meals online for pickup or delivery and make dining room reservations. We can also use Uniguest to sign up for(or cancel reservations for) certain activities, and make service requests for maintenance, housekeeping, or IT. There are also many other modules on Uniguest like: Staff Directory, Resident Directory, Welcome New Residents, In Remembrance, etc. The interface is very user friendly and works on mobile devices as well as computers.

For events, Uniguest shows the attendee limit, the others who have signed up online, and how many spaces are left. Residents who don't use the portal can do all these things via phone or using paper sign-ups. The department managers monitor portal, phone, and paper signups. We have a fantastic Travel Committee run by residents that handles almost all the excursions to special events off campus.

All in all, using a combination of manual/phone signups and the online portal seems to work well for most things. I hope you can persuade management to get a better portal and work out better ways of managing things like signups for events or trips.

Kate

I am especially interested in hearing from those of you whose communities have a Resident Portal via the vendor icon (formerly named CareMerge). However, if any of you have a Portal that isn't icon and DOESN'T have some of the restrictions we residents are facing at our community, I'd appreciate hearing if things are better for you. That might give me hope.

Across the nation, I think the Life Enrichment functions (Activities, Events, Excursions) now use on-line registration for the available slots via their Portals. I'm (and others) are not truly happy campers, mainly because we don't care for how "Wait Lists" are handled here. I've recently learned that what "can't be done" is a function of the vendor not doing whatever is desired because it's not available throughout their entire, nationwide system. Here are my issues:

1) Those residents who manage to obtain a seat as an "attendee" don't know if there's a Wait List or not. The Portal doesn't inform us.

2) Those who prefer starting out on a Wait List as an available substitute rather than being an actual registrant (meaning a ticket may be purchased for you) cannot do so. A Wait List only takes a registration once the excursion fills up.

3) If an excursion "makes" but doesn't fill up, there is no Wait List because of #2 above. That means a last-minute cancellation can't automatically shift to a willing substitute. This could be a situation where the ticket gets used, with the substitute taking care of reimbursing the original "goer" on their own .... or, maybe even enjoy the show if the original registrant is merely happy to not have a ticket go to waste and doesn't want to be reimbursed.

4) If there IS a Wait List, no one can see it (except Life Enrichment staff). Only someone on a Wait List can see where they fall (for example, the Portal only tells someone "You're number 4 out of 6 on the Wait List.") Registrants cannot even see the size (number of people) on a Wait List, even if they learn the List exists.

5) People who want to sign up together cannot have just one of the two doing the registration --- each has to sign on to the Portal on their own. This may mean they don't fall one after another on the "going list" because of a delay, even if it's short. Someone is permitted to sign up for taking a "guest" (therefore, one's partner/spouse can be a "guest" -- this was conveyed as the only way to do it), but one cannot sign up on the Wait List with a guest.

I cannot tell you the number of people who long for "the good old days" of signing up in a 3-ring binder in the Mail Room, with event dividers. Then there's a 2nd page to designate a Wait List, with names -- everything, literally, is an open book. Not anymore.

We were told that enhancing the Portal to provide more "open" Wait List information is not possible, but icon (vendor) can't do it because they'd have to change "their whole system." (Funny, they can code the Life Enrichment people to see the Wait Lists with no problem.)

Our state (NC) requires a driver to have a commercial driver's license for vehicles of more than14 passengers. Those people are becoming more difficult to find -- look at the shortage of school bus drivers. Besides, a CCRC's driver has to do a lot of strapping down of wheel chairs and stowing of rollators. So the smaller buses are used, while our CCRC is getting larger due to new construction. Wait Lists become even more important because of this.

Additionally, I think residents are capable of handling things if there's a cancellation. They can "go to the next person" on their own, especially when the event is after hours or weekends. Our Life Enrichment staff basks under their on-going offer to "just call us." Having to do that causes delay, possible phone tage, and is not practical all the times, especially for Sunday matinees.

Can anyone give me some encouragement? Thanks.