On April 25, ECS leadership joined a panel of thought leaders at AgeTech LA’s Innovation Workshop, a gathering of senior living professionals, researchers, and technology experts at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. The event, sponsored by The Smarter Service — a tech-concierge provider for older adults and senior living communities, explored a pressing question: how can we help older adults thrive in a tech-driven world?

The afternoon panel, “Wired for Connection: How Tech is Reshaping Aging with Dignity,” brought together diverse perspectives on how technology, when delivered with empathy and intention, can transform the aging experience. Moderated by Abbie Richie, Tech Guru at The Smarter Service, the discussion featured Cash Benton, Executive Director at The Covington, an ECS retirement community in Aliso Viejo; Vida Roozen, COO of The Smarter Service; Dr. Francesca Falzarano, Assistant Professor at USC; and Kevin Lee, IT Specialist at The Variel of Woodland Hills.
“Today we’re here to talk about how technology is shaping lives in senior living communities,” Richie opened. “Not just at the resident level, but how tech is impacting families, team members, leadership, and aging services across the board.”

Panelists emphasized that technology access is no longer optional, it’s essential to wellbeing. Communities are embracing technology not only to enhance engagement and connections for residents, but also to increase efficiency and thus improve life for team members and leadership alike.

Benton described the shift at The Covington, the premier active retirement community in Orange County: “Residents express that their grandchildren and friends want to connect on Zoom, on TikTok, and apps such as that,” he said.

To meet this growing demand, The Covington partnered with The Smarter Service, which provides in-person and virtual tech support through on-site helpdesks, in-home visits, and tailored group classes. “Since partnering with The Smarter Service to bring concierge tech support to our residents, we’re seeing a strong wave of tech demand and curiosity coming in,” Benton said. “And we’re noticing the connection and confidence the service is building across residents, team members and leadership.”

That transformation encompasses more than fixing devices. As COO Vida Roozen explained, “What we’re finding is that interactions are delving far beyond break-fix, more-so rooted in helping people build their competence with true digital literacy…They want to learn and discover how exactly technology can serve their specific needs, so that they can use it on their terms and get that sense of victory over something they previously struggled to solve. Everyone deserves that dignity with technology.”

What often starts with frustration evolves into curiosity and confidence. “Nearly 100% of the first 30 days at The Covington was spent on break-fix,” Roozen shared. “Within 60 days, residents were asking for help with Instagram, parental controls, even tools for hearing or vision support. We’ve since transitioned to new discovery, which is the most rewarding.”

Panelists agreed access isn’t enough. From his work at The Variel, Kevin Lee emphasized the need for organization-wide buy-in. Even if residences have great technology, there needs to be a comprehensive tech-culture throughout the community. He explained that everyone from the chef to administrators and residents needs to be on board, from awareness of its availability, to how to use it and ways in which it can enhance lives. Older adults need consistent, empathetic guidance and a chance to explore tech on their own terms.

Dr. Falzarano underscored the importance of involving older adults in tech development from the beginning. “Meeting seniors where they are means starting with the mission statement, ‘nothing about us without us,’” she said. “Older adults must be involved in shaping the tools they’ll use.”

This emphasis on collaboration, curiosity, and confidence is exactly why ECS has expanded its partnership with The Smarter Service to include The Canterbury in Rancho Palos Verdes offering independent living in Los Angeles.

The expansion of tech services where seniors choose to live reflects ECS’s forward-thinking commitment to digital inclusion, resident empowerment, and innovation in aging.

Roozen closed the discussion with a message about respect and self-direction: “It’s a beautiful thing, letting older adults dictate their own path with tech. At The Smarter Service, we are focused on ending the infantilization of seniors. They know how they want to live their lives. It’s our job to show them how technology might serve them. As an industry, we owe them the dignity and satisfaction that comes with self-discovery.”

About us

ECS has been providing exceptional active adult communities and services for seniors from every background, culture and faith in Southern California for more than 100 years. Proudly nonprofit.