New app keeps families connected to Sunny Hill residents

Not only did the COVID-19 pandemic separate families from their loved ones early in the pandemic, it often hindered communication, too.

Sue Markgraf, formerly of Joliet and now Mundelein, expressed more than once that communication between nursing facilities and families needed improvement. Markgraf’s mother Wanda Johnson of Elwood (deceased) was in hospice care at Sunny Hill Nursing Home at the start of the pandemic.

Markgraf said that facilities needed “to provide the means and the methods for communication with the loved ones at this time” and “using this time to decide what works and what doesn’t.”

Sunny Hill will now be implementing a new app — “How’s Mom” by Safekeeping — to make that communication easier and more streamlined. Families using the How’s Mom app presented by Safekeeping only need to check their smartphones or tablets, according to a news release from Sunny Hill.

Administrator Maggie McDowell said in the release that when information is put into the nursing home’s electronic health record system, it will be integrated into the HIPAA compliant app so participating families receive it in real time. Families won’t have to wait to speak with a staff member to get updates on their loves ones, the release said.

However, only the Power of Attorney may access the information, McDowell said in the release.

“The designated Power of Attorney will be tasked with sharing any information they wish with family and friends,” McDowell said in the release.

McDowell also said that Sunny Hill is preparing staff, residents and families for the app’s launch, although no start date is currently scheduled.

The app works in conjunction with the nursing home’s existing electronic health record system so when information is put into that system it will be integrated into How’s Mom for participating families, McDowell said in the release.

Sunny Hill will also be able to send out mass notifications to families. Families can also schedule visits and meetings and provide feedback and ratings to Sunny Hill, the release said.