Technology help for nursing home residents

In a nursing home, staff time goes to care first, as it should. That leaves tablets, phones and video calls with family in a gray zone: important to residents and families, but nobody's job.

Here is a simple plan that keeps residents connected and keeps nursing staff out of tech support.

Give your residents one patient number to call for tech help, and give your sales team a resident amenity to talk about on every tour. Ellis is $499 a month per community, with a 30 day pilot and month to month after that.

Start for $499 a month Talk to us by email Hear Ellis yourself: (928) 272-0355

Ellis is an AI assistant, not a person, and says so at the start of every call. Calling the number from any phone gets the first 5 minutes free, so you can test it with a real device problem before you decide.

Keep it simple on the device

One device per resident where possible, with large text and the video app on the home screen.
Write the resident's Wi-Fi network and a family contact on a label on the back of the device.
Turn off automatic updates during the night if they keep changing the screen layout, and update together once a month.
Keep chargers labeled and in the same spot.

Make family video calls routine

Agree on one app per family (FaceTime, WhatsApp, Zoom or Google Meet) and stick with it.
Set a regular time, so staff or activities can help the first few times.
Have the family send the link or call the resident directly, rather than asking the resident to start the call.
Keep a printed one page "how to answer a video call" sheet next to the bed.

Where an AI phone help line fits

Some residents can follow spoken steps on their own phone or tablet but get stuck without someone to ask. For them, Ellis is a phone number they can call any time. It tells them it is an AI, asks what is on the screen, and walks them through one step at a time.

For residents who cannot manage a device on their own, the same line still helps: staff and visiting family can call it to get unstuck quickly, without waiting for IT.

What Ellis does not do

Ellis is an AI assistant, not a person. It says so at the start of every call, and it can make mistakes.
It is for tech help only. It is not a HIPAA covered service and we do not sign business associate agreements, so callers are told not to share health details, Social Security numbers or card numbers.
It does not dispatch anyone or work on site. When a problem needs hands on help, Ellis tells the caller to ask your front desk or activities team, and your staff stay the escalation point.
It is not an emergency line. For anything urgent or medical, residents use your staff or call 911.
Calls are recorded and transcribed, and Ellis says so. A caller can press 2 or ask it not to save the call.

Questions operators ask

Is this a clinical service?

No. Ellis is tech help only. It does not give health information and is not a HIPAA covered service, so callers are told not to share health details.

Can staff use it too?

Yes. Staff phones can be among your registered numbers, so a nurse aide or activities aide can call when a resident's tablet will not cooperate.

How much is it?

$499 a month per community, up to 150 calls a month and up to 25 registered numbers, month to month after a 30 day pilot.