Lutheran Life Communities believes it’s never too late to join the digital revolution. Its residents, club members and short-term rehabilitation guests are using the latest technology to improve coordination, memory, strength and balance, as well as having a good time while they’re at it.

Large-format computer displays seem to be everywhere these days. They can be seen in information centers, airports, schools, television broadcasts, sporting venues, even parks! A recent addition of a SMARTboard, an interactive, touch screen version of a large-format display, at the Lutheran Home, a Lutheran Life Community in Arlington Heights, is the very first of its kind.

Lutheran Home residents and short-term rehabilitation guests are using this new 87-inch screen to touch their way to puzzles, Skype chats, virtual travel, brain fitness and limitless engaging rehabilitation experiences that are built into the It’s Never 2 Late (IN2L) platform, an intuitive software environment designed specifically for seniors.

“The SMARTboard represents another step toward innovatively improving the lives of those we’re called to serve,” explains Roger W. Paulsberg, President & CEO of Lutheran Life Communities. “Technology is moving into senior living communities at a rapid pace. We are confident that there are social and intellectual roles that engaging technology can play in improving the everyday lives of those we serve, and that technology is improving clinical outcomes every day.

The IN2L platform is not limited to the SMARTboard, it has been recently introduced to resident rooms as well. Within the Lutheran Home’s newest orthopedic rehabilitation and therapy unit, laptops, tablet PCs, and touch screen computers have made their way into a multifaceted route to recovery. From engaging problem-solving challenges to improving hand-eye coordination as part of a thoughtfully designed rehabilitation program, seniors with a wide range of capability (some of whom have never used a computer) are now enjoying technology designed and adapted especially for them. The system’s overall benefits include improved balance, motor control, mobility, hand strength and memory support. IN2L’s picture-based, touch screen platform enables almost anyone to use a personal computer. Users of the program will find they are able to self-direct their own activities, therapies, and other programs. The IN2L program reaches people who may have never thought they could use this technology. It is making exercise fun and engaging within Lutheran Life Communities.