The Smarter Service

This Labor Day, we’re celebrating connection, independence and the people who are always willing to lend a helping hand 💙

At The Smarter Service, that means helping older adults feel more confident, connected and independent with technology, without the frustration.

Here’s to a well-earned day to relax, recharge and connect with the people who matter most.

Happy Labor Day from The Smarter Service! 🇺🇸

If you are grabbing a coffee or traveling this weekend, you might be tempted to connect to the Free Public Wi-Fi.

While free Wi-Fi is great for reading the news or checking the weather, it is not secure. Because it is an open network, cybercriminals can easily peek at the information you are sending. Logging into your bank on public Wi-Fi is the digital equivalent of shouting your password across the room!

The Golden Rule:
If you need to check your bank account, pay a bill, or buy something online, wait until you are on your secure home Wi-Fi, or temporarily switch over to your phone's cellular data.

Stay safe and have a wonderful weekend! 🛡️

💥 Fearless Fridays: Real Resident Stories. Real Digital Confidence. 💥

Not every technology success story starts with solving a problem. Sometimes, it starts with pure curiosity. 💡

Jim, a resident at The Towne House (a Senior Living community), had a unique goal: he had always wanted to build his own Linux Mint computer! But he didn’t want someone to just do it for him—he simply wanted a little help getting started.

With some expert guidance and encouragement from his Tech Concierge, Lanyah, Jim got exactly what he needed to take the first step. From there? He completed the installation all by himself! 💻🛠️

That is what great technology support looks like. It isn't about taking over; it's about giving older adults the confidence, knowledge, and encouragement to discover what's possible for themselves. Because every new skill builds confidence, and confidence opens the door to even more learning, exploration, and independence.

We are so incredibly proud of Jim and honored to be part of these empowering moments every day! 💙

Let's cheer Jim on in the comments! 👇 And tell us what is a new skill, tech or otherwise, that you've always been curious to learn?

Happy Friday! If you are meeting up with friends or family this weekend and need to send someone an address, don't try to memorize it or write it down just to re-type it in a text message. Use the smartphone "Magic Trick" instead: Copy and Paste!

How to do it:
1️⃣ Tap and hold your finger on the address (or recipe, or phone number) until it highlights in color and a little menu pops up.
2️⃣ Tap 'Copy'.
3️⃣ Go to your text message, tap and hold the empty typing space, and select 'Paste'.

It instantly moves the information over without a single typo! Give it a try when making your weekend plans today! ☀️

💙 BIG NEWS! We’re incredibly excited to share that The Smarter Service has been named a finalist in TWO categories of the 2026 McKnight’s Excellence in Technology Awards!

🏆 Quality
🏆 Resident Engagement & Recreation

Our submission, “BHI Turns Fraud Prevention into High-Engagement Resident Programming,” recognizes our vital work with our partner community, BHI Senior Living / The Barrington of Carmel, and our cybersecurity partner, Trend Micro.
With online scams and fraud becoming a serious issue for older adults, we wanted to do more than just warn residents. Together, we created a hands-on, approachable program combining fraud education, cybersecurity tools, and ongoing support from our Tech Concierges.

And the residents showed up in a big way! Participation was 90% higher than typical community educational programming, with strong repeat attendance and overwhelmingly positive feedback.

We’re so proud to see this work recognized alongside amazing innovators in senior living, and we are so grateful to BHI Senior Living and Trend Micro for their partnership. Congratulations to all of this year’s finalists! 💙

🔗 See the full list of finalists here: https://www.mcknightsseniorliving.com/news/finalists-announced-in-16th-annual-mcknights-tech-awards-competition/

🗓️ Join us! Winners will be announced September 16th during the virtual McKnight’s Technology Awards + Summit. We’ll be tuning in and hope you’ll join us!

👉 Register for free here: https://mltc-resources.mcknights.com/free/w_defa10740/prgm.cgi?a=1