Senior Living Spotlight: Brian Geyser (Maplewood Senior Living / Inspir)

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Brian Geyser, the VP of Health & Wellness at Maplewood Senior Living / Inspir. Our conversation delved into the exciting ways Maplewood is integrating technology and AI to enhance the lives of their residents - with some actionable advice for AgeTech founders who are looking to partner with Senior Living!

— Sarah Richard

P.S. - if you’re based in New York this summer, please consider joining us at July’s AgeTech NYC meetup, hosted by James at Primetime Partners!

Brian, could you give us an overview of your background leading to Maplewood?

Brian Geyser: I'm a nurse practitioner with over 30 years in healthcare and a combination of  clinical and executive roles. I've been with Maplewood for seven years, initially working on developing new care models and tech deployments through our Innovation Center. I’m currently pivoting to lead our enterprise intelligence efforts, where we’ll combine business intelligence (BI) with artificial intelligence (AI) to transform our operations.

Can you tell us more about the Innovation Center at Maplewood and its role?

BG: Absolutely. We started the Innovation Center to source and pilot new technologies, ensuring they align with our operational capabilities and our business goals. Over the past seven years, we've vetted over 30 companies, some of which have been adopted enterprise-wide. Our focus is on intelligent selection and rollout of technologies that solve specific problems and generate ROI. 

What specific applications of AI are you excited about in Senior Living?

BG:  Maplewood is looking to achieve what I’m calling “Enterprise Intelligence” (EI), which combines business intelligence (BI) with emerging AI capabilities and ultimately moves AI from narrow, task-specific capabilities to a more holistic, integrated approach tailored for enterprise environments. EI leverages the principles of artificial intelligence (AI) within a business context, enabling organizations to harness AI's full potential across diverse functions and domains.. AI has immense potential across all  departments. For instance, in HR, AI can automate resume screening, significantly reducing manual work. In accounting, AI can streamline invoice processing. Overall, AI helps us become smarter and more productive, allowing our human intelligence to focus on higher-value tasks that require human intelligence. We're looking for AI solutions that can integrate seamlessly with our existing systems, enhance operational efficiency, and provide actionable insights from our data. The goal is to create a highly intelligent organization that leverages AI to improve resident care and operational effectiveness.

How do you evaluate new technology vendors?

BG: We begin by identifying various  strategic problems we need to solve. Then we begin a search for tech solutions that may help solve each of those problems. A multidisciplinary team from our home office  which includes members from IT, operations, clinical, marketing and HR, reviews potential solutions. We’ll typically then start with a deeper dive IT review, then an Operational review, concluding with Clinical and HR reviews. If the technology passes this stage, we conduct demos and pilot tests, gathering feedback from staff and residents to evaluate its impact and ROI.

That’s a thorough process. What are some common mistakes you see from tech vendors entering the Senior Living market?

BG: One common mistake is a lack of understanding of our industry.. A founder referencing value-based care and Medicare reimbursement likely reveals a lack of understanding, because Senior Living is generally private pay (outside of skilled nursing). A common red flag would be incorrect terminology, for example referring to residents as “patients” or communities as “facilities.” We use almost entirely nonclinical nomenclature in general. It's also crucial to understand the spectrum of Senior Living—from active adult communities to independent living to assisted living and memory care. Each has unique needs, and solutions must be tailored accordingly.

What advice would you give to founders looking to enter the Senior Living technology space?

BG: I implore folks to spend time in Senior Living communities. Observe the day-to-day operations and understand the unique challenges. This will help you develop solutions that are truly relevant and impactful. Avoid common pitfalls like misunderstanding the terminology (e.g., referring to residents as patients) and make sure your product fits the nuanced and often complex needs of Senior Living. We’re looking for technology that adds value, offers a clear ROI, addresses the needs of multiple stakeholders, can relatively easily be deployed and scaled in a senior living environment. 

Final Thoughts

Our conversation highlighted the critical role of intentional, empathetic tech integration in Senior Living. Maplewood’s journey offers a blueprint for leveraging AI to enhance care while maintaining a resident-first approach. Brian’s insights are a valuable guide for AgeTech founders creating impactful solutions - it’s certainly guidance we’ll be taking into account building Mimzy.

Thank you, Brian!

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