Highland Springs rolls out digital app

New platform connects residents to community life

Sara Martin
May 23, 2019

People who live at Highland Springs now have one more way to stay connected.

The Erickson Living community in North Dallas recently launched a new app, My Erickson, to give community members an at-their-fingertips option to explore what's happening around campus.

Available for download on iTunes and Google Play, residents can access the free app on mobile phones, tablets, laptops, or personal computers.

"We introduced the app to our Resident Advisory Council members, as well as representatives from our Communications Committee and our Resident Computer Club, earlier this year," says Associate Executive Director Andréa McCarther. "They, in turn, became our peer training group and helped with the campuswide launch of the My Erickson app."

Once community members set up an account and install the app on their mobile devices or personal computers, they can launch My Erickson to access their meal plan balance, dining menus and specials, resident and staff directories, campus newsletters, the calendar of events, and more.

Information is grouped into icons on the My Erickson home screen, allowing for ease of use and intuitive navigation.

"We're adding icons to the home screen on an ongoing basis," says Marisa Delorenzo, operations project manager for Erickson Living. "In recent months, we've added a Resident Resources icon, which includes the community handbook and list of clubs, and a Patient Portal icon, which links directly to the patient portal account in the medical center."

Delorenzo says a pilot program is underway at Oak Crest, the Erickson Living community in Parkville, Md., to integrate Amazon's Alexa into the app's usage, allowing for voice-activated commands.

Benefits of being connected

Delores Garbarini has been using the My Erickson app since the end of February.

"I'm online quite a bit during the day, and it's nice to have all the community information in one place," says Delores. "I use the app to check my meal balance, view menus, and look at the activities calendar. I'm finding that I'm less likely to miss an activity because I don't have to thumb through a paper calendar. All the day's activities are listed on the app."

Delores also appreciates the app's potential. As librarian for the community's Magnolia Place library, Delores says the Library Committee has plans to put the catalog on the app.

"That way, residents can browse our catalog of books from their smart phones or tablets," she says.

The My Erickson app can be downloaded in two ways—as a guest user or as a resident with an account. Certain content, including the resident directory, photos, videos, forms, and newsletters, is available only to community members with registered accounts.

Pat Baldwin has worked in computer programming since 1968 and designed computer systems for 20 years. Pat moved to Highland Springs in December 2018 and installed the My Erickson app a month later. She was among the peer trainers helping other residents set up their My Erickson accounts.

"An increasing number of people prefer to look online for answers when they have a question," says Pat. "This app is a great tool for accessing on-the-spot information about the community."

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