There is a classic Italian proverb: “Chi va piano, va sano e va lontano.” Literally, it means: “He who goes softly, goes safely and goes far.” In the senior living industry, speed is often marketed as the goal of software implementation and promises such as: “Go-live in thirty days”. However, for management and finance teams, haste is a liability. You aren't just looking for a new tool; you are choosing a new foundation. The most significant decision is not which software to buy; it’s which partner has the intentionality and commitment to walk those miles with you.
Senior living communities are not simply apartment buildings that happen to house older residents. They are intentionally designed to accommodate the needs of an aging population, from safety and accessibility to well-being and comfort. In the same way, the technology you use shouldn’t be just software, but should be judged on how well it serves you. It should be designed to serve the complexity of your operations, guided by a long-term partner that fully understands your operational needs and business logic.
The difference between a vendor and a partner is measured in miles. We’ve all seen the "splash-and-dash" installation: a vendor applies a generic, one-size-fits-all template, gets you "live," and then disappears before the first real-world challenge arises—read our beware the bundle post for more information on implementation best practices.
But in senior living, one-size-fits-all, fits no one. Think of the immense thought and care you put into making your facility a comfortable, safe, and welcoming community for your residents. You didn't choose your care protocols from a generic manual; you tailored them to the human beings in your care. At RKL eSolutions, software implementation is approached with that same degree of responsibility. RKL believes a truly "smooth" implementation isn't rushed. It respects the complexity of an organization’s daily operations and ensures reliable service without disrupting resident routines.
This approach is rooted in what RKL eSolutions calls the "3 p's of Software Selection": Publisher, Product, and Partner. While many focus solely on the product, the long-term success of your facility depends on how these three interact.
The Publisher & Product: You need a financially stable Publisher (such as Sage) committed to an innovation roadmap, paired with a Product (like Sage Intacct) that offers industry specialization. In senior living, this means a product that can handle the "language barrier" between clinical care and the back office.
The Partner: This is where the journey is won or lost. As a Sage Diamond Partner, RKL eSolutions acts as the bridge. RKL integrates the clinical pulse of platforms such as PointClickCare - the gold standard for resident Electronic Health Records—directly into your company’s financial engine.
In the Sage ecosystem, "Diamond" is the highest tier of partnership, placing RKL eSolutions in the top 1% of experts globally. For you, this means a "Bat-Phone" to the publisher, a proven track record of complex implementations, and the highest level of technical certification available.
Matthew Scarpato, former VP of Operations & CFO of Homestead Village, a CARF-certified Life Plan Community, said this about RKL: “Through the whole process, the RKL eSolutions team has been amazing. They get what we do, so they were able to help us think about solutions that are best for our business and guide us through the whole process.”
When vetting potential technical implementation, organizations should ask the following questions to help distinguish a generic vendor from one that truly understands their business:
1. Do they understand my business, my residents? The medical complexities, social needs, ADLs (bathing, dressing, eating, mobility) – as RKL does when implementing PointClickCare with Sage Intacct.
2. Clinical tracking - does this candidate know how to sync in real-time ADL data across EHR, staffing schedules and billing?
3. Do they ensure that today’s ADL changes automatically reach the staff of the next shift?
By creating this ‘single source of truth,’ RKL eliminates the exhausting cycle of double-entry. PointClickCare status changes instantly sync with Sage Intacct for accurate billing, staffing, and changes in medical needs or daily living activities. Simply put, when a status changes, the system reflects it in real-time. This ensures a user-friendly system that works for your staff leading to higher adoption and fewer errors.
You should not be the guinea pig, and as there is no substitute for proven experience and deep knowledge, this is something you must insist on when choosing your software implementation partner.
1. Regulations - can they handle state licensing; do they adhere to HIPAA regulations etc.?
2. References - can they provide you with three references from your industry?
When it comes to costs, you need to know the exact price in advance, no surprises.
1. Do the costs they provide fit your budget and match your scale? Hidden costs kill ROI. Are they charging you ‘per bed’ without adjusting to your actual census and revenue?
2. Did the price quoted include the training, setup, support and integration? You want to avoid any vague sentences about professional services that do not specify additional components that might affect the total.
3. What are the contract terms? Is this a fixed price? Will they charge you per hour? Is there a clear exit clause? Are there options for early payment or discounts?
4. Do they provide long-term support, three years rather than one?
5. Can it scale with your business; can their solution handle census swings and expansion without lags or re-implementation?
Your residents come first; therefore, you must demand nothing less than ironclad protection for their data. When you come to interview potential partners, you should ask the following:
1. Are they HIPAA compliant? Are they able to provide full encryption for all your residents’ protected health information? Can they provide audit trails? What is their breach response plan?
2. Are they SOC 2 certified? Do they conduct regular pen-tests? Do they practice zero-trust staff access so that they can protect the data from possible breaches?
3. What are their privacy controls? How do they ensure that certain information is accessible only to pre-authorized staff members?
RKL delivers this standard through RKL LLP’s professional insights and a Business Associate Agreement. The BAA is HHS.gov HIPAA contract required for any business entity that handles PHI data. Couple this with Sage Diamond compliance standards, RKL ensures adherence to strict healthcare regulations. Demand these standards from any partner as they are the only way to safeguard the protection of your residents.
When a partner prioritizes the long run, the concept of cost shifts to value. RKL understands that finance teams need cost-effective solutions that balance a tight budget with high-quality outcomes. That is why they lead with transparency: clear contracts, no hidden fees, and honest communication about timelines and deliverables.
A splash-and-dash vendor might seem cheaper on a quote, but the technical debt they leave behind - siloed data, frustrated staff, and security gaps - costs a fortune in the years to follow. By contrast, RKL focuses on scalable implementation, ensuring the system you build today can grow as you add facilities or services.
At RKL eSolutions, we know that walking far requires a partner who is both agile and enduring. Our implementations deliver on time with minimal disruptions precisely because we reject the cookie-cutter type of approach.
We take the time to understand your specific needs - from your billing cycles to your clinical workflows - because we know that thoughtful planning and intentionality are the only ways to ensure a solution that works on Day 1 and Year 10.
We aren't just here for the sprint to your Go-Live date. Through our Customer Success Team, we stay for guided business reviews, software updates, and the strategic expansion of your communities and services. In an industry defined by the long-term commitment to the residents’ lives, you deserve a technology partner who shares the same horizon.
Choosing the right partner is the most significant step you can take toward a sustainable, successful future. Let’s embark on the journey together.
For more information on RKL & Sage Intacct for Senior Living, visit our page or connect with our team.