Frequently Asked Questions

Hopeful Aging is currently accepting applications for"Early Adopters," who will receive benefits that will not be offered again at no cost. Benefits will include: custom activity content, access to additional activity content at www.hearthsidebookclub.com, extended and personalized Zoom-based orientation sessions, and more. To learn more CONTACT US now.

CONNECT packages are customized to each community’s particular needs and budget. Please CONTACT US for a custom quote.

When you buy CONNECT, you will receive everything you need to begin using the program right away . This includes: Tablets with the CONNECT app pre-loaded (with over 400 activities & more released every month!) Tablet stands Tablet cases Proprietary two-button devices (one for each participant, so they can easily interact with tablet) Lockable charging cabinet and/or a utility cart for easy storage. FREE live, videoconference-based orientation training We can provide additional details and answer any questions that you have about the hardware and accessories during a demo. So, CONTACT US now.

We are so sure that you and your participants will love CONNECT that we offer a 30-day no questions asked money back guarantee. If you are unhappy with CONNECT, you can cancel within the first 30 days. Since CONNECT is sold as a hardware / software package, if you decide to cancel, you will have the choice to keep the hardware / accessories (and use for other purposes besides using CONNECT) or return the hardware. If you decide to return the hardware, there is a 15% restocking fee.

CONNECT requires a 12-month commitment. As mentioned in the previous FAQ, this commitment kicks in only after the 30-day money back guarantee period is over. Please note that, while a 12-month commitment is required, you have a choice to pay monthly or pay for the full year in advance at a small discount.

There are two main reasons why we ask customers to buy tablets from us. First, when you buy tablets from us, we preinstall CONNECT on the tablets and make sure they are configured appropriately to work with our custom buttons. Providing pre-loaded / configured tablets, saves a lot of time and energy, enabling you to start using CONNECT on DAY 1! Second, communities that already have activity tablets typically use them for video call sessions with family members. To make sure that you get the most from CONNECT, we recommend having tablets set aside specifically for using the CONNECT app, whether in a group or one-on-one setting.

Nursing Homes that accept Medicaid and/or Medicare may be able to apply for Civil Money Penalty (CMP) grant funding. To learn more about this grant program, visit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) web page on this program by CLICKING HERE. Upon request, we can provide “boilerplate” text to use in this type of application. There are many other private sources of funding. We provide boilerplate narrative for other grants you might want to apply for. Just contact us and let us know the grant requirements and we will be happy to help.

CONNECT is great when led by a staff member but incredible and inspirational when led by a participant. We realize that many communities will opt to have a staff member lead the CONNECT activities. After all, this is the “traditional” way that activities are facilitated! There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a staff member lead the CONNECT activities. Your participants will certainly enjoy participating in CONNECT activities facilitated by a staff member. That being said, our research has shown that people with mild memory challenges are capable of facilitating CONNECT activities. So, we hope you at least consider giving some of your participants a chance to help you facilitate CONNECT activities. In fact, we will provide tips about how to do this during your FREE orientation training. When a participant leads CONNECT, something truly amazing happens—the participants become a more cohesive group and they start to help one another more than ever before. It is wonderful to see, and we hope you and your participants can experience it. To see a video of a participant-led group, visit the OUR SOLUTION page.

The short answer is YES! We have carried out extensive research and development to make sure that it is easy for persons with dementia to participate in CONNECT activities on a tablet. The interface itself has been proven to be easy for people with dementia to use. In addition, a key part of our solution involves the use of proprietary two button devices that are included with every purchase.

The CONNECT app is the result of over 10 years of Research & Development. Preliminary results have been published in peer-reviewed journals. Feel free to CONTACT US and we will send you those results. An article publishing final results is forthcoming. When the results are published, they will be posted on this website.

CONNECT activities can be as long or short as your participants want them to be. We realize that many Life Enrichment Directors plan activities to last about 30 minutes. CONNECT certainly fits within this timeframe, but you can adjust the length to your needs and to the needs of your participants. Part of the reason Life Enrichment Directors plan on activities lasting for 30 minute is because of the belief that people with dementia cannot focus for a long time on a single activity. While this may be true in some cases, we have found that people with dementia have enjoyed participating in CONNECT activities for an hour or even longer.

To learn about the other activity types, SCHEDULE A DEMO.