Using Generative AI Securely in Senior Living
Generative AI like ChatGPT is revolutionizing daily workflows, and senior living communities can benefit greatly from faster policy creation to smoother translations and report summaries. But here’s the reality: free, public AI tools are not built to protect HIPAA, PHI, or PII, and using them for sensitive tasks can put your organization at risk of violations and data breaches.
So how can HR and operations teams in senior living tap into AI’s power while staying compliant and protecting resident and employee trust?
The Risks You Can’t Ignore
Free AI tools often store your data, use it for training, and may never fully delete it. They don’t sign BAAs and may store data overseas, exposing your organization to additional risks. Even worse, AI outputs can be inaccurate, leading to HR missteps or compliance issues if used unchecked.
A secure AI platform for senior living should:
· Never use your data for model training
· Be HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant
· Offer a BAA for PHI-related workflows
· Allow US-only data residency
· Include admin tools, audit trails, and identity-based access
Without this, you’re rolling the dice with resident and employee data.
Secure Generative AI Options for Senior Living
Here’s what’s working for forward-thinking senior living organizations:
Microsoft 365 Copilot: Works within your existing environment, respects your tenant’s security, is HIPAA-eligible under your BAA, and uses your organization’s identity permissions.
Azure OpenAI Service: Enables private GPT deployments within your Azure environment, ensuring data stays in your cloud boundary while maintaining control and logging.
ChatGPT Enterprise: Offers enterprise-level security, no data used for training, admin controls, and BAA signing for safe HR and operations use.
Private AI/PrivateGPT: Redacts PII/PHI before it ever hits public models, enabling AI use without leaking sensitive information. Can be deployed on-premises or in your private cloud.
Writer & Jasper: Enterprise-grade AI writing tools with SOC 2 compliance, zero data retention policies, and brand-safe controls for HR communications and policy drafting.
Best Practices for Secure AI Use
Never enter resident or employee identifiers into free AI tools.
Use enterprise AI with signed BAAs for PHI/PII tasks.
Implement user role controls and logging to monitor AI use.
Establish a clear internal AI use policy outlining approved platforms, permissible data, and required human review.
Train your staff with clear workflows on secure AI use.
Why This Matters
Done right, secure AI can save your HR and operations teams hours each week, improving workflows while maintaining trust with your residents and staff. It’s not about whether you will use AI in senior living, it’s about how you will use it responsibly.
At Parasol Alliance, we help senior living organizations implement secure AI with assessments, policy templates, and platform deployment aligned with your data security requirements.
Editor’s Note: This post was brought to you by MattGPT, Deep Research, & Matt’s Brain
