MyWay Village

MyWay Village was a senior-focused technology and social-services venture founded in 2006 by Chris McWade and Sarah Hoit. The business emerged from the founders' experience caring for aging relatives from a distance and from their view that conventional computers and online services were often too complicated or impersonal for many older adults. Its approach combined a secure, proprietary interface with individualized human assistance, aiming to make digital communication, entertainment, reminiscence, and community participation more accessible to residents of senior-living facilities. The service was designed primarily for deployment through retirement and senior-living communities rather than as a general-purpose consumer social network. Residents could use a customized home page to send and receive electronic messages, share and view photographs, listen to audiobooks and music, record personal memoirs, and receive notices about activities and events taking place in their community. By concentrating these functions in a simplified environment, MyWay Village sought to reduce the barriers that unfamiliar software, passwords, and conventional web navigation could create for older users. A distinctive part of the model was its personal-support layer. The company employed Ambassadors who worked with communities, residents, and families, offering one-to-one assistance and leading group activities such as computer-use classes, memoir-sharing sessions, and book clubs. This combination of software and guided participation positioned the service as more than a communications platform: it was intended to support social connection, family contact, lifelong learning, and engagement within residential communities. The venture was subsequently associated with the name Connected Living. Under that identity, it was described as a Quincy, Massachusetts-based provider of social-networking services for senior citizens working with senior-living communities across the United States. The company received media attention, including coverage in The New York Times in June 2009. Available reference material provides information about the founding concept, service model, products, and early executive team, but does not establish the company's current operating status, ownership, website, financial performance, or later corporate history.

MyWay Village was established in 2006 by Chris McWade and Sarah Hoit after their experiences supporting aging family members from afar led them to consider how technology could improve the everyday lives of older adults. They believed that a simplified computing environment, when paired with personal assistance, could help seniors communicate with relatives, stay informed about their communities, and participate in activities that might otherwise be difficult to access online. The company developed a secure proprietary interface intended for senior citizens and deployed it through senior-living and retirement communities. Rather than requiring residents to navigate the open web or general-purpose social networks, the service offered a customized home page with a limited and practical set of functions. These included electronic messaging, photograph sharing, access to music and audiobooks, personal memoir recording, and notifications of local community events. The design emphasized usability and relevance to residents' daily lives. Human assistance was central to the operating model. Connected Living, the name associated with the venture in the available reference material, supplied Ambassadors who supported retirement communities, residents, and family members. Ambassadors provided individualized help and organized classes and group activities involving computer use, memoir sharing, and book clubs. This support structure was intended to make adoption easier for users who had limited computer experience and to turn the platform into a social activity rather than merely a software product. The company worked with senior-living communities across the United States and attracted public attention during its early years. It was mentioned in a New York Times article dated June 3, 2009. The available historical record identifies McWade as co-founder and chairman, Hoit as co-founder and chief executive officer, and Andrew Lowenstein as chief financial officer and president. It also describes the founders' prior business and public-service experience, but does not provide a complete chronology of later leadership, ownership changes, rebranding details, financial results, acquisitions, or closure. Consequently, the present status of MyWay Village and Connected Living remains unconfirmed.

• 2009

  National media coverage

  [1]MyWay Villageen.wikipedia.org

  The business, identified in the reference material as Connected Living, receives coverage in The New York Times on June 3, 2009.

• 2006

  MyWay Village is founded

  [1]MyWay Villageen.wikipedia.org

  Chris McWade and Sarah Hoit establish the venture to combine simplified computer technology with personalized support for older adults.

A technology-enabled social connection and engagement service for older adults, combining a simplified digital interface with individualized support in senior-living communities.

• Social networking and community communications · 2006

  MyWay Village senior community platform

  A secure, proprietary online interface created for senior citizens and delivered through retirement or senior-living communities. Residents could use a customized home page to exchange electronic messages, share photographs, access music and audiobooks, record personal memoirs, and receive announcements about activities and events in their community. The service was designed to simplify online participation and was supported by staff who could provide direct assistance.

• Technology support and resident engagement

  Ambassador support program

  A human-support component accompanying the digital platform. Ambassadors helped residents and families use the service, offered individualized guidance, and led group sessions covering computer skills, memoir sharing, and book-club activities. The program was intended to address the adoption challenges faced by older adults who were less familiar with computers and online communication.

• 2009

  Connected Living receives New York Times coverage[1]MyWay Villageen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The company was profiled in a New York Times article published on June 3, 2009, in connection with its effort to help senior citizens communicate and participate online.

1. 1MyWay Villageen.wikipedia.org