Paper backups keep local senior care facility running during global tech outage

A technology outage that caused chaos across the globe on Friday didn’t only impact large businesses. Small businesses were impacted too.

Walking into work Friday at Senior Helpers in Richmond was anything but normal for Kerry Brown.

"Tried to log in to our system and there was nothing there," Brown said.

As a care coordinator for about 40 seniors, Brown immediately went into crisis mode.

"I was like ‘oh my gosh. How and I going to know if everybody's at work? What if someone calls in?’" she said. "All of our scheduling, all of our client information, all of our caregivers, everything is in that system."

Video: Detroit metro airport travelers react to delays and cancelations from CrowdStrike-related IT outage

Detroit Metro Airport travelers react to delays and cancelations from outage

Senior Helpers isn't the kind of business that can just close for the day and not show up.

"They rely on us for doctor’s appointments. They rely on us for cooking, grocery shopping, helping them take showers and bathe," Brown said. “It does make a difference. People would not be able to age in place"

A defect in cybersecurity company CrowdStrike's software crashed computers using Microsoft Windows and impacted many industries including airlines, emergency services, banks, universities and the local and federal government.

Hear more from a tech expert about the outage in the video below:

Tech expert says cloud computing made IT outage more likely

"It definitely affects the small people too," Senior Helps owner Sherry said.

Thankfully, Sherry and her husband are old school and always keep a backup.

"If you're talking old school, my husband is old school," she said.

Her husband added, “It's a problem in today's world: everything is tied to the internet."

In the meantime, the facility is using pens and papers. It could have been worse had they put all their eggs in the digital basket.

Video: Schools disrupted or canceled over global IT outage:

Schools disrupted or cancelled over global IT outage

"Cause you just never know because it is so important to have paper backups,” Brown said. “Everyone is always pushing to go all digital, all paperless. Had we been that way, I wouldn't have had access."