The number of people over the age of 100 is expected to quadruple over the next three decades. This raises the question—how will they be cared for?
For many, this will mean seeking senior living communities as they continue to age. Whether their needs require independent living, assisted living or memory care facilities, though, the facilities will require a certain level of security.
Security integration, albeit not new, will be extremely important as the need for senior care facilities increases with the growing aging population to keep them safe, provided their families peace of mind and ensure staff are providing an optimal level of care. Security personnel and developers should focus on four key components:
- Access Control
Utilizing card, keypad or phone entry access, senior care facilities maintain a secure environment while allowing necessary movement within areas by residents and staff. By having an integrated access control solution in place, owners can offer peace of mind to residents and families who are entrusting their care to you.
Benefits:
- Prevention of unauthorized access to areas
- Customizable access levels
- Emergency response capabilities
- Integration with local authorities
- Lock down features in the event of an incident, emergency or missing resident
- Video Surveillance
Placing surveillance cameras in key areas allows staff to oversee residents and respond appropriately when incidents occur. This added layer of security in a senior living facilities safety plan addresses the need to deter potential threats, provide peace of mind to residents, staff and their families, and streamlines operations with centralized monitoring.
Benefits:
- Increased response time
- Remote monitoring
- Integration with local authorities
- Crime deterrence and prevention
- Incident documentation and evidence collection
- Facial recognition and person of interest monitoring
- Nurse Call
In hands-on care facilities, nurse call systems are often required to meet health and safety standards for residents. By integrating this system into an existing security solution, it minimizes time spent merging and analyzing in the event of an incident, so staff have more dedicated time to improving the quality of care.
Benefits:
- Increased response time
- Remote monitoring
- Reporting
- Visitor Management
Visitor management systems play a crucial role in enhancing and maintaining safe environments within senior living facilities. These integrated solutions enhance traditional surveillance and access control solutions to provide customizable access in your facility for residents and their visitors and controlled access to staff areas (especially in specialized care units). This minimizes time managing access, physically monitoring of doors in-person and risks of unauthorized people in areas.
Benefits:
- Controlled access to staff and residential areas
- Record keeping and contact tracing
- Reduces risk of unauthorized visitors
- Customizable access based
- Remote monitoring
- Mobile credentials
Security integration is crucial for the efficient and successful management of senior facilities, regardless of the level of hands-on care needed, and with so many people aging into senior care facilities now is the time to be proactive.
Cook & Boardman’s integrated approach to doors and security allows us to be your resource at scale for enhancing security in senior care facilities, upgrading existing solutions and implementing new systems. Allow our Enterprise Accounts team to evaluate your current solutions and provide recommendations for existing and upcoming facilities: