The senior living industry is growing, and it’s no surprise. A majority of the large baby boomer generation has already entered retirement, and many are quickly approaching an age where they may need assisted care in a senior living facility.
There are more than 30,000 senior living care facilities in the United States, and their services vary widely. Some offer relatively independent living or assistance with everyday tasks, while others provide round-the-clock medical or memory care.
Technology needs are also wide-ranging and must be planned for properly. Just as patients and caregivers need to rely on quality, standardized care, organizations with multiple facilities need to ensure consistent standards and quality when it comes to technology.
Here, we’ll take a look at some challenges that senior living facilities face and how to address them using the latest technology.
Access Control Systems
One of the biggest requirements in senior living facilities is the safety and security of residents and staff. Much like hospitals and other healthcare facilities, access control systems are essential technologies within senior living properties, allowing staff to keep track of who enters their building. Access control also helps ensure that unauthorized individuals cannot access restricted areas of a facility without proper credentials.
While proper access is important, it’s just as critical to restrict certain individuals from leaving an area. This is especially true in a memory care wing where residents struggle with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. A badge-in/badge-out access control system requires individuals to scan their credentials before leaving a facility, helping to ensure that residents don’t wander off.
Access control systems can also be integrated with security cameras to monitor hallways and entryways, providing another set of eyes at a nurse’s station or elsewhere.
RELATED CASE STUDY: Brightview Senior Living Enhances Resident Safety
Occupancy Sensors & Remote Monitoring
Sensors are widely used in senior care facilities to help monitor resident safety. For example, occupancy sensors can be installed to alert staff of unusual activities. Likewise, sensors can alert a staff member if a patient tries to get out of bed without assistance or detect falls by monitoring a person’s movements.
AI-enabled cameras can also detect activities in other areas of a facility and provide detailed analytics to help improve operational efficiencies. Just one example includes analyzing wait times in the cafe to help alleviate bottlenecks. AI-enabled devices can also help analyze peak visiting hours or areas of a facility that are underutilized.
Occupancy sensors also play a role in improving resident and staff satisfaction. Of course, they can turn the lights on and off when someone enters a room, but modern occupancy sensors can also adjust HVAC settings, alert staff if a room reaches maximum capacity, and even trigger cleaning alerts for janitorial staff.
In the end, the data collected from various types of remote monitoring equipment like occupancy sensors can help staff attend to residents’ needs quickly with fewer guessing games.
AV Systems
Increasingly, senior living facilities are being equipped with high-quality entertainment systems to help create the comforts of home. Background audio, flatscreen televisions, computers, streaming services, and various media devices are commonplace in residents’ rooms and throughout a facility. Activity centers may host movies or presentations, requiring projectors and screens. And some facilities even have on-site theaters with large screens and surround sound.
In the past, audio visual (AV) equipment had been notoriously frustrating, with users struggling to connect devices with outdated cords or getting the projector to turn on. Modern AV technology is designed for ease of use, allowing those who aren’t tech-savvy to operate equipment with the touch of a button or a simple user interface. AV systems can even be paired with software to recognize devices and turn on automatically.
Upgraded WiFi
About 9 in 10 retirees in the U.S. regularly use the internet, and they want to maintain that connectivity when they transition to a senior living facility. Whether scrolling social media on their mobile devices, streaming the latest shows, or FaceTiming their families, they expect and deserve high-speed WiFi.
Staff members also need fast and reliable internet for cloud-based platforms and medical systems. In addition, many security cameras, access controls, and alarm systems are monitored remotely and require internet connectivity.
While internet providers are improving their services and bandwidth to accommodate these needs, it’s equally important to have the right infrastructure in place. A properly designed infrastructure is critical when planning various equipment needs and where devices will be positioned, stressing the importance of structured cable routing and adequate power.
It’s difficult to know what technology and types of internet services may be available five or 10 years down the road. That’s why it’s important for facility planners to work with an experienced technology consultant who can map, design, and install the needed infrastructure with scalability and flexibility in mind. It’s also important to have a single point of contact for multiple facilities to ensure your technology and processes are standardized across locations.
The technology experts at ASD work closely with facility managers, planners, and construction teams to do just that. And our attentive service and technology management extends beyond installation, ensuring everything continues to operate as it should for years to come. Contact us today to talk through your needs and explore our nationwide service and solutions.
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