Assisted living facilities are homes for some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.
That’s why accountability, security, and streamlined operations aren’t just a consideration, but a must-have.
One way we can improve all three areas is through access controls for assisted living facilities.
Access control systems are electronic systems that regulate who and when someone can enter specific areas within a building or access certain documents. For example, a keycard can allow staff to access the building through staff entrances.
The need for access controls in an assisted living facility is much more important than many think. Here’s why:
In memory care units, for example, those with dementia, they may attempt to leave a building or enter areas deemed “unsafe”, like a kitchen, stairwell, etc.
A lot of dementia patients are known for wandering at least once as well. According to Alzheimer’s Association, it’s around 60% of those with such a condition.
Anyways, access controls help reduce the risk of them wandering into unsafe places. They can automatically prevent access to certain areas, keeping patients within a designated area.
Within an assisted living facility, you could have hundreds of individual keys. Juggling these on a day-to-day basis isn’t workflow-friendly.
Instead of doing this, you can use a single key card/fob to enter multiple areas. You can also change who and when someone can enter certain parts of a building as well.
For example, let’s say you have a full-time carer, they’ll need to access most of the assisted living facility. You can then program this key to allow such access.
For a contractor, on the other hand, let’s say a painter, you can give them a different card that only allows access to areas they are working on.
All healthcare environments are subject to strict compliance standards. Access control logs can provide a detailed record of who and when someone entered an area of a property. This helps during internal reviews, audits, and even investigations.
At Beacon, we’ve been installing access control for multiple industries since 2002, helping them improve workflow, safety, and more.
Every project we handle starts with a consultation and a facility walkthrough. We get an understanding of your needs and then review your current property and layout, identifying risk zones, visitor flow, staff patterns, and regulatory needs.
Based on our findings, our team will then develop a system design to suit your needs and property layout. We’ll include everything within the design from wi-fi upgrades to surveillance (if required) and access controls.
After the design has been finalised, we can then install the necessary hardware and software. Once complete, our team will offer tech support so you won’t be left to troubleshoot any issues alone.
If you’re looking to improve your facility’s security, residents' protection, and staff workflow with access controls, contact us today. Our team will be ready to perform a survey and site assessment so we can get to designing your access control system.
We'll handle the infrastructure so you can run your operation without interruption.