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Key Features of Assisted Care Facilities for Seniors

Written By: Elizabeth Kogut
Reviewed By: William Rivers
Published: June 21, 2022
Last updated: October 9, 2024

Researchers have identified that the elderly sit amongst the groups most vulnerable to becoming a victim of a crime. If you’re a senior citizen looking to move into assisted living, you need assurances that you will be comfortable and safe.

Keep reading to learn about the top features of a senior assisted caretaker facility that you should be looking for to ensure your safety. This guide will cover the modern technologies that enhance convenience and security in residential treatment centers.

Top Features Of A Senior Assisted Caretaker Facility

If you’re moving to an assisted caretaker facility, you need a facility that will offer you a better quality of life and access to the car you need. You also need a secure facility to ensure your safety during your residency.

Open Areas With A Secure Perimeter

Open areas are essential in an assisted caretaker facility. Open spaces and time in the great outdoors can do wonders for your mental and physical health. To be comfortable in your new home, you must know that you can access quality outdoor time and exercise.

However, if you suffer from confusion, you need a secure perimeter so that you can’t wander from the grounds and become lost, which would be dangerous if you were in a state of confusion. So, look for an assisted caretaker facility that offers gated security to ensure that you won’t lose your way and that unauthorized intruders cannot compromise your safety.

Modern Security Technology

Modern security technology helps ensure that senior citizens are safe in their residences and increases the convenience of stringent security. Here are some of the leading security technologies for an assisted caretaker facility.

Access Control

Modern door access control systems help to ensure that no intruders can enter the premises and also helps to ensure that residents are always where they are supposed to be for their safety. Touchless access control is a cloud-based system that is highly beneficial for caretaker facilities. Touchless access control uses digital access keys stored on users’ mobile devices. Since this is a cloud-based system, assisted caretaker facility staff can use a cloud-based control center or mobile application to lock and unlock doors in the facility. This remote capacity gives the team better response time to security incidents and helps to facilitate smoother evacuation procedures.

Access control should also be applied to areas within the building that house sensitive personal information and hazardous materials. For instance, the kitchen and medical rooms should be restricted; if residents managed to enter these spaces, this could become dangerous.

Alarm Systems

In any residential care facility, you need to know that there are effective alarm systems that will ensure all residents have enough time to evacuate the facility in the event of an emergency. Smoke detectors and fire alarms in the facility can integrate with access control, allowing staff to immediately respond to the incident and initiate evacuation procedures by unlocking the doors. The last thing you need in an emergency evacuation is locked doors throughout the facility that slow down the evacuation process. With touchless access control and alarm systems, staff can ensure that all doors are unlocked immediately, allowing them to move residents out of the building seamlessly.

Security Cameras

Security cameras are required to ensure that any crime on the property is documented. Without surveillance, you may struggle to report incidents, which may mean that you may struggle to resolve the incident with an investigation.

In residential facilities, staff must maintain consistent awareness of who is on the property and where patients are. Surveillance cameras are instrumental in facilitating the monitoring of patients to ensure their safety.

Security cameras are also instrumental in preventing a crime; if a potential intruder sees that they are being watched, they are less likely to attempt to enter the property and commit a crime.

Patient Monitoring Capabilities

The residential facility staff must keep up-to-date with patients' whereabouts and needs. With surveillance cameras, they can gain better insight into where patients are. To keep staff updated on when patients need assistance, they can opt for a system that allows patients to request assistance. With medical alert systems to press when they need help, patients will feel more at ease, and their needs will be met more quickly.

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

Easy Visitor Check-In

Visitor management software helps ensure your guests can check in and visit you at the residential treatment facility without stress. Visitor management software integrates with access control. When a user needs to enter the building, they must simply fill out a digital registration form on their mobile device to log their details. Once they have completed the registration form, they will gain temporary access credentials to enter the building. Once they leave the building, the system automatically logs them out and revokes their access credentials.

Summary

Choosing a suitable residential assisted care facility for you can be a tricky task to navigate. However, your safety is paramount. Look for a facility that has ample security and modern security technologies that will ensure your safety. Senior citizens are vulnerable when it comes to crime. You need a facility that keeps you protected.

Main Photo by Christian Bowen on Unsplash

Frequently Asked Questions:

What are some key features seniors should look for in an assisted living facility?

Seniors should look for facilities offering personalized care plans, a variety of social activities, nutritious meals, and a safe and comfortable living environment.

Why is a personalized care plan important in an assisted living facility?

A personalized care plan ensures that each resident's unique health and lifestyle needs are met, contributing to their overall well-being and quality of life.

How does the social environment impact a senior's experience in an assisted living facility?

A vibrant social environment can enhance a senior's mental and emotional health, promote active aging, and foster a sense of community and belonging.

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Elizabeth Kogut works as the editorial head of Senior Strong. Armed with her degree in Nursing from the University of Missouri, Elizabeth ensures that all the site’s content is relevant to seniors today. 
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