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Operating a successful assisted living environment for senior citizens can be a challenge, attempting to balance a nurturing, home-like setting in order to make people comfortable, yet maintain a facility and staff that are able to deliver medical care (often in an urgent-needs or emergency situation), when necessary. Administrators work to address both needs, but they really have to focus on the latter to not only create a beneficial environment for seniors, but keep their retirement home insurance premiums in check. This can be challenging, especially when it comes to keeping residents safely inside without making them feel they’re being held hostage. Here are some of the strategies that administrators are employing to address these challenges: Installing cameras and security systems. Unobtrusive cameras and security systems that keep entry and exit doors locked at all times help ensure the safety and security of residents and workers alike. They also help workers keep track of the visitors and others as they come and go in the facility. If need be, cameras may even be placed in the rooms of residents who are deemed to be at risk in order to monitor their activity. Unobtrusive light alert systems. Light beams can act as hallway guards, sending a signal to the main desk or emitting a warning noise when the beam is interrupted by a person who walks through it. Smart doors on secure floors. There are many laws in force that are intended to prevent elder abuse and mistreatment due to restraining residents (a practice that was used widely years ago), which can make it challenging for a facility with people who are in certain stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Elders in these stages of the disease often exhibit wandering behavior, which can be a major danger. More progressive facilities now rely on other ways to keep residents safe—yet not able to make an unauthorized exit from the building. Some exits are cleverly disguised so that the doors are inoperable unless the one uses an entry code. This allows staff and visitors to come and go as necessary without the constant jangling of what some residents may perceive as “jailer’s keys.” Talented, trained staff. Nursing home staff can obtain extensive training to handle Alzheimer’s patients so that they understand how to cope with this behavior. These patients can easily become excited, agitated, or combative if they feel they are being scolded or overly corrected. Staff that is knowledgeable about this behavior will find it easier to communicate with and respond to residents appropriately, and not allow querulous attitudes to escalate into potentially violent situations. Assisted living facilities these days are places where people go to live, not wait to die. Administrators can help residents live out their days in comfort and peace by ensuring that a retirement home insurance program is in place to protect their enterprise.
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