Resident Monitoring System
Recent studies have shown that the number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in the U.S. may triple by the year 2050–from 5 million currently to over 13 million.
This will increase the demand for skilled nursing facilities prepared to accommodate this resident population, known for elopement and wandering. Perimeter-based, radio frequency identification enabled monitoring products are an effective and unobtrusive way to monitor residents with Alzheimer’s in long term facilities as well as protect against costly litigation. In 2009, 10% of litigation against long term care facilities involved an elopement, with an average out-of-court settlement of $393,650.00. Resident monitoring systems give people with Alzheimer’s the freedom to enjoy their environment without direct supervision while maintaining their protection within a secured zone. Through the use of advanced RFID technology, resident monitoring systems enable facility staff to direct their energies toward the needs of people in their care rather than their whereabouts.
Considerations for Choosing a Resident Monitoring System
There are many factors that residential care facilities should consider before they choose a resident monitoring system to accommodate the needs of people in their care at risk of wandering and elopement such as: the total cost of ownership, the instance of false alarms, multiple system integration, industry standard and regulatory compliance, technical support and customer service.
Installation costs, training time, the ability to upgrade, replacement components, operation costs, and responsive customer support will all contribute to the total cost of ownership for a resident monitoring system in a skilled nursing facility. Understanding how these factor into your facility’s choice is key to finding a resident monitoring system to protect the people in your care prone to wander. It is important that your choice of a resident monitoring system not only addresses your current needs, but allows you to expand and upgrade to meet your facility’s evolving challenges in the future.
RFID-enabled security systems are at risk of interference from many common electronic devices. Mobile phones, lighting ballasts, floor buffers and other sources of general electromagnetic interference can disrupt the proper functioning of RFID security systems within your facility, resulting in false alarms. Interruptions to your staff from false alarms can lead to alarm fatigue and a dismissive distrust of the resident monitoring system. It is important that you choose an RFID-enabled patient monitoring system uses technology that minimizes the risk of interference from electronic devices and has a proven record of alarm integrity.
A perimeter-based resident monitor for people with Alzheimer’s is one of the protective systems used in a residential nursing facility. As you decide on a resident monitoring system for your facility, be sure to inquire how easily it integrates with the existing systems your facility staff already relies on: nurse call, electronic access control (EAC), closed-circuit television (CCTV), fall detection, paging, etc.
Skilled nursing facilities caring for residents who wander are subject to many regulatory and insurance mandated protocols and equipment requirements. A residential facility must make sure that all security systems are compliant with NFPA, FCC, NEC, CA, ETL and JCAHO requirements.
If your facility cares for patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year, your resident monitoring system must function properly all the time. It is important that you select a resident monitoring system that is backed by 24 hour technical support, a warranty, and local installation and service technicians.
The Resident Monitoring System for Your Nursing Facility
As baby boomers retire and the number of people being treated for Alzheimer’s disease rapidly increases, the need for skilled nursing care will cause a huge growth in bed capacity. All of these facilities will need RFID-enabled, perimeter-based resident monitoring systems to address the threat of wandering and elopement in this population. It is important to consider all of the aspects that influence the total cost of ownership and other factors as you choose what resident monitoring system that is the best fit for your facility.