Smart access set to revolutionise senior living design
LONDON: The design of buildings for senior living—in aged care and retirement village settings—plays an important role in contributing to residents’ quality of life.
Today’s retirees want to live lives filled with leisure activities, family, friends and social engagement.
Those in aged care need to know that they will be looked after as their needs increase.
All want to know that they are safe and secure in their homes but none want this security to restrict their own mobility.
Architects and developers are therefore ensuring that these requirements are considered from the start of the design process, to create environments that provide:
– The comforts, convenience and welcome of home
– Support the staff in delivering care with dignity, and
– Provide the security that gives residents peace of mind.
One of the tools at designers’ and architects’ disposal is smart access control.
Smart access control systems such as SALTO replace traditional locks and keys with electronic locks that are accessed using a keycard, electronic wristband fob or app on the user’s phone.
Each keycard or fob is programmed for the individual user, giving them access to the parts of the facility for which they are authorised.
A smart access system can be used to manage who accesses which part of the facility, to book and give access to shared areas, to remotely manage access and to track exactly who has been (or tried to go) where.
Security and ease of movement
Smart access control means that designers can offer the combination of a secure home and ease of access and movement.
The wristband fob means that residents simply need to put their wrist close to the reader on the lock, making it simple to open doors, even for those who are less mobile.
Design aesthetic
Retirement and aged-care communities are designed to be homes and the aesthetics of the building must be carefully considered—a system with a range of stylish design options means that the architects can specify door furniture that adds to a high-quality decor.
Access to leisure facilities
Many aged-care and retirement facilities have recreational spaces that residents can book—smart access control can tie in with the booking system to allow access at the designated time, allowing residents to make the most of their spaces.
Resident care
Easy and rapid access to rooms to provide care is essential and a smart access system means carers can get to residents securely without having to carry keys and find the right one for each room.
The access design helps staff to care for residents—their cards and fobs mean they can easily access rooms to provide care and rapidly reach residents in an emergency situation.
Operational efficiency
Operators need to be able to manage their facilities efficiently and many have multiple sites, with staff working at more than one. A smart access system incorporated into the design makes for cost effective management.
UnitingSA West Lakes
When UnitingSA were designing and developing their new combined aged-care and retirement village site at West Lakes, Adelaide, they chose SALTO as their smart access control partner.
The SALTO solution helps UnitingSA create a lifestyle that their residents love and a system that is simple and highly efficient for staff to use.
The design of the UnitingSA facility incorporates separate floors for retirement apartments and aged-care living.
Access to the retirement apartments on the fourth floor is via a dedicated lift that can only be operated with a retirement resident’s card or fob.
Access to the aged-care floors is managed separately and bedrooms are accessible only by the resident and by staff.
UnitingSA West Lakes is designed with beautiful outdoor spaces, including barbecue areas that residents can book for events with friends and family. When residents book a barbecue area, the system automatically gives them entry for the time they have booked.
As the operator, UnitingSA can manage access functionality such as granting and revoking access remotely, reducing the need for onsite management staff.
UnitingSA have full visibility of who has accessed, or tried to access, which parts of the facility to further enhance security protocols.
Staff who work across multiple UnitingSA sites can do so with a single card or fob, eliminating the need to carry multiple cards or keys.
Aged-care and retirement living is a growing requirement in Australia as our population ages, and architects and developers understand the need for specialised design to meet the needs of seniors.
Smart access control can play a key part in creating a design that offers quality of life for residents and efficiencies for facility operators.
