Memory Care Facility Access Control Guide for Best System

As a memory care facility manager, your top priority is delivering top-tier care for residents. One way you can do that is to ensure their safety — and make your staff more efficient — by investing in memory care facility access control.

In this post, we explain what memory care facility access control is and go over its benefits. Then, we help you choose the access control system that best fit your needs.

This post covers:

• What is memory care facility access control?
• Benefits of electronic access in a memory care facility
• The best memory care facility access control system

What is memory care facility access control?

Memory care facility access control is a way for you to manage access through different parts of a memory care facility for staff and residents alike.

Facility managers have to cater to a wide range of access needs. Staff members need access to storage closets and record-keeping areas that patients shouldn’t have access to.

And among patients, you might have memory care patients with different needs and differing levels of required care. You might also want to keep track of patient locations to ensure their safety.

So, what is the key to safety in care facilities? Luckily, electronic access control can keep patients more comfortable and cut down on administrative busywork for staff.

What is the difference between memory care and nursing home care?

A memory care facility provides more specialized care than a nursing home does. In some cases, nursing homes have a memory care unit to provide residents with the specialized, long-term care they require.

More importantly, memory care facilities are specifically for patients with neurodegenerative disorders like dementia. In contrast, nursing homes are set up for short or long-term care and might be able to provide more independence to patients who are unable to receive medical attention at home.

Benefits of electronic access in a memory care facility

Some of the benefits of upgrading your memory care facility’s access system include:

1. More sanitary, hands-free access
2. Using RFID-based technology to keep track of patients’ locations
3. Increased responsiveness with the help of security cameras

1. More sanitary, hands-free access

Like in hospitals or other caretaking facilities, it’s important to keep surfaces clean and reduce the chances of resident infections. One way for you to reduce the number of things you have to keep clean is to replace your standard brass keys with other credentials, like card or fob readers.

Fob access also comes with other benefits that increase senior living safety. If a staff member loses a card, you don’t have to worry about a patient accidentally finding that fob and using it to open a door — a concern where old-school brass keys are involved. Instead, you’ll be able to deactivate it and issue a new one in just a few minutes.

Watch how ButterflyMX works:

2. Using RFID-based technology to keep track of patients’ locations

While you might find RFID or Bluetooth technology powering your staff’s key cards, that’s not the only benefit of wireless technology. By giving your patients wireless bracelets, you’ll always be able to locate them, no matter where they are in your facility.

Your memory care facility might include amenity spaces like:

• Art spaces
• Dining rooms
• Common areas
• Game rooms

When your facility provides so many services, it’s important to be able to keep track of your patients — and RFID bracelets can help you do that.

3. Increased responsiveness with the help of security cameras

While you can depend on your staff members to provide excellent care, you can’t expect a staff member to be with every patient 24/7. To make sure patients can get what they need and are covered in case of emergencies, you might depend on cameras in common rooms or in shared amenity spaces.

In addition to taking care of your patients, you also have to keep physical security in mind — like you would on any other property. You can also use cameras in assisted living facilities to protect against intruders and vandals by setting them up in parking lots or on rooftops.

The best memory care facility access control system

The best nursing home security system is ButterflyMX. Choose between PIN code access, keys and fobs, or smartphone app-based access — and keep your patients safe while simplifying your staff’s workload, no matter which way you choose.

A ButterflyMX assisted living security system comes with these benefits:

• Multiple ways to open the door. Depending on the needs of your property, we can mix and match different ways to gain entry. Choose between smart intercoms, keypads, card readers, and more.
• Third-party integrations. Integrate your ButterflyMX access control system with a variety of other security hardware, such as cameras and smart locks, and with numerous property management systems.
• Cloud-based infrastructure. Update the system and make changes from any phone or tablet, whether a staff member is on- or off-site. Plus, use ButterflyMX’s powerful dashboard as a central hub where you can see live camera feeds or review an audit trail of all door entry events.