Growing Demand For Health-Care Related Security Systems

“With millions more people expected to develop Alzheimer's disease by the middle of the 21st century, the demand for wander management systems in long term care will explode.” - The Alzheimer's Association

An estimated 5.3 million Americans currently suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. The vast majority of these people, 5.1 million, are senior citizens. This means that one out of eight people age 65 and older (13 percent) has Alzheimer’s disease. Baby Boomers--77 million strong--are soon to reach retirement age and have the highest life expectancy of any generation in American history. By the year 2030 they will account for 20% of the total population in the United States, and health experts estimate that at least 10 million will develop Alzheimer’s. Barring medical advancements that provide a means to prevent and treat the disease more effectively, this number is expected to grow to between 11 and 16 million people by 2050. The demand for professional care to meet the specific needs of this population will mean a significant growth in the capacity of acute care hospitals, long term care facilities and assisted living facilities.

Care of patients suffering from all forms of dementia requires preventive safety measures including wander management--the risk of elopement in this patient population is well known. In order to assure the loved ones of patients who have entrusted their care to a long term care facility, as well as to protect themselves against punitive litigation, facilities must mitigate this risk with perimeter-based security and monitoring systems. Businesses who provide residential care to patients suffering from dementia face extensive regulatory requirements as well as legal threats dealing with elopement--10% of litigation against long term care facilities involve an elopement, with an average out-of-court settlement of $393,650.00 in 2009.

Accutech is the leading manufacturer of advanced electronic monitoring and security systems, backed by the industry’s most comprehensive customer support program. Using advanced radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, our perimeter-based security systems put your staff at ease while enabling them to direct their energies toward other critical tasks, all while meeting the compliance standards of the NFPA, FCC, NEC and JCAHO. Our three ResidentGuard  wander management systems give Alzheimer’s, dementia and other “at-risk” residents the ability to move freely around your facility while receiving the protection they need and their families count on. All three systems may also be integrated with nurse call, electronic access control (EAC), closed-circuit television (CCTV), fall detection and other existing security mechanisms within your facility.

Long term care facilities whose patients suffer from dementia require technology to help monitor those at risk for elopement while maintaining the maximum therapeutic environment. Wander management is one of many systems required to meet the demands of this patient population and it is critical that the system be easy to use--with a minimal amount of support and training required--that it is reliable, unobtrusive and comfortable for the patient, cost effective and expandable. Accutech ResidentGuard systems meet these needs with a lower cost of operation--free training and software updates, free 24-hour technical support-- and easy-to-clean, long-life tags that can be turned on or off as necessary with LEDs to indicate when they are active. Our three systems provide you with the flexibility you need to meet your wander management needs with affordable, reliable and expandable solutions that provide increasing security options to notify your staff if residents try to leave the facility or wander into restricted areas.

The ResidentGuard IS 3200 System is a software-enhanced solution designed to deliver our complete range of safety options coupled with intuitive, easy-to-use functionality. The system is ideal for nursing homes and other facilities in which resident identification, loiter prevention and door-ajar monitoring are necessary to provide the appropriate levels of security. Our mid-level system, the ES 2200, provides many of the key benefits of the IS 3200 System—including loiter and door-ajar monitoring—but without the need for a computer. This software-free system is easy to use and can be installed and serviced by your maintenance personnel. It can also be upgraded to an IS 3200 system should your needs grow over time. The ResidentGuard LC 1200 Wander Alert System is the ideal entry-level solution for facilities that need quick, cost-effective patient monitoring capabilities. It can be implemented as a stand-alone or centralized system, installed and serviced by your maintenance personnel. All of ResidentGuard wander management systems can interface into existing card access systems, locks, CCTV and elevator deactivation systems and come with a one year warranty.

In the demanding environment of a long term care facility, systems need to be reliable and accurate. False alarms and faulty and/or difficult to use equipment quickly becomes an annoyance to a facility’s staff and a detriment to patients’ care. Common problems with wander management systems include ineffectiveness and false alarms. Accutech ResidentGuard systems have several unique features to ensure effectiveness. The bands worn by residents are easily managed by your staff using a secure tag activator/deactivator and have LED indicators to show when they are active--a cut band detection option is also available. To protect against false alarms, our RFID technology utilizes the low-interference, 418 MHz frequency--unusually high on the consumer spectrum--preventing false alarms from interference caused by other electronic devices. Accutech ResidentGuard systems experience the lowest rate of false alarms in the industry. This allows your staff to spend more time caring for patients and less time trouble-shooting systems.

As the population in the United States ages and the need for skilled nursing homes rises dramatically, cost effective wander management systems that are dependable, expandable, and easy to operate and install are essential to the safe and compliant operation of the facilities that will provide this care. Understanding and meeting these needs with systems that assist caregivers instead of distracting them is critical to maintaining the safety of these patients. Using advanced RFID technology, our ResidentGuard wander management systems put your staff at ease while enabling them to direct their energies toward other critical tasks.

Accutech has engineered, manufactured, distributed and serviced radio frequency identification products in since 1985, making us a clear leader in the development, implementation and integration of healthcare-related security systems. As Accutech continues to shape the industry, we strive to learn and achieve what saves our customers time and money, while maintaining the dignity and safety of all the residents and patients whose safety is partially entrusted to one of our ResidentGuard wander management systems.