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| Bosch’s Security Escort is a wireless personal security system useful for people with limited mobility |
Eskaton Village Grass Valley, a 42-acre residential community for seniors in northern California, enhances residents' safety and well-being around the clock with the Security Escort wireless personal security system.
In 2000, as Eskaton developed plans for Eskaton Village Grass Valley in California, a multiservice retirement community in the scenic foothills of the Sierra Nevada range, personal security for residents was a prime concern. Eskaton's market research revealed that prospective residents felt that pull cord assistance systems had limited usefulness.
In response to their concerns, Eskaton selected Security Escort from Bosch Security Systems, a wireless personal security system that matches the independence of the people who call Eskaton village "home."
Most housing units at Eskaton Village Grass Valley are for independent living: 130 detached patio homes in the Terraces, 80 one- or two-bedroom apartments and 57 one-bedroom assisted living apartments, at the Lodge, spread over 42 shady and wooded acres.
"It's a great marketing tool for us," commented June Connelly, administrator at Eskaton Village Grass Valley. "Our residents and their families really like Security Escort because it lets them move about freely and not worry about calling for assistance wherever they are in our community.
The Security Escort system covers almost our entire property – no matter where a resident is, they can signal for assistance with their own transmitter and we respond right away.” June has been with Eskaton for 15 years, opening the Eskaton Village Grass Valley facility in May, 2002. “Independent living encourages individuals of all ages to take control of their lives and maintain their involvement in a community. Eskaton Village is our home community,” states June Connelly. “We chose the Security Escort system because it fulfilled the needs of our residents and our staff, helping ease the anxieties brought on by health concerns and physical limitations.”
The system is especially useful for people with limited mobility – for instance, if someone falls in the kitchen or outdoors in one of the garden areas, they don’t have to try to crawl to the nearest wall mounted pull cord. When someone needs assistance, it may be difficult, painful or even impossible for a resident to get to a telephone or a pull-cord. Security Escort is there to help with its small, convenient transmitter.
Designed with a large push button for ease of use as well as other alerting options, the Security Escort personal transmitter may be worn as a wristband or as necklace/pendant, even in the shower. Once a transmitter is activated and generates an alarm, the staff is immediately notified of the resident’s name and location so they can send assistance.
Security Escort is also equipped with several features such as Check-In-Monitoring, which informs the staff of lack of movement in a room or designated area; Wander Alert capabilities, notifying the staff if a person or asset has left an assigned area; Acknowledgement Transmitters which allow for the free movement of staff or caregivers while allowing full system response and acknowledgement of an alarm signal remotely and the Staff Tour feature that provides a database of staff location and movement.
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| Security Escort is also equipped with several features such as Check-In-Monitoring and Wander Alert capabilities |
The Eskaton Village residents choose either a pendant-style transmitter or a wrist transmitter that fastens with Velcro and worn like a watch. In addition to a call button if a resident needs assistance, the transmitters also act as tracking devices so people can be located on the system’s computer monitor in the reception area. “We monitor our assisted living residents routinely. If someone attempts to walk away from the area without advising us first, we are alerted by the system and able to track their location. We first check the system to see where they might be,” explains June. “Just after we opened in 2002, one of our newer residents was visiting a friend in a patio home and forgot to tell us. Since she always wears her pendant, we were alerted and able to check the facility map on the Security Escort system monitor and I went over to make sure she was all right. She and her friend were very impressed that we could find her so quickly. It’s that type of reassurance that makes our residents feel safe here.”
The Security Escort system monitor is a standard personal computer into which maps and blueprints of the facilities and grounds are loaded and constantly monitored. The Alarm Screen instantly identifies user and location. Upon receipt of an alarm, the console software displays a map showing the location of the signal, indicated by the red circle in the map above. During an alarm event, the user’s name and personal information are displayed on the screen which can include a photograph, medical history, condition, drug allergies, age, height, weight and more.
After initial activation, the system also has the capability to track the movement of the person or item. Updated every seven seconds, the alarm screen’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to manage alarms and dispatch assistance quickly.
"Our residents and their families really like Security Escort because it lets them move about freely" |
When necessary, the system administrator can search for someone by name or assigned transmitter number. Multiple alarms are handled and resolved separately so if more than one person calls for assistance at one time, no one waits.
The Security Escort system at Eskaton was configured, installed, and tested by Advance Sound and Electronics, a Bosch Certified Security Dealer (BCSD). BCSDs are a nation-wide network of top-quality dealers who are backed by the support of Bosch, allowing them to provide the highest level of professional service possible. Electrical contracting at Eskaton was provided by Rex Moore Electrical Contractors and Engineers, and John F. Otto, Inc. was the General Contractor on the project.
Eskaton is an independent nonprofit corporation established in the 1960s to provide health care, housing and other services to seniors and families. Eskaton is a Greek word, interpreted to mean the ‘beginning of a new age.’ Eskaton’s corporate offices are in the Sacramento suburb of Carmichael and it serves seniors through more than 25 facilities and programs in northern California.
Eskaton’s primary mission is to enhance the quality of life of seniors through innovative health, housing and social services. The comforting sense of personal security provided by Security Escort is one innovation at Eskaton Village Grass Valley that clearly enhances their residents’ lives every day along with much greater peace of mind for their loved ones.
