Wifi Solutions for Assisted Living Facilities
Providing quality assisted living wifi for retirement, care homes, etc., is a lot more difficult than just setting up a few routers.
These facilities have extremely unique demands that require bespoke network solutions to guarantee that residents, guests, and healthcare professionals have the internet they need.
Why Wifi in Assisted Living Facilities is Challenging
1. High-Density Network Usage & Growing Demand
Despite the stereotype, people aged 65 and over use the internet. A recent survey even discovered that 75% of those over 65 use wifi.
What they do on the wifi isn’t researched enough. However, we can imagine it’s emailing, messaging, or streaming. These are probably the most popular activities.
When it comes to assisted living wifi, however, the internet isn’t only for the residents themselves. You also have guests, staff members, equipment, and resident family members.
With so much usage, there’ll be huge demand on the network. Therefore, wifi solutions for assisted living need to be strategically designed to meet these demands.
2. Coverage & Connectivity Issues in Large Facilities
It’s very rare that you’ll find an assisted facility, such as a care or retirement home, that was built with wifi infrastructure in mind.
Because of this, you’ll often find thick walls, multiple floors, and long hallways, which can create “dead zones” in connectivity. You can also get interference from medical or other electronic equipment, which can weaken the wifi signals.
Plus, large facilities could have outdoor places. Trees, terrain, and other buildings, can all impact coverage and connectivity.
3. Security & HIPAA Compliance Risks
Resident data is very sensitive and assisted living spaces need to maintain compliance with HIPAA.
This means networks need to be encrypted and protected to safeguard important information and documentation.
Generally, this requires multiple networks for residents, guests, and staff, which helps prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data.
4. Bandwidth Management & Network Reliability
With possible guests replying to emails, residents streaming video, and healthcare applications requiring stable connection, bandwidth can quickly become overwhelmed.
If overwhelmed, some applications can cause lag, delays, or downtime. Some systems, like the security or emergency response system, can suffer. And, in the worst cases, smart medical devices can fail to provide real-time data.
With such facilities, there are a lot of minor and very major problems that can occur if a network isn’t reliable or suitable for its intended use.
The Benefits of Reliable Wifi in Assisted Living Facilities
Wifi solutions for assisted living facilities can provide a range of benefits for healthcare professionals, residents, guests, and even business owners.
Keeping Residents Connected
At the moment, only 11% of nursing homes (research from 64 nursing homes) offer internet access to their residents. However, 88% of older adults use the internet every day.
Each year, more and more residents will like wifi as a means to keep in touch with family and friends through video calls, social media, messaging, etc.
If you have a quality wifi solution for your assisted living property, then it will be looked at as an attractive option for new residents and the families of potential residents.
Improving Quality of Life
Research from Commscope discovers that 70% of people over 65 want to have network access in senior housing and residential care centers.
Providing this access could make a huge impact on their quality of life. They’ll have easier access to entertainment, news, social groups, family, and so forth, which can be comforting towards the end of their life.
By giving quality assisted living wifi, those in the facility will have a much more enjoyable time. The family may recognize this and then recommend your residence to other family members or friends.
Meeting Demands
In 2018, Housing Lin performed some research to discover the most sought-after amenity for those living in retirement homes.
The result? Well, out of having gardens, local transport, a guest room, leisure facilities, and more, the most “important” amenity was wifi.
During their research, wifi was ranked 7.68 out of 10 regarding importance. Second place was gardens, which scored a 6.69 out of 10.
Therefore, it’s something residents want in assisted living facilities. By meeting this demand, you can potentially attract more clients to scale your business.
How Beacon Solves Assisted Living Wifi Challenges
Owners or managers of assisted living facilities shouldn’t have to worry about wifi issues. Beacon handles everything from the site assessment all the way to network design, installation, and maintenance.
Professional Site Assessments & Custom Network Design
Our team conducts an on-site assessment to understand your facility’s layout fully. This helps us eliminate any dead zones and optimise connectivity. We’ll also account for network traffic, security requirements, scalability, etc., to provide a wifi solution that works for you.
Industry-Leading Wifi Equipment & Installation
We deployed state-of-the-art access points, advanced network controllers, and secure gateways to provide the best coverage possible. With strategic placement and network design, we guarantee connectivity in every room, common area, or hallway on your property.
24/7 Network Monitoring & Maintenance
Once the assisted living wifi is installed, we still manage it by detecting and resolving any issues before it impacts staff, guests, or residents. We also maintain the network to ensure it’s updated and optimized without requiring your team to do any extra work.
Compliance-Ready Security & Guest Management
Our solutions meet the complex and detailed HIPAA compliance standards, as we follow the latest encryption techniques and network segmentation. By doing this, your company stays compliant and your residents' data stays hidden from unwanted eyes.
Let Beacon Handle Your Assisted Living Wifi
Guarantee that your assisted living facility meets the modern-day demands with Beacon’s reliable wifi solutions. Contact a helpful professional today to discuss a tailored network design that’ll enhance resident, guest, and staff satisfaction.