Blake by QSL Management

THE CHALLENGE

Establish a process at the entrances to Blake by QSL Management (Blake) senior living communities to ensure that all visitors, staff, and outside caregivers are signed in, health screened, and accounted for.

THE OUTCOME

All visitors, whether they are there to see residents, staff, or to provide a service, are identified and accounted for via the Accushield kiosk, thus giving all stakeholders the peace of mind of knowing who is in the building, the times they arrived and departed, and the nature of their visits.

THE IMPACT

Accushield delivered on its mission of enhancing safety and security for residents and staff, as well as simplification of the sign-in and health screening processes for Blake.

Glenn Barclay, chief executive officer of Blake by QSL Management, wanted staff at his communities to have the ability to know every person who was in the building at any given time. “In simple terms, we wanted to know who was in the building, what their purpose was, and who they were there to see, whether it was a team member, a resident, or if they were there to provide a service,” he says. “Of course, it was about security. But it wasn’t so much for me to garner background checks. It was so that we could know everyone that was in the building; so that a clear process was established at the entry point.”

Prior to the company’s implementation of Accushield in its eight buildings in 2018, the concierge would greet everyone who entered and have them sign in using a paper form. “You may have had two or three people at the front desk at the same time, and someone could slip through behind someone else and go straight to their mom’s apartment,” Barclay says. “We wanted a clear structure and process that would ensure that we met and greeted every guest—and that we had a record of the guest.”

Problem Solved

The Accushield system provided Barclay’s solution. He notes that it is now very easy for that process to be recognized and remembered at all of the entry points to Blake’s buildings. “Before the Accushield kiosk was installed, it was very easy for someone to walk by and disregard our concierge,” he says. The kiosks now serve as a “very concrete reminder to both our concierge and the visitor that there is a very clear procedure for checking in.”

In addition to creating a visible prompt for guests to check in at the front desk, the Accushield kiosk provides a real-time record of everyone in the building at any given time. “We know who is in the building, especially in case we have an emergency of some sort like a fire alarm that goes off,” says Barclay. “We are able to know exactly how many people are in the building—the residents, the guests, and the employees.”

When it comes to managing COVID-19, Accushield has been a “game-changer,” he adds. Among other things, it has significantly reduced the need for paper logs. “I can’t even imagine the amount of paper that we would have had to save for surveys, licensure, and even our own QA audits,” Barclay says. “It has also provided an easy way to ask relevant questions pertaining to COVID and allowed us to screen very quickly at the point of entry and to respond if we have a concern.”

COVID Management Game Changer

What’s more, Accushield has helped them educate both their team members and guests around COVID-related requirements. “We actually put our policies on the kiosk for folks to read when they enter the buildings,” he notes, adding that it is very easy to implement directly on the kiosk.

“And if we wanted to eliminate questions because the CDC updated the guidelines or we needed to add questions or modify the policy as far as visitation, it was very easy to do remotely. We don’t have to work with paper and manuals. We can implement it immediately, in real-time, on the terminal.”

Blake began utilizing Accushield’s temperature check function soon after it was added it to the systems. “Once they introduced it, we were quick to add it, and so we have it in all of our buildings now,” he says. “It was very helpful. It wasn’t that taking it manually and entering it was difficult before, but it gives our guests and visitors a little more peace of mind that we are on top of it. It’s savvy and lets them know that we are looking for the latest technology to make it as easy as possible for everyone. It assures them we are also doing that behind the scenes as well.”

In other words, he adds, “it’s a very tangible way to say, ‘we care about you, and we’re doing everything possible to make sure our community is healthy and safe.’”

Disaster Preparedness Necessity

Even before COVID, the Accushield system was designed to help operators with their disaster preparedness plans. “We use it for our emergency operations plan, and it’s a vital part of our elopement response,” says Barclay, adding that it’s “almost always the first step.”

“Because the Accushield process is so concrete and tangible, it gives residents and family members the security of knowing someone is monitoring everyone who enters and exits the building,” he adds. “There are no strangers in the building. Everyone knows why the guest is there, what their purpose is, and why they are visiting. I think it establishes trust.”

An Unexpected Bonus

Accushield’s Love Meter feature was an added and unexpected bonus, Barclay says. The Love Meter monitors how often a resident receives a visitor. “If someone hasn’t received a visitor in a couple of weeks or a month, then we know that we need to give that resident a little extra attention. We can run that report and use it in our leadership meetings to let them know which residents need a little bit more love,” he says.

“I think that’s a great feature and probably one that’s not utilized enough with the customers,” Barclay adds.

Drawn to Senior Living Roots

Blake recently opened four buildings, and Accushield was added to each of them. Barclay believes in it so much that they are adding the kiosks to new projects under development in Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, Fla.

Barclay, who has deep roots in senior living, says he was drawn to Accushield, and its Co-Founder Charles Mann, because of the strong connection to senior living. “We didn’t review any other systems,” he says, “because I really like Charles’ story. I knew it was more than just a business to him. He was really wanting to offer a solution. And customer service and connection to the industry are important to me.”