A National Senior Living Designation
What Does Safest Places to Live™ Mean?
Safest Places to Live™ is a national designation recognizing senior living communities that meet the most rigorous resident security standard in the industry. If your loved one lives in a designated community, here's what that means for their safety — and yours.
Safety is the foundation of everything we do.
Families making senior living decisions are searching for more than amenities and price points. They are searching for peace of mind — the certainty that their loved one is in a place that takes security seriously, proactively, and provably.
The Safest Places to Live™ designation exists to answer that question before families even have to ask it. Your badge is not a marketing decoration — it is documented proof that your recognized communities have met the most rigorous resident security standard in senior living.
"Finding a community that prioritizes safety as a core value has given my family confidence we made the right choice."
— James L., Resident Son
Unlike self-reported ratings or pay-to-play directories, the Safest Places to Live™ designation is earned through demonstrated, technology-verified compliance with the 8-Point Standard of Resident Security — administered by Accushield.
The 8-Point Standard of Resident Security
Each recognized community in your portfolio has demonstrated active compliance with every applicable point. This is what separates a Safest Place to Live™ from a community that simply meets minimum regulatory requirements.
A digital visitor management system is in place that requires all non-staff individuals to register before entering the community.
All registered visitors and vendors are issued a printed badge so staff can immediately recognize authorized individuals.
A photo is captured for every person entering the community and stored securely in the cloud.
Staff have access to real-time visitor data and can instantly identify who is in the building at any moment.
Families can be notified of visitor activity, giving them confidence and peace of mind about their loved one's environment.
Visitor and caregiver data is securely stored and managed in compliance with applicable privacy standards.
Staff can instantly communicate with all people on-site — accounting for all individuals during an emergency.
Outside care provider and vendor credentials are actively verified before being granted access to residents. This point distinguishes VERIFIED tier communities as operating the most comprehensive resident security standard in senior living.
Display Your Designation with Pride
Your organization is authorized to display the official badge on your website. If you're part of a larger organization, share the embed code with your corporate or marketing team to get it added.
For communities that meet the seven standard points of Resident Security. Share this link with your website team to get the badge added.
Get the Embed CodeFor communities that actively credential outside care providers and vendors. Share this link with your website team to get the VERIFIED badge added.
Get the Embed CodeYour community's homepage · About Us · Safety/Security page · Tour booking page · Site footer — anywhere families are making decisions about care.
Put the Recognition to Work in Your Building
Your organization receives a physical packet with materials designed to be displayed and distributed on-site. Here's what's included and how to use each piece — then request your packet using the link below.
Apply this two-sided window badge to your main entrance door or lobby glass. It's the first signal families see when they arrive — display it prominently at eye level.
A beautifully designed one-page explanation of the Safest Places to Live™ program for local teams to share with prospective and current residents during tours and events.
A pre-written letter for each community's director to send to current residents' families, announcing the designation and what it means for their loved one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the questions community staff, residents, and families are most likely to ask about the SP2L designation.
Safest Places to Live™ is a national designation awarded to senior living communities that demonstrate a proactive, comprehensive commitment to resident safety. Standard recipients meet the first seven points of the 8-Point Standard of Resident Security; VERIFIED tier recipients meet all eight. It is administered by Accushield, the leading visitor management and credential verification technology provider for senior living.
The Standard designation recognizes communities that meet the first seven points of the 8-Point Standard, including controlled access, visible identification, verified identity, real-time situational awareness, family transparency, data privacy, and mass emergency communication. The VERIFIED tier adds Point 8 — Credentialed & Trusted Care Environment — which means the community actively verifies and credentials outside care providers and vendors before they are granted access to residents.
Yes. Your organization is authorized to display the official badge on your website, printed materials, and digital advertising. If you're part of a larger organization, share the Website Badge Guide with your corporate web team. Independent operators can follow the guide to add it directly. The badge must link to accushield.com/recognition/safest-places-to-live/ when used digitally.
Always use the full trademarked name 'Safest Places to Live™' on first reference. Refer to it as a 'designation' or 'recognition' — not an 'award.' When talking with families, focus on your organization's proactive commitment to resident safety — emphasizing that the designation is based on verified, technology-backed compliance, not self-reporting.
Families are most interested in what the designation means for their loved one's day-to-day safety. Focus on the practical: every visitor is digitally registered, staff have real-time awareness of who is in the building, and your communities go well beyond regulatory minimums. The key message is simple — your organization made a deliberate, technology-backed investment in resident security, and this designation is the proof.
Recognized communities may request a full suite of promotional resources. Digitally, they can display the official badge on their website, link it to the designation page, and reference it in online advertising and social media. On-site, each community receives a physical packet that includes a door cling for the main entrance, a program slick for tours and events, and a pre-written family letter from the director. Corporate teams can also incorporate the designation into portfolio-wide marketing and sales materials to reinforce a consistent safety message across all locations.
The Safest Places to Live™ designation is issued on an annual basis. Recognized communities are expected to maintain active compliance with the 8-Point Standard of Resident Security each year to retain their badge and listing on the official directory.
For questions about the program, badge usage, or getting started, contact the Accushield team directly at accushield.com/contact or visit SafePlacesToLive.com.