A senior living bistro is your community’s welcome mat

Create a space that works as hard as your team. With one set of equipment, your bistro can start the day as a cozy coffee bar and seamlessly transition into a wine bar or pub by evening. This adaptability maximizes your investment and keeps your community engaged.

Infuse personality with thoughtful design details. Rustic finishes like natural wood and brick add warmth and longevity, while evening themes — from sports décor to speakeasy style — invite gatherings. Use zoning strategies to define café, lounge, and bar areas. Pair flexible furniture with lighting shifts to guide residents and guests intuitively, from morning coffee to evening connections.

Key considerations when planning a senior living bistro in your community

1. Versatile layout and design

Design your bistro to adapt throughout the day. With one set of equipment, the space can transition from a cozy coffee bar in the morning to a wine bar or pub in the evening. This day-to-night flexibility maximizes your investment and increases engagement.

Infuse personality and visual interest with: 

• Pub atmosphere: Local sports décor or speakeasy themes invite evening gatherings. 

• Rustic touches: Natural materials like wood and brick bring warmth and longevity. 

• Consider zoning: Create distinct café, lounge, and bar areas with flexible furniture or lighting shifts. These subtle cues guide residents and guests to intuitively enjoy the space at different times of day — from morning coffee to evening gatherings. 

For inspiration, look to current senior dining trends or local landmarks to create a distinctive and inviting space.

2. Strategic location and accessibility

A bistro’s placement influences its success. Prioritize convenience and visibility to boost use and satisfaction:

• Outdoor connection: Position near patios or courtyards to encourage fresh-air dining and indoor-outdoor flow. 
• Central access: Locate near reception or staff hubs to simplify staffing, support residents with mobility challenges, and streamline service. 
• Community integration: Offer limited public access to nearby offices or medical campuses to generate ancillary revenue and reinforce your community as a neighborhood asset. 

3. Expand dining program flexibility with bistro equipment 

Modern bistro dining boosts your senior living foodservice with compact, efficient tools. Think beyond the kitchen:

• Ventless ovens and soup warmers allow for warm meals without full kitchen installs
• Grab-and-go refrigeration, POS systems, and menu boards improve service speed and convenience
• POS integration: Connect to your main kitchen’s point-of-sale system to offer made-to-order items without duplicating equipment.
• Digital menus: Electronic boards replace handwritten signs for effortless updates—perfect for weekly specials or themed events. 
• Barista-level coffee: Invest in high-quality machines or partner with a recognized brand to elevate the coffee experience and drive beverage revenue.

Balance variety and simplicity. A concise menu of three to five signature sandwiches, two soup options, and rotating pastries keeps costs manageable while satisfying diverse tastes.

4. Strengthen community ties and drive visibility

A bistro is more than a place to eat; it’s a hub for social programming. Encourage your life enrichment team to host: 

• Coffee chats: Themed discussions (current events, travel memories, creative writing) that foster connection. 

• Book clubs: Pair with light refreshments and comfortable seating for a relaxed literary setting. 

• Game nights: Card games, board games, or trivia nights encourage friendly competition and laughter. 

• Craft workshops: Small-group sessions such as cookie decorating, tasting flights, or wine-and-cheese pairings. 

These programs support both social and cognitive engagement, reinforcing resident well-being and enhancing the perceived value of your community. 

Case study: Foulk Living bistro remodel 

Foulk’s dining room before & after renovation

In 2024, Life Care Services partnered with Direct Supply Aptura to remodel the Foulk Living bistro in Wilmington, DE. The goal was to create a vibrant, multi-purpose lounge that aligned with LCS’s hospitality-focused vision. 

Changes made: Bold artwork, lively fabrics, and a modular layout allowed the space to shift from morning coffee shop to evening wine bar. A large bar with a big-screen TV now anchors the area for casual lunches, happy hours, and game nights. 

Results: The redesign of Foulk’s bistro earned a bronze American Society of Interior Design award in the specialty category. Resident satisfaction scores rose by 25 percent, and occupancy neared 100 percent within six months of opening. ³ Families returned more often, and staff reported higher morale thanks to the efficient, welcoming environment. 

Foulk’s bistro after renovation

Budgeting and ROI considerations 

When budgeting your bistro project, include costs for:

• Professional service fees and required permits (architects, engineers, designers)
• Equipment purchases or lease (coffee machines, ovens, display cases)
• Furniture, fixtures, and décor
• Technology (POS system, digital signage)
• Staff training and program development

Estimate a return on investment by projecting beverage and snack sales, catering for events, and potential public-access revenue. Most communities see payback on a modest bistro remodel within a reasonable timeframe, through increased occupancy and ancillary income. 

The bottom line

Bistros offer more than coffee. They create connections, boost resident satisfaction, and elevate your community’s marketability. When designed for adaptability, strategic placement, and efficient operations, they become high-impact spaces that support resident engagement, census growth, and positive brand reputation. 

Ready to transform your community? Contact Direct Supply’s senior living design experts today to plan a bistro that delivers lasting value, enhances daily life, and sets your community apart. 

The essentials of JCAHO behavioral health accreditation 

The Joint Commission evaluates behavioral health programs against rigorous criteria that promote patient safety, quality improvement, and regulatory compliance. Key focus areas include: 

• Environment of care: ensure ligature risks are removed, exits stay secure, and approved ligature resistant products are in place
• Safety and security: deploy behavioral safety products such as break-resistant fixtures and tamper-proof hardware
• Patient rights and ethics: support dignity with private rooms, clear signage, and trauma informed design choices

Adhering to these standards safeguards accreditation and positions your organization as a leader in patient-centered care. 

Designing for compliance: from construction to furnishings 

Adaptive reuse

Convert existing structures faster by adding biophilic elements and flexible room typologies that meet JCAHO criteria. 

Materials and finishes 

Use non-glare lighting, calming color palettes, and continuous surfaces to reduce stress triggers. Install recessed shelving, concealed hinges, and rounded-edge countertops to eliminate hazards without compromising aesthetics. 

Integrating trauma informed design 

Apply a trauma informed design checklist to boost compliance and wellbeing: 

• Choice and control: offer adjustable lighting, temperature controls, and bedside privacy shades 
• Predictability: use standardized layouts and clear wayfinding to lower anxiety 
• Sensory considerations: add acoustic panels, soft textiles, and nature-inspired art for a healing atmosphere 

These strategies support the continuum of care from inpatient psychiatric units to behavioral assisted living environments. 

Levels of care & JCAHO requirements 

Different levels of care require tailored design strategies: 

Key JCAHO focus areas

Ligature resistant design, rapid egress, advanced monitoring 

Homelike environment, supervised autonomy, communal spaces

Flexible multipurpose areas, private counseling spaces 

Monitoring, maintenance, and continuous improvement 

JCAHO surveys are ongoing. Build a quality management plan that includes: 

• Routine safety audits: inspect ligature resistant products, test door hardware, review escape routes 
• Staff training: coach teams on behavioral health risks, equipment use, and emergency protocols 
• Individual feedback: collect input on care environments to guide design updates 

A robust plan keeps your facility compliant and responsive to evolving behavioral health strategies. 

Emerging trends in behavioral health design 

Stay ahead with innovations that enhance care and compliance: 

• Smart room technology: integrate environmental sensors for air quality, temperature, and movement 
• Modular and prefab construction: deploy mental health units that adapt to changing volumes 
• Biophilic and healing-by-design: maximize natural materials, daylight, and views of greenery 

By weaving these trends into your behavioral health design guide, you reinforce compliance and foster transformative patient experiences. 

Download the eBook for More 

For more trends like this one, download the free ebook. Inside, Direct Supply’s design and construction experts walk through the top trends in Senior Living for 2025, including:

• Destination Living – Turning communities into vibrant retreats with hospitality-inspired design.
• Sustainability & Long-Term Efficiency – Designing for safety, health, and eco-conscious living.
• Authentic Living Spaces – Celebrating individuality, cultural heritage, and natural design elements.
• Wellness-Centric Design – Supporting wholistic health and well-being through thoughtful environments.
• Quiet Luxury – Blending refined aesthetics with versatile functionality.

Our Senior Living Experts

Top Senior Living Furniture in 2024

By The Yard Potting Table

Enhance gardening experiences in Senior Living communities with an innovative, portable, and wheelchair-accessible potting table. Thoughtfully designed for ease and convenience, it features handy holders on the top shelf and hooks along the side, keeping essential tools within easy reach. The large, removable bin for potting soil allows for simple cleaning, while the sliding tray above provides a comfortable space for potting plants. This versatile table also doubles as an entertainment station—just add a second bin for ice, and it becomes a great spot for beverages and salads during community gatherings. 

Top Senior Living Furniture in 2023

Holsag Palmanova Collection

The Holsag Palmanova Collection features a variety of benches, side chairs, arm chairs, barstools and counterstools. The Palmanova Dining Armchair, for example, brings elegant styling to any setting with its modern take on a minimalistic arm chair.

Featuring plush, foam padded seats and backs across the entire line, the Palmanova offers just as much comfort as it does style. The antimicrobial finish prevents the absorption of germs, bacteria, mold, mildew and some viruses.

Need help selecting the right décor? With our complimentary design services, our professional design consultants help to make the best choices for design and budget. Contact us today to get started.

2023 Design Trends in Senior Living

Planning for an Influx of Seniors

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it is projected that the U.S. population over 85 years of age will more than double in the next 20 years. This is a glimmer of hope when contrasted with the current state of occupancy rates and related financial pressure.

With global supply shortages, rising labor costs, and heightened interest rates heading in to 2023; many Senior Living providers are looking for ways to relieve the pressure on direct care employees by incorporating purpousful design and integrated technology.  

Consider blending these design trends and technology systems into your interior design:  

• Robotics are an up-and-coming solution to combat rising labor costs and staff shortages. Automated technology promote on-demand delivery for resident and caregiver needs.  
• Intentional memory care design can increase resident engagement and decrease staff workload. Sticking to light colors, simple patterns, and visual prompts like the Artline Framed 3D Textured Panels can help guide residents and make home feel a little more like home

Download the eBook for More 

For more trends like this one, download the free ebook. Inside, Direct Supply’s design and construction experts walk through the top trends in Senior Living for 2023, including: 

• Enhancing Resident and Staff Well-being
• New Senior-Specific Furnishings
• Intentional Memory Care Design
• Reducing Resident Room Occupancy
• Integrating Technology and Design
• 70s-Inspired Decor
• Colors for 2023

Our Senior Living Experts

As the Senior Living industry continues to struggle with labor shortages, Direct Supply, as an applied technology company, continues to invest in technology solutions that enable senior housing communities to work smarter, build efficiencies and meet more residents’ needs with less staff. 

We saw an opportunity to create efficiencies by combining the data in nurse call databases with the power of technology within Direct Supply’s TELS® Platform.  Behind the scenes, we connect with nurse call device databases and TELS to generate automatic work orders for battery operated devices, such as pendants or pull cords, to track device health and incorporate appropriate alerts into the maintenance staff’s day. 

By integrating nurse call with the TELS platform, we’re using Senior Living technology to solve problems, drive efficiency and gain visibility for your staff.

“At a time where communities are feeling the pain of staffing shortages across their operation, we are excited to bring real, measurable change to Operators through meaningful technology integration. As an applied technology company, Direct Supply is continually looking for ways to bridge the gap in staffing levels through the proper deployment of better, simpler and smarter technology. Putting up to 10 minutes per day back in a Maintenance Director’s day is a great first step, and we can’t wait to bring more efficiencies to our customers like we did with our nurse call and
TELS integration.” 

Integrate your compatible nurse call system with TELS Platform 

Advantages of web-based software for Senior Living

When it comes to Senior Living technology, TELS Platform can be the central hub for Senior Living staff. Gain visibility into community needs, save time and reduce miscommunication with an easily navigated, single location to store documents, manage work orders, request services, access training and much more.

What efficiencies does TELS Platform offer?

Time: Streamline communication with a single hub of documentation for all your building maintenance needs. Staff can cut back time spent tracking down communication and work orders as they request service on the spot, manage tasks, track and evaluate costs, and communicate needs.

Strategy: Take advantage of the asset data in your communities to strategically plan monthly, quarterly and yearly spend, potentially avoiding time and budget drains that stem from needing emergency repairs. 

Onboarding: Free, on-demand training allows communities to quickly ramp up and stay up to date with key knowledge and skills relevant to their positions. Plus, with a list of vetted and local service providers on hand from the TELS Building Services network, new hires don’t need to build up a rapport with nearby vendors.

Impacts of Senior Living technology platform beyond maintenance

Why this Senior Living technology platform benefits staff, residents and loved ones:

Direct Benefits for Staff: Streamlining the maintenance process can help free up staff schedules and increase operational efficiency, allowing them to direct their time and efforts to more training, spending time with residents, maintaining other assets in the community and improving budgeting strategies.

Improved Community Culture for Residents and Loved Ones: Increased efficiency for staff opens up more time to spend with residents one on one, providing a healthier atmosphere and directing budgetary efforts to other Senior Living technologies.

Case Study: TELS Integrated Nurse Call System

Direct Supply partnered with a local Senior Living community to pilot this new integration between TELS platform and PalCare’s nurse call software.  

The integration into the TELS platform enabled the community maintenance team to immediately know what life safety nurse call devices had low batteries or no-signal status. It also monitors for things like power outages or tampering with critical repeater infrastructure. TELS work orders were automatically generated based on the PalCare device status, which enabled real-time maintenance notifications to help improve resident safety and reduce the risk of malfunctioning systems.

During the pilot, this Senior Living community was able to verify the integration was successful and gave feedback on the user experience to enhance future developments. They shared with our team:    

“We are committed to making each Senior Living community meet or surpass all our residents’ expectations. We see the TELS integration as a way to commit to our resident’s fully functioning nurse call devices.

The integration allows us to maintain our nurse call system health through the TELS software to help us save time and lower operating expenses. Upon using the TELS and nurse call integration we are confident batteries are being replaced when needed.

We are looking forward to deploying this new technology integration between Direct Supply’s TELS platform and our nurse call system to exceed our residents’ expectations and save our staff time while lowering
operating expenses.”

Based on data from the pilot, we concluded that the workflow impact experienced by integrating nurse call to TELS helps*

• Save up to 10 minutes of time everyday through automated workflows
• 84% fewer devices reaching critically low battery status
• Enables communities to be 4x faster in replacing low-battery devices
• Achieves $1.2K in labor savings each year

Integrating your nurse call system, like PalCare or CenTrak, with TELS Platform has clear benefits. Gain maintenance efficiencies, promote device health and deliver better resident service. Improve the resident experience by ensuring maintenance teams receive work order faster. Once you activate your nurse call service plan, we’ll activate the TELS interaction to receive automatic nurse call maintenance requests in TELS platform. It really is that easy!

*Results based on a pilot with a 257 bed CCRC community, comparing the average results two months prior and two months post implementation. Results not guaranteed. Results will vary depending on the number of devices, internal processes for responding to tasks, and other factors.

¹ Qualtrics in partnership with the Developers Collective. (2021). 2021 Senior Housing Survey Results & Analysis. Direct Supply.

Who is part of the Senior Living caregiver team in your community? 

1. Senior Living Caregiver Team: Staff

Obviously, the staff who work in your community are the point people on your caregiver team. They work tirelessly to care for residents 24/7. Most Senior Living providers are paying their staff overtime hours and some are relying on agency or temp staff. Staff are quickly becoming burnt out and overworked. 

Equip your communities with the right technology to ease the burden on your caregiver staff. Robotic technology is no longer a future solve – the future is now. Rely on robotics for final mile delivery in your senior housing dining rooms. Physically cut down on the steps you require staff to take, ultimately saving time, money and reducing burden, by using a robot to bring food from the kitchen to the dining room. Communities that are piloting these systems are seeing great results; even residents are enjoying them. 

In the kitchen, robots can be used to fulfill repetitive movements and simple tasks like flipping burgers, making pancakes or filling salad bowls. High-tech robots exist to complete custom orders of salads or smoothies. Learn more about technology for the future of Senior Living. 

Contact our technology design experts to learn how these systems can future-proof your communities and reduce the burden on Senior Living staff. 

DS smart® technology helps staff optimizes the vitals documentation workflow. This tech lets bluetooth-enabled equipment wirelessly transfer EMR data to your EMR software instantly.

The mental and physical health of your staff directly impacts the mental and physical health of your residents. Keep your Senior Living community caregiver team healthy by caring for your staff properly. The needs of staff must be met to adequately meet the needs of residents. Like a parent putting their oxygen mask on first in an airplane, for optimal resident care staff must be cared for first. Read more about senior living design tipes for the heathcare worker shortage. 

2.  Senior Living Caregiver Team: Residents 

Residents in your communities play a large role on the caregiver team. Senior Living resident engagement starts with resident to resident interactions. Design spaces that allow for residents to commune together. Read about engagement spaces that foster memorable experiences for seniors. 

Residents serve the caregiver team in a more tangible sense, too. There are numerous jobs residents can take on – giving them purpose and reducing the work for Senior Living staff. 

Consider putting out a resident survey to determine which residents are interested in taking on a job at the community and offer them simple tasks. 

Do a few residents want to water the plants in the common spaces? Is there a committee of residents who would like to plan your next social activity? Is one of your residents a retired art teacher or history buff? Would they enjoy leading a class for their peers? Get creative when considering how your residents play a part in the caregiver team.

3. Senior Living Caregiver Team: The Surrounding Community 

There are various was to engage the surrounding community. Community volunteers for Senior Living facilities are an extension of the caregiver team that should not be overlooked. Start first with your resident’s loved ones and family members. They are already invested deeply in the success of your community. 

If your community has a bistro or café, opening it to the public will boost resident enjoyment of the space. The buzz of a busy coffee shop would increase Senior Living resident engagement. 

Invite a local art teacher or yoga instructor to your community to lead a class. Encourage students in your community to volunteer in the kitchen, during craft time or during other community activities. 

“My dog, Holmes, and I volunteer at local senior housing communities. I am one of many types of volunteers that visit. Being in the pet program, I meet with residents who enjoy animals. Other volunteers include musicians, readers and friendly visitors. I’ve noticed that incorporating various types of volunteers to meet residents’ interests helps create a sense of agency and connection. It’s really heartwarming to see the extension of the community through volunteers.”

Discover other tips for resident engagement and community volunteers opportunities.

4. Senior Living Caregiver Team: Your Building Itself

In the COVD-19 pandemic, whole building health was emphasized more than ever in the Senior Living industry. Trends exposed by the pandemic have lead to buildings themselves being a necessary part of the Senior Living caregiver team.  

When you think of your building as a caregiver, first consider the layout of your building.

• Is your space set up in a way that helps or hurts the people living and working inside?
• Does the flow of your entrance way lend to efficient guest check in or package delivery services? 
• Are staff entering your building into a shared resident space? 

All of these questions, and more, should be considered to make the most effective use of your space. 

Our interior design experts recommend taking note of all staff workflows that occur in a space when renovating. That way, you are able to keep efficiency front of mind when laying out the flow of each room. 

Your visitor’s entrance is a great place to implement time-saving technology that boosts infection prevention. Technology supports the visitation experience and promotes staff efficiency, infection prevention and safety. Automated screening kiosks using temperature scanners or biometric screening devices allow visitors to passively have their temperature taken and complete required screening questions, minimizing the need for a staff member to conduct these checks. 

“Creating a separate locker room with showers, very similar to something you might see at your gym, would allow the employees to decontaminate and store their personal belongings away from residents. Uniforms could also be provided as an extra added safety measure. These uniforms could be laundered and hung in the locker rooms for staff at the start of their shift.”

There are endless ways to optimize your building as a caregiver. Along with a good ventilation system, ensure clean air is always flowing through your space with Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization (NPBI™). NPBI reduces certain viruses, bacteria and odors. Studies show that Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization technology inactivates up to 98.33% of SARS-CoV-2.³ Users experienced up to 41% reduced risk of COVID-19 infection in their buildings with NPBI.⁴ 

TELS Building Services offers tailored building health with 24/7 live support from our specialists. Leverage TELS Platform to request services and quotes, record service history and provide consolidated visibility into services spend. Access local technicians specially coached to service Senior Living communities. Learn more about TELS. 

Direct Supply is dedicated to innovative solutions to optimize your Senior Living caregiver team. Located in downtown Milwaukee, the Innovation & Technology Center (ITC) is the dedicated arm of Direct Supply where improving existing technology and developing forward-thinking innovations related to senior health is the top priority. Visit the ITC. 

The Bottom Line:
Senior Living Engagement: Everyone in the Community Plays a Role

There are more caregivers in your building than just your staff members. Incorporate labor saving technology that optimizes whole building health. Tap into your residents and the surrounding community to achieve optimal resident engagement and total community success.

Contact our Senior Living architect, interior and foodservice design experts to help you get started implementing these strategies in your community today.

For more trends in Senior Living design, download the 2022 Design Trends in Senior Living eBook.

Roughly 33 million Americans have left their jobs since the spring of 2021, creating what is now known as “The Great Resignation”. To the Senior Living industry, which is still deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, this National labor shortage hits hard. Leveraging innovative technology solutions can help meet today’s top needs as an industry: occupancy recovery, staff efficiency and retention. Multiple technology solutions are available for every space in your community and will help create long term efficiencies and labor savings. 

Using Mobile Apps to Streamline Resident and Asset Awareness Can Reduce Labor Costs

Real-time location systems (RTLS) in healthcare increase visibility of the people and things that matter most, optimize workflow and capture relevant interaction data backed by location certainty. The advanced geolocation technology utilized by RTLS passively observes location changes within your building, promoting operational efficiency, assisting in contact tracing efforts, enabling emergency fall response and more.

In an effort to deliver true RTLS technology to Senior Living, CenTrak, a KLAS award winning Real-time location system for hospitals, developed a custom solution for Senior Living that merges transformative RTLS technology with affordability. CenTrak offers two mobile apps: TruView Alert Manager™ and the NEW TruFinder™. Not only can staff realize real-time efficiencies in their day-to-day workflow, communities can realize cost savings while deploying the latest in high-end technology. 

Learn how Real-Time Location Systems can boost safety and labor savings in your Memory Care, Assisted Living or Skilled Nursing Facility.

What benefits do Real-Time Location Systems offer?

RTLS technology is used to passively identify and locate people and assets throughout your community. This information is relayed directly to your staff’s mobile devices through the TruView™ software and TruFinder™ mobile applications, allowing your staff access to innovative resident and asset monitoring in real-time – making them more efficient and helping to lower staff burn-out. RTLS technology can also help with contact tracing and real-time reporting to boost labor savings. 

Technology Tip: The need to elevate safety for residents and staff has become even greater due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our industry. Communities have re-opened with a heightened need for effective resident, staff and visitor interaction management. Electronic visitor management and thermal temperature screening solutions have quickly become must-have technology to assist with the flow of visitors and guests, and RTLS is the key tool to bridge these tools with automation. Download our FREE Technology Trends eBook for more trends in senior care technology. 

How does the TruFinder™ mobile app work, and what are the benefits of this RTLS solution? 

“Our team seeks to ensure crucial programs at Senior Living communities are properly invested in and accessible, especially during these challenging times. The offerings within our mobile app will aid communities throughout their mission of continuously providing high-quality care and a safe environment. By using the app’s accurate Location Tracing Report, communities can conduct more informed risk assessments and implement quarantine protocols that won’t impede care. TruFinder™’s asset search and mobile system management capabilities enable resource-constrained teams to be more efficient and focused on what matters most – their residents.”
– Deric Blattenberger, CenTrak’s General Manager of Senior Care

Does your community require a new nurse call system? TruView™ accompanied by TruFinder™ is priced competitively with the market, but when considering the rich native feature set TruView encompasses, its value far surpasses any system on the market today. Want to add wander management? Not a problem, just add door hardware to your nurse call system, and at a fraction of the cost of buying a separate wander solution. Gain efficiency and cost savings by leveraging all the features of  TruView™ and TruFinder™. 

The purpose of TruFinder™ is to empower staff with actionable information. Creating an efficient workflow saves on personal protective equipment (PPE) usage and lowers redundant interactions which promote infection prevention. If a new Geo Pendant needs to be assigned to a resident or staff member, simply use the camera on your TruFinder mobile device.

What is the difference between the Real-Time Locating System mobile apps,
TruView Alert Manager™ and TruFinder™? 

TruView Alert Manager:

• Notifies care staff to receive alerts, accept alerts and track activities of daily living (ADLs)
• Gives staff the ability to select event cause from a call completion dropdown list
• Primarily used for clinical and staff alerting
• Quickly view resident alert details and their exact location
• Tap to respond, request additional assistance, or identify a medical emergency
• Easily log reason codes directly into the system
• Analyze care time, average response times, escalations, and event histories

TruFinder:

• Created for building administration for contact tracing and location tracing
• Offers device programming, asset locating and management
• Primarily used for administrative search, reporting and system use
• Quickly search for any resident, staff member, or asset
• Built-in contact tracing reports
• Asset tracking dashboard
• Filterable list view and summary report of equipment inventory
• Assign or change Geo pendant information from anywhere

Prices on an RTLS solution can vary based on deployment needs, but CenTrak’s platforms are the first cost-effective, passive real-time location systems designed for Senior Living that offer nurse call, wander management, resident roaming, asset locating and contact tracing all in one platform.

The CenTrak TruFinder™ mobile app is closing the gap in building administration staffing needs. All around staff turnover is higher than ever in the Senior Living industry. Our Senior Living experts shared their insights and tips on how to recruit, onboard and retain maintenance staff in Senior Living.

Technology Tip: Having a properly designed Wi-Fi system is critical to getting technologies to communicate and connect reliably. Although RTLS coexists with your Wi-Fi system in its self-contained network, a strong Wi-Fi system means all your mobile apps for RTLS & EMR tools operate effectively. The number of devices connected to an access point can determine the quality of a Wi-Fi connection, and more devices than ever before are being utilized in Senior Living spaces. Rely on our experts to optimize your wireless networking capabilities.

CenTrak’s Real-Time Locating System’s Proven Success in Resident Care Facilities

With over 20 years of experience in acute healthcare space and millions of monitored devices worldwide, CenTrak has been recognized as the top Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) provider in North America. Over 2,000 healthcare and Senior Living facilities are using CenTrak technology.

CenTrak has been awarded the Best in KLAS award four times, most recently in 2021, for their technology solutions – an achievement designated largely by the staff that utilize CenTrak’s platforms every day.

KLAS is an independent organization started by four members of the Healthcare Information Technology (HIT) industry to help operators find transparency in the marketplace through research and customer feedback. KLAS evaluates multiple technologies across the healthcare industry through the eyes of its users to identify best of breed solutions. 

Real-Time Location Systems in Healthcare and Senior Living:
System Design and Capabilities 

CenTrak uses mapping technology to visually indicate where people and things are located throughout a Senior Living community. Senior Living communities are now able to take advantage of transformative RTLS technology on a budget that compares favorably to basic run-of-the-mill e-call systems that continue to fall short of market demands, evolution and current challenges CenTrak’s real-time location tracking technology features tangible solutions for today’s latest challenges all in one system, including:

Wander Management & Resident Roaming
Create a safe community with resident services like enhanced nurse call systems and real-time wander management powered by TruLocation™. TruView™ enables communities to create “off-limits” areas (both indoors and outdoors) and customize location settings (“Secure Mode”) based on residents’ risk levels as seniors age in place. Roaming alerts are triggered when a resident begins to stray from their pre-determined safe zone or enter a pre-determined off-limit zone, especially important in Memory Care settings where residents may accidentally enter the wrong living space. In the case of a dangerous wandering event, doors are disabled based on the presence of a specified Geo pendant. A real-time alert is dispatched for immediate caregiver response.

Resident Emergency Call (Safety and Security)
CenTrak’s TruView™ provides fast and accurate emergency response by capturing the exact room-level location of residents and staff, throughout the TruView system coverage area. When an emergency alert is triggered by the CenTrak Geo wearable pendant, staff are immediately notified at their workstations and through the TruView™ Alert Manager via text, email, phone, pagers, etc. The Geo wearable device provides the resident with gentle haptic feedback (vibration/LED) to confirm that the system has successfully delivered the message and help is on the way.

Environmental Monitoring
As part of the TruView™ platform, CenTrak’s Environmental Monitoring solution provides continuous measurement and reporting of ambient temperatures in resident refrigerators and freezers to ensure safety of consumable items. This also applies to a community’s foodservice and medication storage. Alerts when parameters are out of range enable residents or community managers to immediately take corrective action. This same system can also be used to measure storage conditions of medications and other critical items.

Staff Duress + Labor Savings
Healthcare workers face an increased risk of work-related violence. Early intervention enables you to effectively deescalate conflict, avoiding harm to staff and residents. CenTrak’s TruView™ provides peace of mind to staff knowing they are always protected, anywhere within the community. 

Nothing is less safe than uncertainty. With TruLocation™ technology, CenTrak provides certainty with:

1. Discrete Buttons
2. Silent haptic/vibrate Feedback, so user knows the button press was received by first responders
3. Certainty based indoor location, that provides the specific location of where a staff member is

Accurate location means less training for new staff to learn how to respond during an emergency and no wasted time second guessing.

Equipment Tracking and Management
By quickly locating equipment needed for older adult use, such as wheelchairs, lifts and beds, TruView™ provides a more efficient environment for staff. Real-time status updates help to optimize community workflows by easily understanding which equipment is clean and ready for use, actively in use or waiting to be serviced. Track the use and location of rented vs. owned equipment to gauge financial investments, or locate equipment such as a lift if a resident requires help after a fall.

Senior Living Specific Real-Time Location System
Because CenTrak’s TruView™ is a real-time location system purpose built specifically for Senior Living communities, TruView is customized to fit your community’s emergency call and wander management budget. CenTrak envisions every community having access to the same transformative use cases they have been delivering to hospitals for nearly 20 years. TruView™ is the exclusive way to accomplish this outcome.