In 1988 my father built his first Assisted Living community in Atlanta, Georgia. As the son of a senior housing developer and ex-home health/hospice/home care agency owner, I was a participant in dinner table conversations that covered all things “senior”. One of the consistent topics was the safety and security of the residents and patients that my father’s companies cared for. Safety, security and risk mitigation were non- negotiables for my father then and remain that way to this day.

Later, when I joined my father’s company as an owner and as a manager of senior living communities, I became increasingly concerned with the safety risk and liability associated with the increasing number unscreened/uncredentialed third-party caregivers and vendors that streamed in and out of our communities. While those caregivers and vendors provided an important service for our residents and staff, their credentials – background checks, immunizations, insurance coverage, and other credentials we required – were invisible to us. It seemed that there was an unwritten rule in the senior living space that all a person had to do to have full access to our community, going to whatever room they chose, was to sign a paper clipboard at the front desk. Observing this, I thought,.

“Would this be acceptable in daycare? Would this be acceptable in our children’s schools? Absolutely not. So why should it be acceptable in our community, or any senior living community, that prides themselves on providing the safest environment possible for vulnerable seniors?”

In order to address this issue for our communities and for other senior living communities, we created Accushield. Accushield utilizes a touch-screen, badge-printing kiosk to sign-in families and friends and to confirm receipt of required credentials from third-party caregivers and other vendors working in senior living communities. The confirmation of these credentials, based on the requirements of the community, advances the safety profile of the community and empowers management and staff to more actively promote safety and security. At the same time, it allows caregivers who meet credentialing standards to distinguish themselves from other caregivers who are uncredentialed. As well, the Accushield Family App gives families peace of mind knowing when a care provider or visitor checks-in to the community and checks-out of the community.

Whether you are a community owner, a caregiver, vendor, or a family member, we hope that you will reach out to us to explore how the Accushield system can benefit you and the residents you serve. All of us at Accushield look forward to working with you to create the safest possible environment for the wonderful seniors who grace our lives.

Sincerely,

Charles Mann