Optimal freedom of movement for employees and clients of Zorgbalans

Zorgbalans wants people with care needs to be able to live independently for as long as possible, at home or at a residential care location. To ensure the safety of clients at the locations while still allowing them plenty of freedom of movement, Zorgbalans renewed the access control systems. Working closely with Zorgbalans, Giant Security, specialists in electronic security, designed and installed the locks and management software from market leader SALTO Systems.

Text and image | SALTO Systems

Zorgbalans employees work from various locations in Kennemerland; from small home care offices to residential care locations with hundreds of residents. Frank Boonzaaijer, responsible for real estate, FMIS and home automation at Zorgbalans, explains: "We were using different access control systems. Some of them were outdated, so updates were no longer coming out. At other locations, such as De Houttuinen in Haarlem, we were still using traditional socket keys. Using these wrenches takes quite a lot of force and in some cases even led to RSI complaints. After all, care workers have to open several doors throughout the day to get into a client's room."

Care balance wants to offer residents a sense of home, and that includes minimal restrictions.

Continue to innovate care

Zorgbalans wants to offer residents a sense of home, and that includes minimal restrictions, according to Boonzaaijer. "People who can no longer live independently for medical reasons, we still allow them to participate as much as possible. That's why we have our own store and our residents cook together. We continue to innovate in that area, for example with a beach room where people imagine themselves on a tropical beach, including a warm sun, a sandy beach and accompanying sounds. Furthermore, we use home automation to ensure that people receive personal care in a pleasant and homely manner."

Data always up to date

The access control system must support this vision. In a Program of Requirements the most important conditions were defined. Boonzaaijer: "We wanted a central system for all locations with a clear rights structure and simple management. A direct link with our HR system was also a requirement. That way we can be sure that the user data is up-to-date. Another requirement was ease of use. To ensure that, we involved different user groups, such as ICT, real estate and care employees in the selection."

True 24/7 service

Based on these requirements, Zorgbalans invited a number of suppliers to submit a proposal. The choice fell on Giant Security. "Giant Security's offer was distinguished by a good combination of knowledge, experience and a competitive price. It was clear that this electronic security specialist knows the challenges of the healthcare sector and has sufficient expertise to efficiently roll out SALTO locks and software across our twelve locations. An additional advantage was that they can really deliver on the promise of 24/7 service, being based in our region. Also, Giant Security understands the need for quick action in case of incidents. For example, we maintain a small warehouse of spare parts to resolve incidents quickly."

Good preparation is crucial

For the phased rollout of more than 1,500 locks at Zorgbalans, Giant Security created a thorough Plan of Action. "We have now rolled out 10 of the 12 locations and those projects went well. The rollout involved more than just replacing and installing the locks. In many locations, the cabling also had to be renewed. The experts from Giant Security took us by the hand, advised and supported us throughout the process. In this process, good preparation is crucial. It is not the intention that the daily care be disturbed and that has succeeded."

A total of some 1,500 locks are being replaced and installed in phases at Zorgbalans.

Smooth rollout

In addition to the physical installation, Giant Security supported Care Balance with setting up the system. "The support was complete. The experts helped set up the various user groups, which range from care staff, patients and family to umbrella groups such as doctors, ICT staff or facilities people. In addition, Giant Security delivered the software pre-programmed and helped issue keys. We can now do that independently. Furthermore, training was provided to get a good understanding of the system. Because we rolled out per location, colleagues could also help each other. By thinking carefully about the setup beforehand, everything went smoothly."

Always overview

The advantage of a central access control system is that management is easy. Boonzaaijer explains. "We came from a situation with standalone systems. That's over now. When someone enters service, he or she is automatically linked to a group, with the appropriate access rights. And when someone leaves, the key is blocked. To keep the system as clean as possible, we don't want any exceptions." For the janitors, a fully electronic system offers many advantages. "After training, everyone was quickly able to get started with the new system. In practice, the system works well. Janitors program keys via PC. In addition, they always have an overview."

Keep innovating

For Care Balance, the choice of Giant Security and SALTO is also a choice for the future. "SALTO is easy to link to other systems. As a result, we know for sure we can always keep expanding that and be ready for new developments. We now use tags and numerical codes, but we may eventually be able to open the locks via smartphone. That will be even more efficient for our employees. These developments tie in well with our continuous pursuit of innovation. On the one hand to ensure that our clients feel at home with us, and on the other hand to guarantee that care employees can focus 100 percent on providing good, personalized care."