Cameras give Providence Point residents sense of security
A surveillance system with more than 70 cameras helps Providence Point, a senior living community in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, attract more residents.
Jan 2, 2018
PITTSBURGH — When Providence Point opened in Scott Township in 2009, it forever changed the landscape of senior living in the South Hills region of Pittsburgh.
Residents of the community offering independent living patio homes and apartments expect state-of-the-art amenities including an on-site wellness center, day spa and dining options, it’s no surprise giving them a sense of security was also top of mind for Baptist Homes Society, Providence Point’s parent company.
Dagostino Electronic Services upgraded the surveillance system at Providence Point, a LifeCare community in Scott Township.
“Cameras are, I’ll say, in the top three selling points of what your clients are looking for,” Kevin Santora, Director of Resident Services at Baptist Homes Society, explained.
He added, “It’s a major selling point for family members to know that the campus is being watched.”
When Providence Point was built, a surveillance system was installed but the technology eventually began to fail.
In 2016, Dagostino Electronic Services (DES) was appointed to upgrade the system and installed 53 new indoor and outdoor cameras in public areas around the community. Twenty additional cameras were added more recently.
Interior cameras are located in hallways, common areas and other public spaces. Exterior cameras are fixed on the outside of buildings to keep an eye on entrances and exits and parking lots.
Baptist Homes Society relied on DES’ team of professionals to design a solution that made sense.
An interior camera in a common area at Providence Point, a LifeCare community in Scott Township.
DES educated Santora and Providence Point staff on what types of cameras to use and where while staying within privacy regulations set forth by HIPAA.
“We do have to be very sensitive to regulations and what you can and can’t put on camera and they’re well aware of that,” Santora recalled.
Milestone video monitoring software allows easy access to view the system. With a simple login, managers and department heads have varying levels of access based on their needs.
Santora explained, “It is tailored to different department managers who can only see their area but there are key personnel who have access to the whole system and can go back and see what’s on there.”
Baptist Homes Society is so pleased with the surveillance system at Providence Point they’re moving forward with plans to add a similar system at Baptist Homes, their other senior living community in Mt. Lebanon.
The estimated 60-camera system is expected to be installed in 2018.
Baptist Homes Society was established in 1910 and has remained committed to serving older adults of all faiths for more than 107 years.
Now with two diverse senior living communities, Baptist Homes and Providence Point, the organization serves more than 550 seniors every day.
Baptist Homes, located in Mt. Lebanon, offers private and semi-private skilled nursing rooms, private personal care suites and a secure dementia unit as well as HUD subsidized independent living.
Providence Point, which opened in 2009 in Scott Township, is a LifeCare community and Pittsburgh’s premier retirement address.
