When it comes to behavioral health, high-risk crisis centers, and healthcare facilities, safety is not just about choosing the right products, it’s about guaranteeing they are delivered and installed in a way that maximizes patient and staff safety.
In our previous blogs, we discussed the first two phases of the Kingsway De-Risk Process: Relationship and Project Lifecycle. These phases focus on building a deep understanding of your facility’s unique needs and defining the scope of work to ensure the best possible solutions are specified for your project.
Today we will explore Manufacture and Delivery in greater depth, a critical step in the Project Lifecyle phase where we turn design decisions into reality. The highest attention to detail is essential whether you’re overseeing a renovation, upgrading ligature-resistant hardware, or implementing new safety measures. Everyone involved, from Facility Managers, Safety Officers, to Directors of Operations needs to know that every material delivered is compliant, high-quality, and ready for swift installation without disruption.
At Kingsway Group, we understand the pressures healthcare facilities face during this stage. From maintaining product quality and ensuring customization to coordinating delivery times and minimizing disruption during installation, our Manufacture and Delivery step ensures the project is completed on time and to the highest standards. This guide explores 5 key considerations and how we work to meet those expectations.
Product Quality and Compliance
With patient safety a top priority, behavioral health environments require the highest level of quality and compliance. Industry regulations set the base line, but it’s important for facilities to choose products that perform beyond these guidelines in terms of performance, durability, and their ability to contribute positively towards patient wellbeing and dignity in challenging environments. Quality control is essential to ensure that ligature-resistant products, such as doors, hardware, and washroom accessories perform effectively in high-risk settings.
Every product at Kingsway Group undergoes a thorough inspection and quality check process to make sure they meet exacting standards for assured performance in your care environment.
Customization to Meet Facility Needs
No two behavioral health facilities are entirely alike, and their safety requirements vary significantly based on patient demographics, risk levels, and existing infrastructure. For example, what works in a geriatric psychiatric facility may not be suitable for an adolescent behavioral unit. This is why products must be tailored to specific needs of each facility, ensuring that safety measures are effectively integrated into the building’s framework. Customization is key to enhancing safety while supporting a cohesive operational environment.
We excel at delivering customized solutions that align with your facility’s unique requirements. During Step 4 of our De-Risk Process; Project Specification, we partner with your team to develop products that not only meet safety standards but also fit the unique architecture design and needs of your facility.
Two examples of this would be our SWITCH Anti-Barricade Door System or our Ligature-Resistant SHOWER Door System. These products and others can be tailored to suit a wide range of design implications.
On-Time Delivery and Project Coordination
In behavioral health facilities, delays in project timelines can have serious consequences. Late deliveries or miscoordination can lead to extended downtime, costly overruns and disruption of patient care. For facility managers and safety officers, minimizing interruptions could compromise the safety and well-being of patients and staff. Timely coordination between all stakeholders is essential to keeping the project on track and completed efficiently without affecting daily operations.
At Kingsway Group, we understand the importance of precision and punctuality. That’s why we are committed to meeting deadlines through Manufacture and Delivery. Your Kingsway Project Manager collaborates closely with your team to ensure that all projects are delivered on time and ready for installation with minimal disruption to your facility, helping to reduce the risk of costly delays and ensuring that your safety upgrades are implemented smoothly.
Minimizing Installation Disruption
Installation in these sensitive environments needs to be swift and efficient to avoid any negative impact on patient care and staff operations. Issues like prolonged downtimes or noisy, intrusive installations can create stress for patients and staff.
One example of this was shown in the interference with patient’s sleep patterns and mental health recovery. The Center For Health Design noted that behavioral health patients can be particularly sensitive to sounds, which can heighten symptoms like anxiety, confusion, and stress. A study conducted in 2018 found high noise levels in hospitals, particularly high-risk environments can lead to sleep deprivation and agitation in patients, reducing their ability to heal.
“Prolonged exposure to high noise levels can also increase the risk of adverse mental health effects such as heightened aggression and decreased emotional well-being” –“Design for Behavioral and Mental Health: More Than Just Safety” – The Center for Health Design
The pre-assembled nature of Kingsway Group products helps address this issue, dramatically reducing installation time and, as such, disruption on wards. For instance, during the renovation of the psychiatric unit at Pontiac General Hospital, our SWITCH Anti-Barricade Doorsets and SOLO Single Action Doorsets were delivered pre-assembled complete with all ligature-resistant componentry factory fitted, allowing the facility to implement its upgrades quickly and efficiently.
By reducing the time and complexity involved in installation, Kingsway Group helps keep disruption on live wards to a minimum, allowing your team to support and focus on patient care while enhancing the safety and functionality of the environment.
Ongoing Support and Collaboration
Behavioral health environments are dynamic and safety standards evolve, so as Your Partner in Patient Safety, Kingsway Group remain at your side beyond installation.
Ongoing support and collaboration forms an essential component of the Kingsway De-Risk Process, ensuring longevity and continuity in the performance of your safety products. Through regular inspections and compliance checks, we help keep your ligature-resistant and anti-barricade solutions functioning as intended.
Conclusion
The five key considerations we discussed are critical to ensuring the long-term success of safety solutions in behavioral health environments. From product quality and compliance to on-time delivery and seamless installation, each phase is crucial for reducing risk and enhancing safety in patient care.
Kingsway Group values working in collaboration with facility managers and their team to deliver solutions that are high quality and tailored to the unique needs of each facility. Our ongoing support ensures that these products will continue to meet safety standards well into the future.
We invite you to experience this process for yourself by booking a complimentary Facility Review today with one of our Project Consultants to see how we can best fit your facility’s specific needs.