Imagine this—you’re working the night shift at your senior living community. Things are calm, doors are secured, and you’re going about your evening when someone alerts you that a resident is in distress. She had activated her emergency panic button, so help should be on the way. Everything should be under control, right? Not quite.

Here’s where emergency preparedness failed. EMS arrived at the community—but they couldn’t get inside. Locked out and unable to reach anyone, they left. Inside, the resident remained unresponsive on the floor.

What’s especially heartbreaking is that the resident’s son had previously set up “Ring” cameras in the building and in his mother’s room. This wasn’t a nursing care center—it was independent senior housing—but even so, the incident was both inconceivable and, in many ways, preventable.

After seeing the camera footage showing first responders arriving and then leaving without ever entering, the son sprang into action. He contacted EMS and had them return. But it was too late. His mother had died alone, just feet from help.

This story gives a whole new meaning to emergency preparedness. Are your doors locked in a way that keeps people out—but also keeps help from getting in? What if a resident takes a walk outside at night and can’t re-enter? These are real concerns, and they need to be part of the conversation when evaluating security and emergency protocols in your community.

It may be time to retrain staff and update your policies. Something as simple as assigning a staff member to the main entrance when 911 is called can make a huge difference. That staff member can escort EMS directly to the resident in need, saving valuable minutes that could mean the difference between life and death.

Think it through. What works in one setting might not work in another. But one thing’s for sure—we all need to be ready when the call comes.

Stay well and stay informed!