John Erickson, founder and CEO of Erickson Retirement Communities, added a simple security feature when he built his first community, Charlestown, in Baltimore, MD. He added a “sentry arm,” pictured above, on the door of every home. This small, unobtrusive mechanism helps to indicate when someone is in need of emergency assistance. And just like Charlestown, this unique feature is on every home at Maris Grove.

How it works
In the early morning hours, the security team at Maris Grove walks around and sets the sentry arm in the upright position on every door. (Please note the arm in no way locks in the home’s occupant.) When the resident steps outside to get the morning paper or to leave for the day, the arm gently falls down. Later when the Maris Grove security team completes their security checks, they note the position of every arm.

Has it fallen?
If it hasn’t, they note the address and give a quick call to the home, assuring that the resident is okay and that an emergency situation has not occurred. More times than not, the person has simply decided to stay in for the day, or is not at home. But this simple, yet life-saving, security feature is just one of the benefits to living in an Erickson community.