Care automation offers significant cost savings

Ever thought that a Nurse Call System (NCS) is in exactly the right place to collect important and useful data from a host of sources; if not, then read on.

Common Patient and Resident needs when using a Nurse Call System

Typically a NCS provides a button to press if help or assistance is required, some give the location, and who attended all via data collected and produced into reports. But many elderly residents will have medical conditions, are unsteady on their feet and a little forgetful, so nurses and staff are called upon for many activities that require data recording:

1. Administering medication, some of which will be controlled drugs under lock and key.
2. Responding to bed and room sensors detecting activity in case of falls.
3. Night time visits to check on residents’ comfort, security and health.
4. Food and hydration needs.
5. The temperature of the home.
6. Regular cleaning and hygiene.

The list goes on as day-to-day functions in every care home result in a multitude of separate and disconnected records with data all collected manually. Adding maintenance, visitors, building services, security and utilities – in all cases the monitoring of these activities involves data collection and additional reports and forms. Data will be reviewed manually and acted upon, from responding to a resident in an emergency or deciding where budgets are to be spent on staffing levels, to determining the efficiency of a boiler and heating system.

How nurse call systems can offer significant savings

Wherever nurse call devices are deployed, typically throughout a care home, noises, temperature, water leaks, unlocked doors, can be continuously monitored 24/7. Wearable nurse call solutions can detect movement, location, heart rate, sleep patterns, falls, blood pressure and blood oxygen, logging data for review at any time without continual checking by nurses. If an emergency occurs, the nurse call system will summon help even when the wearer is incapacitated. So no matter where assistance is needed, the wearable device will summon help automatically, directing the helper exactly where to go and advising on the nature of the emergency.

With all this available data being collected by the nurse call system from different applications, sites, regions, involving staff with differing skills, treating residents with different conditions we now have a real opportunity to analyse the variables. Data allows for predictive scenarios to be considered leading to decisions based on actual events providing better outcomes for those in residential care. Staff will then be paid to look after residents and not fill out forms, managers, owners and stakeholders attain higher CQC ratings, attract more ‘customers’, pay better wages and become more profitable.

Contact us to find out more about the Altra Care Wireless Nurse Call System and its integration with a wide range of devices.

Written by

Barry Vacher

Date

28.09.17