NURSE CALL SYSTEMS - Nurse call systems can employ a variety of technologies. Some are used to track the location of care-givers in a facility, while most are designed to allow patients or residents to communicate with facility staff. Emergency-Call (or “E-call) systems are generally more basic and permit patients or residents merely to signal caregivers to respond – generally in person - to the bedside or bathroom. Acute care facilities (hospitals and clinics) will likely prefer more sophisticated systems which may include critical alerts such as Code Blue or Ventilator alarms. Generally, sub-acute facilities (assisted living, long-term care, rehabilitation, Alzheimer’s, nursing homes) are better served by E-call systems. E-call systems are often referred to as “nurse-call” or “call-light” systems.
TONE-VISUAL vs. AUDIO VISUAL - Some nurse call systems are equipped with a two-way intercom system. These “audio-visual” systems allow patients to talk directly with facility staff and to make specific requests from the bed. “Tone-visual” systems do not include an intercom, and simply allow the patient to press a button and trigger an audible and/or visible alert designed to draw the attention of facility staff. The most common configuration has an annunciator panel (with lights and alert sounds) installed at the nurses’ stations. For redundancy, there is usually a dome light outside the resident’s room, with lamps that flash according to different patterns based on alert type. The objective is to provide caregivers with a simple and efficient way to know that someone is calling for assistance.
ANALOG vs. DIGITAL - Before the advent of digital technologies, emergency call systems utilized rudimentary, analog voltage signals to trigger alerts. The resident would press the call cord button or pull the cord at the bathroom station. Each would have a distinct electrical signal strength, allowing the central control panel to sense the type of alert and then output the correct alarm type to the annunciator panel and to the dome light outside the room.
OLD vs. NEW - The benefit of the older, analog systems is their simplicity and durability. Some of these older systems – Cornell, TecTone, Engineered Electronics etc. – have been in place for decades and need very little maintenance. They are voltage-driven, not digital. Some facilities desire more modern technologies which can interface with the vast array of systems and complex requirements in Acute Care facilities. Also, as the requirements of UL 1069 (now at Revision 7) become more exacting, some older systems are unable to maintain compliance.
Wireless Nurse Call - There are several wireless nurse-call systems available today. Customers who choose a wireless nurse-call system can avoid the significant expense of installing cables in walls and ceilings. The drawbacks of wireless systems sometimes include the irritation of having to replace batteries frequently. Sometimes wireless signal transmissions fail due to radio interference.
Those systems whose main head-end controller is a PC computer face the real risk of PC failure, which can result in a complete system failure. Wireless call systems are also challenged sometimes by the stringent guidelines of UL 1069. Revision 7 of UL 1069 requires that wireless patient devices transmit a signal (confirming their presence in the system) every 90 seconds. This requirement decreases battery life.
JERON - Newer systems (such as those manufactured by JERON and others) utilize modern digital technologies to offer a variety of important options within the nurse-call system. Some facilities require two-way communications with the patient or resident. Others desire touch-screen master stations to facilitate staff tracking and room assignments. Only digital systems can offer these capabilities. The trend is towards centrally-managed systems that can manage communications (including IP telephony), asset tracking, Admissions, Discharge and Transfer (ADT), and more. These systems utilize CAT5e/CAT6 wiring to increase efficiency and facilitate installation.
Alarmlock is the JERON distributor/dealer for Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. JERON (www.JERON.com) is a U.S. manufacturer (based in Illinois), offering every new nurse-call technology. JERON’s flagship systems are the “Provider 680” and “Provider 790”.
JERON’s 680 system is available in two formats - Tone-Visual or Audio-Visual
Provider 680TV (Tone-Visual) - The 680-TV Tone-Visual system includes nurses’ station master annunciator panels that signal staff when a patient activates a call-cord. A dome light outside the patient room also flashes with distinct patterns to inform care-givers of the nature of the alert. A dome light outside the patient room also flashes with distinct patterns to inform care-givers of the nature of the alert.
This system is particularly suitable for long-term care facilities where two-way speech is not required. This system utilizes CAT5e cabling.
Intuitive Operation - With the Provider 680 Tone-Visual Nurse Call, staff instantly know who needs attention, what type of call they placed, and their location. These notifications are done by using tones and indications at the Nurse Console, Duty Stations, and at the Dome Light outside the patient's room/area. The full alphanumeric display at the Nurse Console indicates the top call priorities and their respective room numbers; there is no second guessing who placed the first call.
Integrated Alarm Options - The Provider 680 readily integrates with wandering patient, security systems, smoke detectors, and bed exit alarms to quickly alert staff of critical events.
Design for Low Cost Installation and Ongoing Reliability - The system is Underwriters Laboratories UL1069 listed for nurse call equipment. The structured Cat 5/5e/6 cable wiring throughout reduces initial installation costs and simplifies system service as every station is continuously supervised. The LED Dome Light design means no more testing and replacing burnt out bulbs.
A Facility-Wide Solution with Provider 680 and Provider 680 Tone-Visual - In acute care hospitals, some areas may only need the more basic tone-visual operation of Provider 680 while other areas need the full communication options available with the Provider 680 Audio-Visual system. Both versions of Provider 680 can be intermixed in the same facility, providing integrated pocket page notification of calls, centralized code display, and network accessible activity reporting options.
Provider 680 (Audio-Visual) - The 680 audio-visual nurse call system utilizes a full-duplex audio intercom approach to communication. The patient station in the patient/resident room is mounted on the wall near the bed. The patient can speak to the care-giver at the nearest nurses’ station either directly through the patient station, or even through a pillow speaker. This system allows a patient to communicate his or her needs without waiting for a nurse to walk to the room. This system also utilizes CAT5e cabling.
Simple and Intuitive Operation - The Touchscreen Nurse Console speeds response to patient calls and makes staff-to-patient assignments a simple as touching a screen. The patient information is updated automatically from the ADT system so staff knows how to respond to each patient’s call before they answer it.
Increased Patient and Staff Satisfaction - The system’s streamlined communications design integrates with wireless phones and pocket pagers to route patient calls directly to the caregiver, significantly reducing overhead paging that disturbs patients. Staff remains completely mobile while always informed of their patient’s needs without unnecessary trips back and forth to the nursing station.
Driving Efficiency Throughout the Facility - Asset locating technology shows the location of any piece of portable equipment saving staff unneeded steps and wasted time searching for equipment while also reducing unneeded equipment rental costs. Housekeeping/room ready buttons next to each bed automate bed turnover. Alarm Monitoring inputs, including bed exit, I.V. pump and ventilator, route directly to the assigned caregiver’s wireless device; no more wasted time “searching” to find an alarm.
JERON 790 - The recent addition of JERON’s Provider 790 system offers vast power and flexibility in Acute Care facilities. The accuracy and clarity of staff and patient communications are critical in the healthcare environment. Utilizing the latest in Voice over IP and Ethernet technology, the Provider 790 nurse call system ensures clear full-duplex communication from down the hall to across the entire campus.
Provider 790 offers complete communication, alerting, reporting, and workflow solutions for a unit, a single building or a multiple building campus. This integrated system approach to streamlining staff to patient interaction means more time for direct treatment and care resulting in increased staff and patient satisfaction.
Streamlined Touchscreen Communications - Touchscreen nurse consoles tie the entire facility together with one-touch operation to answer patient calls, locate staff and communicate with staff, and to set staff rounding. The networked system architecture means calls can be answered locally, forwarded to an adjoining unit, or answered from a central location.
Real-Time Alerting and Communication - Through integration with the most popular wireless phone systems and pocket paging, patient's calls are routed directly to their assigned caregivers. From any PC on the LAN, managers assign primary and backup staff to cover each patient. The automated call routing to wireless devices means faster response to patient calls while minimizing disruptive overhead paging previously used to notify staff of patient calls.
Customized Workflow Station - Workflow stations eliminate time wasting follow-up, extra phone calls, and extra steps for processes within or across departments or specialties. For patient admission/discharge, the workflow station means waiting patients are placed into beds sooner for improved bed turnover and increased patient satisfaction.
Patient Rounding and Reminders - Patient rounding and one-time self-reminders means one less thing for caregivers to constantly remember. Using automated rounding and reminders ensures patients are visited within a set time period and automatically reminds caregivers and their team members if a rounding was missed. With automated rounding, patient anxiety decreases because they know their caregiver will visit them regularly.
Designed for Simple Service and Installation, and Ongoing Reliability - Provider 790 is Underwriters Laboratories UL1069 Listed for nurse call equipment. The system has no PC-based components that require routine updates or reboots and is designed for continuous operation. The built-in diagnostics continuously supervise all components and send automated alerts to technicians if there is an issue. With remote system access, technicians can quickly program and troubleshoot any issues to ensure maximum system availability.
Nurse Call to Radios - In 2010, Alarmlock teamed with an East Coast developer to deploy a system that permits facilities to send room (and bath) alerts from virtually any nurse call system to small, inexpensive walkie-talkie radios. The system is similar to nurse-call paging, however, with radios, caregivers can talk to each other and quickly seek assistance. The wearer of the radio hears a spoken alert indicating the room number and device type (also bed number if available in the system).
Many facilities want to track their caregivers’ response times to patient calls. Alarmlock’s software interface also includes a powerful tracking/reporting engine which allows management to customize reports and review employee responsiveness. This capability significantly enhances client satisfaction. Alarmlock’s radios have 16 (FCC-licensed) channels which permit the facility to configure alerts to go instantly to caregivers, then to repeat and escalate over regular intervals so as to ensure that the patient or resident gets prompt attention.
The system virtually eliminates the need for intrusive overhead paging, since all staff in the facility have assigned channels and can be reached by anyone at anytime. Comfortable earpieces enable caregivers to conduct their conversations quietly without disturbing patients or violating their HIPAA rights.
Alarmlock has deployed this nurse-call-to-radios system in dozens of Utah facilities with great success. Some facilities have observed a reduction in response times by over 30 percent.
Some health care facilities utilize elopement prevention equipment (wander deterrence) to keep memory-challenged residents safe. Alarmlock can associate “wander” doors with the radio system to alert staff when a wanderer is attempting to exit.
Elopement (Wander) Prevention - Many health care facilities and residences for the elderly house residents with memory challenges. In certain scenarios, it is legally acceptable for facilities to protect wander-prone residents by preventing them from exiting unaccompanied.
The most effective approach to wander prevention is through door controllers. Stanley/X-Mark (Healthcare Solutions) has led the elopement prevention industry for many years first with the Watchmate, Wanderguard and nowRoamalert systems.
Roamalert - These system incorporates a controller and exciter antenna in the vicinity of an exit door that senses the presence of an RFID tag worn on the wrist of a memory-challenged resident. Once the tag enters the detection area (exciter field), the controller can activate door locks which prevent the door from opening. At this point, caregivers can safely escort the resident away, and the doors automatically release again. Staff can also punch a code into the nearby keypad and override the locking system if necessary.
The Roamalert system is extremely powerful and flexible. In a facility with many exits it is possible to monitor many doors from a central server. Alarmlock is a certified Roamalert systems installer, and we also have the ability to interface wander threat alerts with our nurse-call radio system. Caregivers can receive audible alerts on their walkie-talkies, notifying them that a wander-prone resident is challenging an exit. New federal CMS guidelines make this option more desirable, since wander-prone residents in some facilities’ general populations must be permitted to exit after challenging a door for more than 30 seconds.
Roamalert wrist tags are easily attached to a resident’s wrist by way of a simple wrist strap. Tags come with a three-year warranty. Roamalert also offers the Securaband system which includes a metal wrist strap which is helpful for residents who may be tempted to cut off their wrist straps. A tag tester is available for checking the battery health of the wrist tags, which (in contrast to other systems) need only be checked monthly.
Alarmlock has significant experience with the installation of complex wander-prevention and access control systems. Great care must be taken to comply with life safety requirements. Further, all doors must automatically release in the event of a fire alarm activation.
We are available at any time to consult with you regarding the protection of your facility and its occupants.
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