Dave Miller
President
Time to read: 3 min
The landscape of skilled nursing is ever-changing, and nurse call technology is no exception. With existing challenges of staff management, reporting and analytics, and resident care, how can you ensure your nurse call system is working for you and not against you?
Knowing that answer starts with knowing your options. Is your nurse call system wireless or hard-wired? While hard-wired systems likely have longevity with staff, wireless options provide a unique set of benefits, including cost-savings and increased functionality.
Wireless Solutions for Cost-Saving Benefits
One of the biggest benefits of wireless nurse call systems is cost-savings. Going wireless can be extremely cost-effective for any facility, but particularly for older buildings where pulling or fishing wire can be extremely difficult and time consuming. They generally can be installed quickly and efficiently, which leads to lower labor costs and minimal disruption for current residents.
Resident and Staff Centered
Who would have thought that advanced technology could actually improve the homelike environment of your community? Care staff can make a community feel like home. Therefore, ensuring staff are set up for success is integral to the community environment. Mobile alerting and communication devices can help set staff up for success while simultaneously reducing response times for calls. Additionally, wireless systems allow for staff-centered technology integrations. This includes having the option to have mobile phones or pagers for alerting, making staff communication seamless.
On the resident side, the main focus of any nurse call system should be improving response times for community members. Wireless systems are fully supervised, with every device checking in every 90 seconds. Other wireless technologies truly have the resident in mind. With wireless and silent bed and chair alarms, staff can be instantly notified when a high fall-risk resident is up–without a loud alarm to frighten them.
Metrics that Matter
Technology is great, but having data to support its efficacy is better. Wireless technologies provide an array of enterprise metrics that allow facilities to access, compare, and improve all of your communities’ analytics at a corporate level. Having the ability to track response times as well as caregiver and resident activity is extremely helpful for driving QAPI plans, as well.
Weighing Your Options
You know your community best and know the best decision for your staff, residents, and facility. If you’re curious to see what going wireless looks like, let’s schedule a time to talk. We’ll provide a well-rounded view of wireless and hardwired safety technologies to find the best solution to keep your residents safe.