Nurse call systems allow caregivers in all senior living sectors to be far more efficient in their jobs, especially during times of chronic under-staffing and a competitive labor pool for frontline workers through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Call systems enable senior living homes to keep their standard of care high while improving operations for staff. The system serves as a vital safety net between staff and residents who may be prone to falls or other medical needs. Call systems can be hard-wired, wireless or a combination of the two configurations.
In this white paper you will learn:
- The value of nurse call systems to staff and residents
- Nurse call system types and benefits
- How to select a call system based around function, compliance, cost and technology
Key benefits of today’s nurse call system
How to make your nurse call system work for your staff — and residents
We’ve seen the signs everywhere: “Heroes work here.” In senior living, the work that staff, caregivers and nursing teams have done since 2020 has been nothing short of remarkable — they are not just heroes, but superheroes.
Yet even superheroes need assistance. They need the best tools of their trade. They need technological excellence. They need organizational support. They need to know that they are delivering the best possible care. And they need less stress. The right nurse call system delivers these benefits and more.
“Teams can do much more in terms of caregiving with a call system,” says Morgan Morgan, President of Super Nurse Call and Flair Electronics.
The value of a nurse call system today lies in its ability to be customizable and expandable, with layers of equipment that can work together seamlessly. This goes for either a wired or wireless system. Wired nurse call systems are typically installed with a new construction project from the ground up. Wireless nurse call systems can be new construction but, most often, wireless systems are going into existing facilities with residents already living there. Systems with a combination of wired and wireless parts are also possible and may be most economical for an existing senior living home.
No matter which type of system is selected it is important to do much pre-planning to understand the needs and constraints of the residents and facility in order to get the best call system that will work for years.
The importance of integration and customization
Operators that fail to embrace integration and customization can create new problems for staff. An operator that runs multiple separate alarm systems can emotionally drain its staff and put undue stress on a caregiver by exposing them to multiple sounds, lights and messages. An operator that selects off-the-shelf equipment rather than a customized system risks making their caregivers jobs more difficult by installing products unsuitable or incompatible with the operation and other systems.
Call systems can have many parts and functions such as fall prevention, wander management, pager or iPhone call notification. At its core, the system should provide residents the ability to contact caregivers in the event of an emergency with simple push buttons and pull cords. Everything else should be added and integrated so that the user interface and alarms are the same. This leads to an intuitive and positive experience for caregivers. The ability to see and hear a call or alarm handsfree and communicate with the team a coordinated response turns heroes into superheroes.
“By listening to staff and creating an integrated custom system for their facility and residents the right call system will give caregivers a higher confidence and comfort level in doing their jobs,” Morgan says.
How to select a nurse call system
Seven areas of consideration
When selecting a call system, operators must first identify basic needs that are often facility-specific – size, layout, building design, add-on or new. Features like drop ceilings or attics, wood or concrete construction, can alter performance and installation costs dramatically, Communities should consider the acuity and mobility level of residents and determine which services would help staff, weighing priorities and costs.
With a solution customized for their senior living home in mind, operators should view selecting a call system like solving a puzzle, fitting the right pieces together – call devices, security sensors, call alarm panels, notification systems and IT infrastructure. Nurse call systems should be optimized for comprehensive coverage, connectivity with any existing systems, and most important, provide an intuitive visual and audible alert.
Fifteen years ago, a memory care builder and operator approached Morgan with a request to design a wired call system customized for their facilities. From that start Super Nurse Call (SNC) has added wireless technology, many more call system components and built hundreds of systems. SNC now has the ability to customize a call system for any size facility. To help solve their nurse call system puzzles, Morgan recommends that operators evaluate systems in seven categories:
- Function
- Vulnerability
- Economics
- Ease of installation
- Regulations
- Innovation
- Maintenance
Function
- Nurse call systems are designed to identify potential negative health outcomes for a senior living home’s residents, while also providing residents a lifeline to staff. They should be 100% reliable, low maintenance, easy to operate and raise caregiver effectiveness rather than add to their fatigue.
Vulnerability
- When selecting a system, operators must consider potential security risks that come when a call system is linked to a community’s IT infrastructure. If the internet goes down or a computer freezes up and the entire call systems stops functioning, then this is an obvious problem. Morgan says, “The best systems are self-contained, like SNC, and don’t rely on the internet for basic operation.” The connection between call devices and alarm panel is wire or a local stand-alone wireless network. Additional notification systems like iPhone WiFi Apps are great improvements but should not be primary.
Economics
- Call systems can range in price from a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands. It depends on the size of the senior living home and the sophistication of the call system. Operators should select a supplier where they can start out with a basic system and add features and layers as their budget permits. A basic system could be a call annunciator at the main station with pendants and pull cords in the rooms for residents. Extended notification systems like hallway call lights, pagers, iPhones, multiple stations and even computer-generated reports can be added later.
- According to Morgan, Super Nurse Call has a wide range of products to tailor a system to any operator’s budget. Even smaller homes can afford one, especially when their efficiency goes up and they can do more with less staff. SNC smaller wireless systems come pre-programmed and work out of the box.
- Most systems will be paid for up front, but leasing is sometimes available. Larger systems will have installation and maintenance costs. A maintenance contract may be required by the supplier.
Ease of installation
- Operators and suppliers of call systems should work hard up front to identify installation roadblocks and costs. If a facility is being built from the ground up, then a wired system is best and electrical contractors can add the call system wire at the same time as other building wiring. Existing senior living homes are tricky and often a wireless system is the best choice so that residents are minimally disturbed, and installation can be done quickly. A senior living home with a drop ceiling is much easier to install a new system than a facility with an attic.
- Some Super Nurse call wireless systems can be installed by existing staff and phone support is available. With wireless systems it is best to include wireless repeaters in the budgeting process. Repeaters boost the radio signal to ensure coverage throughout the facility.
Equipment options in the best nurse call systems today
What actually comes with a nurse call system? Super Nurse Call offers:
Call Annunciators:
- Wired or Wireless Call Annunciators
- Graphic Annunciators with facility layout
- Computer Monitors showing calls
Call Devices:
- Wired or Wireless Push Buttons, Pull Cords, Bed Cords, Motion Sensors, and Fall Pads
- Wireless Pendants with neck lanyard or wrist band
- Wired or Wireless Window and Door Sensors
Notification Systems:
- Wired or Wireless Hallway Lights
- Pagers
- iPhone App
Wander Prevention:
- RFID tags for residents to trigger alarm when close to exits
Super Nurse Call can also provide wireless transmitters to monitor critical equipment like a ventilator or pulse oximeter, sending an alarm to a call panel should there be a problem.
Regulations
- Most states have significant regulations and licensing criteria for senior living facilities like Florida’s Rule 59A-26 that details the strict requirements for managing a senior living home. Having a good call system is often part of these requirements and local inspectors will want to see the system operating.
- In addition to local requirements Underwriters Laboratories (UL) have two standards which apply to call systems. UL 2560 is the Standard for Assisted Living and Independent Living Facilities, and UL 1069 is for Hospital Nurse Call systems. Super Nurse Call Systems comply with UL 2560 but not UL1069. Still many hospitals will use Super Nurse Call for temporary call systems while a UL 1069 system is being installed.
- Finding a system that meets local regulations is critical and should be part of the initial planning process.
Innovation
- The needs of residents and caregivers at senior living homes is constantly evolving. One example is the use of Alexa voice service devices. These versatile machines are allowing residents to speak more frequently with their families and see photos or play music. Installed nurse call systems should be able to evolve and expand without scrapping what’s already in place. Call panels should be selected that have the technology to connect to new devices and services. SNC call systems perform the basic call functions without the internet but still can connect to internet services like WiFi iPhone Apps and Alexa.
Maintenance
- Call devices should be tested frequently to make sure they are functioning properly. If there are problems like low batteries, missing transmitters or faulty connections, the system should notify caregivers of the specific issue. Suppliers of nurse call systems should be able to demonstrate the ability to service more serious problems like circuit board failure or lightening strikes with quick replacement parts and repair turn arounds. Having a network of dealers that can help with troubleshooting and repairs like Super Nurse Call will give operators confidence in the system reliability.
Why do installers like Super Nurse Call
At existing facilities, it is difficult to relocate residents in order to work in their rooms. Often it is impossible because of regulations to cut holes in walls and do any major construction or run wires while people are present. Call system solutions for these homes are typically wireless and must be installed quickly to minimize disruption.
TRL Systems in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, has been in the life safety and health care markets for over 40 years. They do it all from design to installation to monitoring to service. According to Debbie Strunk, Account Executive at TRL, “We work with Super Nurse Call because they have wireless call systems that are quick to install, easy to use and cost effective.” Also, per Debbie it is important that a nurse call system can notify caregivers at a main station and when they are on the run. Dome Lights above the residents’ doors are perfect for improving efficiency because a caregiver in the hallway can respond immediately. Super Nurse Call devices can wire directly to hallway Dome Lights or trigger them wirelessly from the panel.
Debbie has one more tip for everyone using wireless equipment. Make sure to test the wireless signal in the facility prior to designing and pricing a system. Especially in larger facilities you will most likely need repeaters or signal boosters to get a wireless call signal down long hallways or through concrete walls to the main station.
Customization and integration is the key
The start of your nurse call journey is here
Operators should seek out suppliers of nurse call systems that listen to their needs and customize a solution that integrates existing equipment into a user-friendly system. It should not add to caregivers stress but make them more effective, make them superheroes. The system should also be reliable even when the internet is down, easy to expand with growth of the facility and can connect to future technology.
“Start with the basic system and then you can add on as the need and the economics make sense. Super Nurse Call can help. We want you and all your caregivers to be superheroes. Your residents will benefit and appreciate you.” Morgan says.
This white paper is sponsored by Super Nurse Call.