Top Four Reasons Skilled Nursing Communities Need a Nurse Call System

Discover the top four reasons why every skilled nursing community needs a nurse call system.

Skilled nursing and long-term care communities play a vitally important role in society. They offer safe, secure and caring environments for people who are unable to live independently. One of the most important components of that care is the ability for skilled nursing/long-term care residents to ask for help when and where they need it.  

How does a nurse call system fulfill that role? Why does every community need a modern solution?  

It comes down to four key reasons.

1. Give residents and their families assurance of safety and security

First, a nurse call system gives residents a lifeline in times of need. With wired and/or wireless call stations in every room/apartment and bathroom, residents can easily request support.  

Resident safety and security benefits even more when a nurse call system offers both audio and visual notifications — including location and apartment or resident information. Caregivers may first respond via voice to confirm the need and understand what support may be required. If additional help is necessary, having detailed location and resident information enables a faster, more appropriate response.  

2. Improve quality of care with higher caregiver efficiency and productivity

Anyone who leads a skilled nursing community knows: Operating margins are razor thin, and staffing is typically one of the most significant costs and challenges. Looking after residents is demanding work, so any tools and technologies that ease caregivers’ burden can improve employee experience and potentially increase retention. These kinds of tools can also improve caregivers’ efficiency and productivity. 

A nurse call system that delivers precise location and resident information — and not just at the main nurses’ station — is a critical benefit. Beyond that, a nurse call system with voice capabilities makes it possible for caregivers to verbally interact with residents before physically attending to them.  

A nurse call system also incorporates each long-term care facility’s escalation protocols. Automating these protocols helps ensure that when a resident alarm is not addressed, the request is shared with the appropriate managers and executives.  

With a nurse call mobile app, caregivers can quickly and easily see who needs help. They can communicate with each other about who’s handling a situation — and can see who needs backup to support a resident safely and effectively.  

3. Use nurse call data to see what's working and where you can improve

Which residents are frequently calling for help? Why? How quickly are caregivers responding? What support are they delivering? Is their care plan sufficient? And, how long are caregivers spending with residents following each call for help?  

Every interaction in a nurse call solution provides a valuable point of data. When compiled into reports and dashboards, these data points can paint a picture of a facility’s quality, safety and efficiency. These reports can also surface opportunities to coach or train employees, to make changes to a resident’s care plan and to better align staffing levels to residents’ needs. 

4. Simplify compliance with a single solution for all the relevant requirements

Reports from a nurse call system are valuable when it comes to facilitating family discussions and addressing compliance requirements. For some facilities, a nurse call system must meet all the criteria of the UL 1069 and UL 2560 standards. These criteria range from system construction and performance to tests and marking.  

Is Arial the right nurse call solution for your facility?

The Arial® Nurse Call or Arial Wireless Nurse Call may be the right solution for your skilled nursing or long-term care organization.  

Whether you’re choosing a nurse call system for a newly built community or seeking to replace a legacy system, implementing a new solution doesn’t have to be highly complex or costly.  

Reach out to our team to explore what we offer and how we can help assess and address your nurse call and other emergency call needs.