Our Motto: Forward

The PalatiumCare home office is in Wisconsin. I recently discovered that Wisconsin has some pretty silly officially-selected state things. The state soil is Antigo Silt Loam. The state fossil is the Trilobite. How these items are representative of the state where I grew up, I don't know. I do know, however, that I've always identified with the state motto: Forward.

As well as being recognized for road-side cheese stands and the Packers, I like that Wisconsin has a reputation for being progressive. It's the birth place of the Republican Party, the steam-powered automobile, and a tester for butter fat. And we did some stuff in the 1900s, too, I'm sure.

At PalatiumCare, we also pride ourselves on being innovative. We're problem-solvers. That's why I encourage anyone who has seen PalatiumCare in the past to take another look. And then look again. Our forward-thinking group of technicians and sales people is always working to bring new ideas and products to our customers.

And speaking of new, if you haven't looked at the PalatiumCare web site lately, I suggest you check it out. Like the company, it's always growing, always striving to offer you more.

If you're interested in learning more about PalatiumCare, perhaps for a second or third time, please contact a sales representative.

Kirt Graves
kgraves@palatiumcare.com

It's Time for a Change

There are two big changes that will soon affect the wireless nurse call and security systems industry. As the owner, administrator, or employee of a senior living community, it’s important to know what these changes are and how they may affect your facility.

FA vs. EN

Some of you may already be feeling the pinch from the first change; an industry-wide switch from FA to EN technology. FA, or Frequency Agile, wireless products were the standard for many years in a lot of systems. Anyone who uses a wireless nurse call system that was installed more than two or three years ago probably has FA technology. While this technology is reliable and will continue to function for its users, finding replacement parts is already difficult, and will soon become impossible.

Why? EN, or EchoStream, is the next generation of wireless technology. EN is more reliable and allows software creators to add more functionality.

Most projections show that FA will be completely unavailable by 2014. You should have been contacted by the company that installed your current system if an upgrade is required. If you’re unsure whether or not your system will have to make the change from FA to EN, contact a PalatiumCare representative.

If you know you have to make a change, now is a great time to consider whether your call system is addressing all your needs. A PalatiumCare system could  provide additional features for less than the cost of updating your existing system.

FCC Narrowbanding Mandate

Does your current nurse call system utilize pagers or radios? Then you may be facing a change at the end of next year.

In December 2004, the FCC decided that all land-mobile radio users in the VHF and UHF range must operate at 12.5 kHz efficiency. Don’t understand what that means? Don’t worry. Again, a PalatiumCare representative would be happy to assist you in finding out if your current call system will be affected.

If you do need to make the change to 12.5 kHz efficiency, the process of switching will depend on what system you have. Most paging transmitters sold in the last 10-15 years were made to be switched to narrowband eventually, so you’ll just have to get them reprogrammed. Not all devices are capable of changing over, though, so you may have to purchase new pagers or radios.

Learn more about the FCC Narrowbanding Mandate at http://www.palatiumcare.com/.

Kirt Graves
Sales Representative
kgraves@palatiumcare.com

I hate to sound like a used car salesman, but . . .

During conversations with potential buyers, I'm constantly thinking to myself, "Don't sound like a used car salesman!" Like most people, I've been approached with the hard-sell lines ("What will it take to get you to buy today?" "You can't afford not to own this!") one too many times. And I'm conscious of making sure that the process of buying a PalatiumCare system isn't nearly as uncomfortable or pushy as buying a car has been for me.

But I can't always write off what a car salesman has to say. I was going through my morning routine last week with the TV on in the background, when I heard a commercial for a local used car dealer. The bulk of the commercial was exactly what I expected – fast talking, tacky sound effects and a lot of yelling. At the end of the commercial, though, I heard something that caught my attention. One guy, without any of the noise around him, said, "Don't get what you pay for. Get more for what you pay." And I thought: That's exactly what I try to convey when talking about PalatiumCare!

When any company's quote comes in under a competitor price, the first question we're programmed to ask is, "What's missing? What aren't they providing that reduced the cost?" With PalatiumCare, there's no need to ask this question. Our wireless nurse call system is as reliable and feature-rich as any competitor, but at a fraction of the cost. What is missing is outrageous mark-ups, unnecessary licensing fees and hidden charges. Our pricing is upfront and honest. The proposal you sign represents the actual cost of installing a PalatiumCare system, giving you not only a great value, but peace of mind as well.

So at the risk of sounding like a used car salesman, you really can't afford not to look into a PalatiumCare system.

Kirt Graves
Sales Representative
kgraves@palatiumcare.com

Earn More Revenue for Senior Housing

In a sea of news stories declaring the end of American businesses, one industry that seems to be moving steadily onward is senior housing. The economy may be uncertain, but aging is definite. And seniors are looking for value when they choose a home. Seniors are looking for comfort, amenities, entertainment, and, above all, peace of mind. To increase the feeling of security, and add value to your senior housing property, consider installing a PalatiumCare Emergency Response System (ERS) with off-site monitoring.

What image do you see when you hear the words, "Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!"? If you're like me, you see an older woman in a track suit, lying on the floor, reaching for the phone which is just inches away. The commercial ads for personal emergency response systems are often-ridiculed and iconic. You can be sure that seniors have that image in mind when they're looking at moving into a retirement community, which is why so many seniors choose to purchase a personal emergency response system on their own dime.

The PalatiumCare ERS with off-site monitoring will give your residents the peace of mind they desire. ERS resident devices can be placed anywhere in the home or worn as a necklace or around the wrist like a watch. When a resident is in trouble, but can't reach the phone, they can call for help with their ERS device. Their call is received by a UL-listed call center, and a trained emergency response technician will immediately contact your resident's home. If the resident cannot answer, local emergency responders are dispatched promptly.

Residents can choose to add devices to their home at their own expense. Smoke detectors, door alarms and motion detectors are all available for individual purchase, giving residents the level of protection and monitoring they desire.

And the best part is that you can offer an emergency response system to your potential residents for a fraction of the cost of personal systems. PalatiumCare's unique, server-based design eliminates the high cost of standard emergency call systems, and the monthly charge for monitoring is 70%-80% less per resident than they would spend on their own. Bill your residents $10 or $12 a month for emergency response monitoring (still 50% less than some systems!), and the PalatiumCare ERS will pay for itself. Before you know it, offering emergency response monitoring will be an added source of revenue for your property. Roll the cost of the monitoring into the resident's monthly dues for easy payment. Residents will be happy to avoid the hassle of paying another bill, and they will be even happier knowing they'd be paying twice as much through an individual monitoring plan.

Adding PalatiumCare ERS with off-site monitoring will not only add value to your senior housing property, but it is also an opportunity to increase revenue.

To find out more about PalatiumCare ERS with off-site monitoring, contact a sales representative at 888-725-2848.

Kirt Graves
Sales Representative
kgraves@palatiumcare.com

The PalatiumCare Difference

THE FOLLOWING APPEARED IN THE FIRST ISSUE OF THE PALATIUMCARE NEWSLETTER, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS WORTH POSTING ON THE BLOG AS WELL. TO RECEIVE OUR QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER, E-MAIL KIRT AT kgraves@palatiumcare.com.

At PalatiumCare, our focus is always on those we serve. Our truly wireless nurse call system was designed after years of working face-to-face with administrators, care givers and residents, so the experience of using PalatiumCare is everything you want it to be and nothing you don't. We strive to remain affordable, easy and reliable. These aren't just words, but values upon which we base our reputation.

Affordable. PalatiumCare connects to your existing local network, so you don't have to purchase any new computers. Whether you want to access the system from one computer or 100 computers, there is no additional cost or licensing fees. Installing the wireless devices and system components takes a fraction of the time of hard-wired systems, saving time and money.

Easy. PalatiumCare is easy to use, easy to install, and easy to maintain. Innovative, accessible reporting makes it easy to know what it going on at your community any time from any computer on your network. Our user interface takes you step by step through all functions, from checking in a new resident to printing maintenance reports and analyzing care giver response times.

Reliable. PalatiumCare uses proven and tested Inovonics® technology. Battery back-up ensures that your PalatiumCare system keeps working even in an emergency. Dependable 24/7 monitoring will let you know right away if your system needs attention.

The benefits don't stop there. PalatiumCare is also proud of our three Es: Expandable, Escalation & Employees.

Expandable. Want to add new devices to your existing PalatiumCare system? No problem. New devices are easily installed and work from the moment they are learned into the system. Care givers can now closely monitor individual residents that require special attention, while allowing other residents the independence they desire.

Escalation. Every senior living community runs differently. At PalatiumCare, we don't tell you how to use our system. You tell us how you want to use our system. You can customize the order in which care givers are notified of alerts, set up separate notifications for different wings or buildings, and even receive notifications by email or text message if care givers haven't responded to a call in a pre-determined amount of time.

Employees. We take great pride in providing a service to our senior residents and the men and women who care for them. Every employee at PalatiumCare is knowledgeable and eager to help. If you'd like to learn more about PalatiumCare, a member of our dedicated sales team will visit you in your office and give a live demonstration of a working call system. If you're having a problem with your PalatiumCare system, trouble-shooting is built right into the system and tech support is available at any time.

These are just a few of the reasons that PalatiumCare stands out in a sea of nurse call options. For more information, contact a PalatiumCare representative at 888-725-2848.

Kirt Graves
Sales Representative
kgraves@palatiumcare.com

Knowledge is Power, Part 5 – The Best of the Rest

We've spent a few days looking at the PalatiumCare reports, and I hope you've found both the articles and the reports informative.

Today we'll close out our series by taking a look at some PalatiumCare reports that don't necessarily have anything to do with residents calling for assistance but still offer a great deal of useful information.

DETAILED EVENT REPORT

 The detailed event report pulls together all the information in the PalatiumCare server for one quick look. If you want to compare statistics from month to month, pull up a Detailed Event Report for each. Print off this information and keep for your records.

APARTMENT LISTING

If you have a new staff member join your facility, you may want him or her to spend some time learning who your residents are and where they live. Print off this report for an easy-to-understand list of available and occupied apartments.

DEVICE LISTING

Maintenance staff can quickly take stock of what devices you have learned into your PalatiumCare system with a Device Listing. Thinking about replacing old devices? This list will tell you which devices have been in service the longest.

Through the course of this series of articles, I hope you've come to appreciate the wide range of uses for PalatiumCare reporting. And while I'm happy to share with you all the ways I know reporting can be used, I'm certain there are many more ways that you'll find to utilize this wealth of information in your own community.

For more information on PalatiumCare, contact a representative at 888-725-2848.


Kirt Graves
Sales Representative
kgraves@palatiumcare.com

Knowledge is Power, Part 4 – Maintenance Report

So far, we've focused on how PalatiumCare reporting can tell you a lot about your staff and residents. But the information available through reporting isn't just about the people who use the system, it's also about the system itself.

My car has recently reached that age where quite a bit of regular maintenance is due. It seems as though every couple weeks, a new light is going on or a new, unsettling sound is being heard. As someone who doesn't know a lot about cars, I find myself constantly frustrated. Clearly, something is wrong. But what? To find an answer, I have to take my car – and my check book – to the nearest garage and ask an expert. At that point, whether or not it was a simple repair that I could have done myself is irrelevant. I've already spent the time and money finding out what the problem is, so I might as well let them fix it.

If something is amiss with your PalatiumCare system, no such frustration is necessary. A PalatiumCare Maintenance Report can show you in one, easy-to-understand document exactly how well your system is functioning and whether any maintenance is required.

MAINTENANCE REPORT

 At PalatiumCare, we take pride in how reliable our system is for our users. But if any component of the system isn't working, we want you to know about it right away, giving you time to fix the problem before something goes wrong.

As is the case with all of the reports, the Maintenance Report begins with a summary. The summary can tell you right away if there's anything in your PalatiumCare system that requires attention. It's also a great place to start when learning about the Maintenance Report.

Devices with a low battery. PalatiumCare will warn you when your resident devices need a change of battery. If you check your Maintenance Report once a week, you'll have plenty of notice to order or buy new batteries if you're running low. Below the summary is a detailed list of all the events that comprised your summary. If you see that a battery is low, the detailed list will tell you what device it is and to whom it is assigned.

Devices not checked in. The system is constantly monitoring itself and all its components. When a device is "absent", the system will take note. (If a device is absent for a long period of time, you'll be alerted.) This is a good way to see if there are certain residents who are regularly venturing where there is poor coverage by the system. If you notice a location device is consistently not found, then you'll need to address your wireless coverage in that part of the building.

Devices with tamper triggered. You can set your PalatiumCare system to notify you when a device is being tampered with. You can also look back and see if there's a particular resident who likes to take his or her devices apart. In either case, you'll want to make sure the device is restored and your resident can reliably call for help when he or she needs it.

Total restarts. You may choose to restart your PalatiumCare server from time to time. It's a quick and easy process, and often the first step in trouble-shooting problems. Here, you'll be able to look back and see how often you are restarting your system. (NOTE: The Maintenance Report used as an example in the article is taken from a PalatiumCare demonstration kit. A normal server is not restarted at this frequency.)

Unlike my car, PalatiumCare can tell you exactly what's wrong. Is it an easy problem that you can tackle yourself? Or is there a larger issue that needs the attention of a trained technician? With the Maintenance Report, you'll be able to answer that question, take the appropriate action, and ensure that your system stays reliable.

To find out more about PalatiumCare, contact a representative at 888-725-2848.


Kirt Graves
Sales Representative
kgraves@palatiumcare.com

Knowledge is Power, Part 3 – Hourly Summary Report

Your PalatiumCare call system can not only help you improve the care of your residents, but also the efficiency of your staff. Do you know off the top of your head which shift answers more calls at your facility? Or what hour of the day is busiest for your staff? Do you know this because you have a record of the calls or because "everyone knows that"?

Have you ever had staff members say that they are overwhelmed due to the high number of calls they receive? What was your reaction? Do you take their word for it and hire an extra set of hands? Or do you dismiss the complaint?

When you're more interested in the number of calls being registered rather than a specific resident's situation, use an Hourly Summary Report.

HOURLY SUMMARY REPORT

 For most administrators, the overnight shift will always remain a bit of a mystery. What exactly goes on night after night? How reliable is your overnight staff? Are they as responsive and caring as your daytime staff? Do they exceed your expectations? Or fall short? It's difficult to get a realistic picture of what goes on while you're not there. Some facilities resort to purchasing expensive security cameras to monitor staff. But who has the time to watch the tapes? Others have their staff complete detailed work summaries, taking up valuable time and often leading to resentment.

PalatiumCare allows you to get a "snap shot" of what happens at night – or any hour of the day – with an Hourly Summary Report. The summary will break down how many calls were received during any given hour of the day. You can instantly see what the longest, shortest and average response times were. Do you see your average response time going up during a particular time of day? How can your staff work together to make sure that response time is shorter in the future?

Is one shift truly answering more calls than another? Now you know.

Is response time lacking because of the number of events happening at one time? Now you know.

Is there really more going on than your current staff can handle? Now you know.

Use the Hourly Summary Report as a motivational tool. Have the different shifts compete to have the quickest response times. Reward a shift if their response times go down across the board. Recognize a hard-working staff member who always seems to be working when response times are the shortest. There's no limit to the ways you can use the information.

To find out more about PalatiumCare, contact a representative at 888-725-2848.


Kirt Graves
Sales Representative
kgraves@palatiumcare.com

Knowledge is Power, Part 2 -- Location Event Report

Today I’ll continue my series on PalatiumCare reports. Last time, we discussed how a Resident Event Report can help you address the care of a specific resident, especially if your care giver response is being called into question.

Location devices are defined as any device that is in a fixed position. Pull cords, motion sensors, door & window contacts are all considered location devices. If a location device is assigned to a resident, like a pull cord in a resident’s bathroom, then that location device’s activity will also appear in a resident report. But there may be times when you need to check the report of a device that is assigned to a common area. Other times, it may just be more helpful to see the breakdown of information for just the device, rather than all the resident’s activity.

If you’re using these devices to monitor a specific area, you would access a Location Event Report.

LOCATION EVENT REPORT

I often share the story of a resident in one of our facilities. The administration was concerned that a man, we’ll call him John, was falling during the night on a regular basis. At least once a week care givers would check on John in the morning and find him lying on the floor in the middle of the room, unable to reach the call cords located by his bed or bathroom. Obviously, the administrators and John’s family were concerned. They decided to monitor John’s movement during the night using a motion sensor.

The motion sensor was mounted in John’s room and set to only record events that happened after his regular bed time. After a few nights, they checked the Location Event Report for John’s motion sensor. It turns out that John was getting up many times every night. John would fall only a fraction of the times he would get up, and care givers had no idea. The administration and family now knew the scope of the problem was wider than just regular falls, and they worked together to discover the reason for John’s restlessness at night.

Location Event Reports can also be used to monitor activity in stair wells, outdoor areas or common rooms. You can use door contacts to monitor one resident’s movements, or you can monitor the traffic in and out of your building. However you wish to use the information, it is available to you at any time.

To find out more about PalatiumCare, contact a representative at 888-725-2848.

Kirt Graves

Sales Representative

kgraves@palatiumcare.com

Knowledge is Power – Resident Event Report

My next series of posts are exclusively about PalatiumCare Reports. What are they? How do they work? And how can they be used to improve the quality of life for your residents and the work environment for your staff?

You can see when a resident is calling for assistance on your Alerts screen. When a call is placed, the alert pops up, and the clock starts counting from the time of origination. When a care giver arrives to assist the resident and resets the device in alert, the notification disappears. Did you know that PalatiumCare is also recording every time a resident calls for help and the time it takes for a care giver to respond? From the moment your system is installed, PalatiumCare is recording. And that information doesn't get deleted . . . ever.

Accessing this information is easy. Thanks to PalatiumCare's unique, server-based system, you can access the PalatiumCare system from any PC on your network. When signed in as an administrator, you can simply select the Reports icon in the menu at the top of your PalatiumCare screen. You will be presented with several different ways to interpret the information. Each interpretation tells a different story about your facility.

You can also choose to have PalatiumCare generate a report automatically. If you'd like to know what happened while you were out of the office, a Detailed Event Report can be e-mailed to you every morning. Or your head of maintenance can receive a Maintenance Report once a week without ever having to sign in the system. You choose the report and the frequency with which you'd like to receive it. PalatiumCare reporting is designed for unparalleled ease and convenience.

Let's go over each of the different reports in more detail.

RESIDENT EVENT REPORT

 "My dad says that he will push his call button 20 times before someone responds. He says it takes forever to get help when he needs it. What is going on in this place?"

I'm sure you've all experienced a similar accusation from a resident or resident's family member. Even when they can see that your attention is always available to their loved ones when they visit, family members can still wonder (and worry) about the care a parent, spouse or sibling receives when no one is watching. And when it comes to a battle of he-said, she-said, they'll rightly side with their relative. Avoid that argument with a Resident Event Report.

A Resident Event Report will sort all the alerts for an individual resident. You can look up a single event or every call the resident has placed since he or she moved in. The top of the report will give you a summary of the calls placed by that resident, including the total number of calls and the maximum, minimum and average response times. You can then browse a detailed listing of every call from that resident within the designated time period. In this way, you'll be able to show family members that a loved one may press his or her call button 20 times, but the care giver responds in five minutes. Or perhaps there was one time when a care giver took ten minutes to respond, but the average response time is three minutes. This is concrete information to help calm the nerves of an anxious resident or defend your facility against charges of neglect from a family member.

Conversely, you may find that a resident's claims are true. Perhaps there are too many times when a resident is left waiting more than five or ten minutes. The PalatiumCare Resident Event Report will detail when these events occurred, and you can see if the pattern of lengthy wait times corresponds to a certain shift or staff member. You can print this report and present it as a learning tool to your staff. We'll go over more ways PalatiumCare Reports can help your staff in a future post.

To find out more about PalatiumCare, contact a representative at 888-725-2848.

Kirt Graves
Sales Representative
kgraves@palatiumcare.com

Are You A Gambler?

I recently found myself sitting in a 50s-style diner listening to a woman call out familiar pairs of letters and numbers from behind a glass block partition. I was taking a quick lunch at a restaurant inside a casino, and the game of BINGO going on next to me had created a tense hush. Every now and then, I could hear a slots siren followed by the clink of coins hitting a dispenser tray and a jubilant shout from the casino floor that was just around the corner.

I’d never been inside a casino before, and I don’t consider myself a gambler. But the experience got me thinking about the ways in which I do gamble. I’ll let my car run low on gas while on a road trip or make a big impulse purchase without checking the balance on my bank account. Other than one afternoon spent on the side of the road when I was 18, waiting for my dad to arrive with a can of gasoline, I’ve managed to “gamble” without any serious consequences.

Then I got to thinking about the ways people gamble in my industry. Many buildings rely on outdated or malfunctioning emergency response systems to work when a resident needs assistance. The news is littered with stories of elderly loved ones who wandered from their rooms or whose calls for help were left unanswered. The results are often tragic, and in almost every case, the facility in which they lived had an emergency response system in place.  It simply didn’t work.

A couple days later, there will be another story that alleges there were staff members at such facilities who knew their call systems weren’t reliable. When your business is the business of caring for seniors, these stories leave a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. To rely on a nurse call system that may or may not work when an emergency happens is taking a big risk, but not the kind of risk that could lead to a jackpot.

I understand the reasons why people put off updating their nurse call systems. Money is tight. Other projects take priority. The staff already knows how to use the current system. It works most of the time. Despite all the good reasons for waiting to upgrade, there is an inevitable truth: Eventually, a resident will need help, and no one will answer.

At PalatiumCare, one of the things we do best is to help remove the obstacles that prevent people from upgrading to a more reliable emergency response system. Our unique, server-based system removes the added cost of purchasing computers, and there are no licensing fees. Payment plans are available for facilities that don’t have the capital funds to take on a building improvement in one lump sum. The wireless installation is quick and easy, making a seamless transition for residents and staff. PalatiumCare is expandable, easily adapting to the changing resident population and physical structure of your building.

PalatiumCare is proactive when it comes to safety. It monitors every system component and resident device. If something isn’t working, the system itself will let you know. Sometimes, our dedicated service team has already called by the time you read the alert. If the system is disabled for any reason, we’ll help you get it up and running in no time. Battery-back up on every system component also means that PalatiumCare will work even if your power goes out. You’ll never have to question whether your residents are safe.

When it comes to the safety of our loved ones, we take no chances. The same should be true in every long-term care community. To find out if PalatiumCare would be a good fit for your community, contact a sales representative at 888-725-2848. When you find the nurse call solution that meets your needs and gives you peace of mind, you might have to fight the urge to shout, “BINGO!”

Kirt Graves

Sales Representative

kgraves@palatiumcare.com

All the Bells and Whistles

It’s unclear where the common phrase “all the bells and whistles” originated. The phrase’s earliest uses seem to be in mid-century America. Newspaper ads for new homes refer to kitchens and cars with all the bells and whistles. Some speculate that it has roots in the American locomotive industry, as bells and whistles were exactly what were used to notify folks that a train was pulling into town. Others say it’s more likely that cinema organists adding the sound effects to silent films were the origin of the phrase.  A whole host of sound-makers, including a wide variety of bells and bird whistles, enhanced the movie-goers experience.

As we understand it now, anything offering all the bells and whistles will have a lot of features and functions that may be useful, but rarely enhance the actual purpose of the device you’re purchasing.  If you’ve ever bought a computer from a store, you know the pressure to get the sharpest screen resolution, the fastest processor and the most memory is alluring. The salesperson will insist it is necessary. But if you intend to use the new computer for word processing and occasionally browsing the internet, all the bells and whistles will go to waste. As the consumer, the trick is in finding the machine that will function as you intend to use it and leaving behind all the extras that add to the cost but not the value.

The same is true if you’re looking for a nurse call system.

I recently attended a trade show that got me thinking about bells and whistles. I was positioned across the aisle from another company which provided a very different nurse call system. While PalatiumCare focuses on creating a more home-like atmosphere, this nurse call system was clearly intended for a hospital setting. The display included several call lights that stayed flashing all day long. There were also shrill audible alerts that would go off from time to time, and the folks behind the display would quickly jump to silence the alert.

Now there are certainly settings in which a system like that would be appropriate. But when I think of the bells and whistles that will serve a senior living community, I think of proactive reporting, easy-to-use system interface, the ability to customize how you want your system to notify care givers, and the peace of mind that comes with a reliable server. All of these features don’t just make PalatiumCare appear more desirable, they enhance the user experience and empower the staff to provide the highest quality care.

If you’re looking for a new nurse call system for your senior living community, I encourage you to take the time to speak with your staff, administrators and residents. Identify what features you couldn’t live without, and what features sound impressive, but you doubt you’ll ever use. Knowing how your community uses a call system is the best first step in picking a new one. And it will help you avoid the dazzling allure of “bells and whistles” that are ultimately just a lot of noise.

Kirt Graves
Sales Representative
kgraves@palatiumcare.com

Bad weather, Good nature

Steve and I had a great time at the ALAA Spring Conference in Montgomery, Alabama last week. Besides the obvious benefits of exiting Wisconsin during a March snow storm, we were really struck by the kind nature and dedication of the care givers and administrators we met while there.

One woman’s story really struck us and acted as a great reminder of why we put so much effort into making PalatiumCare as reliable and safe as possible.

We noticed that she was wearing a gold medal. The ALAA awards these medals to facility administrators that were given a perfect score on their annual review. After a few words of congratulations, she shared with us that she was pretty surprised to have received the honor. You just never know how these things will turn out, she told us. But she believed strongly in her philosophy.

At her facility, her whole team is cross-trained, so that everyone can do everyone else’s job in case of an emergency. As a result, the inspector said her staff didn’t bat an eye as they were being observed. You could tell she was very proud.

The conversation moved on to a discussion about residents with dementia, and specifically this administrator’s love for them. She shared that she was orphaned as a child and didn’t get to have a relationship with her parents. “I don’t have parents to give back to. These are my parents.” she said.

Out of a deep loss, this woman found a calling. To care for her residents is not just a responsibility but a joy. What would the world be like if we all approached or jobs in the same way? As she shared her story, this administrator reminded me of the joy that comes from taking care of our parents . . . whether or not they are the people who gave us life. We’re pretty lucky to get to play a small role in their care.

Kirt Graves

Sales Representative

kgraves@palatiumcare.com

Mission Statement

PalatiumCare has a great mission statement:

Strive to become the Premier leader in Senior Living Communities through state-of-the-art technology, innovation, leadership and partnerships.

It is amazing how adding a mission statement into our work lives really helps create focus and meaning in everything we do.  Notice, we did not say, best nurse call system, or take over the world, we said Premier Leader.  Everything we do is for the residents, workers, and owners.  We also made certain the word strive was in the statement.  We will never be satisfied, the market and requirements are always changing, and this challenge we gave ourselves will always push us.

Steve Redeker
Owner
sredeker@palatiumcare.com

Getting to know . . . your e-call system

When I was a freshman in high school, the fall musical was The King & I. I was thrilled to get a role as the eldest son of the king, Prince Chululongkorn. (Try saying that five times fast.) My first scene was with Anna as she taught me and all my elementary-school-aged brothers and sisters the classic “Getting to Know You.” Lines like, “getting to like you, getting to hope you like me” rang especially true to my 14-year old ears as I navigated my way through the first couple weeks at a new school with a much larger student population. And the message has stuck with me as I’ve approached challenges in my adult life.

Let’s face it: The prospect of getting to know someone can be scary. The same can be said for getting to know your call system. Perhaps you’re a new administrator at an established building, where everyone but you knows how your call system works. Or maybe you’ve had your system for years and are ready to really examine if it’s time to move on. Or maybe you’re building a new facility and want to find the best fit for your new senior living community. In any case, you want to quickly learn the functions of your existing or potential call system inside and out.

At PalatiumCare, we go into hundreds of unfamiliar facilities every year, and we’ve learned how to quickly and thoroughly understand the benefits, and sometimes shortcomings, of existing e-call systems. If you’re looking for a new system, or just looking at an old system with new eyes, here are a few questions to keep in mind:

·         How does this call system notify staff members that a resident needs assistance? Call lights? Audible alerts? Annunciator panel? Phone? Pager?

·         Does this system notify just the caregivers, or are other residents aware when someone calls for assistance?

·         Do alerts go away on their own, or does a staff member have to reset the alarm when he/she arrives to aid the resident? (Another way to ask this question is, How easy would it be to ignore a resident calling for assistance?)

·         Can the resident call for assistance from anywhere in the facility? Or just in his/her room?

·         How durable are the call devices for this system? Do they break easily? Do any parts of the device wear away quickly from regular use? Are they water proof? If they use batteries, can they be easily replaced or does the device need to be serviced or replaced when a battery dies?

·         Does this system keep track of resident calls and how quickly caregivers respond? And if it does, how is this information delivered? Do I have to keep these records on a computer or in a file?

·         If I want computer access to my system in more than one place, do I have to purchase additional monitoring stations?

·         Will there be any annual licensing fees or future cost when I want to update my call system software?

·         How does my system add and remove residents as they come and go? Can I do it myself? Or does it require training or assistance from a technician?

As you get to know your e-call system, take notes about the things that surprise or disappoint you. If you can’t discover the answer just by observing your system in action, don’t hesitate to call a representative for your system to find out.

An e-call system should be reliable, easy to use and affordable. If you’re finding you have to compromise on any of these points, or are dissatisfied with the answers to any of the above questions, then keep looking. This is not a time to compromise. Your staff shouldn’t have to spend time “getting to like” your current or new call system. It should make a great first impression right away, every time.

I think you’ll find that getting to know your e-call system isn’t so scary if you know what questions to ask. When you can rest assured that your e-call system is reliable and the best fit for your building, then you can spend your time getting to know the most important aspect of any senior living community: the residents.

Kirt Graves
Sales Representative
kgraves@palatiumcare.com