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 Many buildings rely on outdated or malfunctioning emergency response systems to work when a resident needs assistance.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
