Background
Robert Harvey House Nursing Home recently introduced a new system of silent pagers for staff, designed to improve the quality of life for residents and streamline nurse response times. The pagers, costing £3,000 for 15 devices, were implemented three months ago as a solution to reduce the constant noise caused by nurse call bells, which rang throughout the home over 24 hours.
Implementation and communication
Before introducing the new pagers, the nursing home held meetings with residents to explain the upcoming changes. This proactive communication helped residents understand the plan and set expectations for the transition. The silent pagers were designed to provide discreet notifications to staff, vibrating in the nurses’ pockets instead of emitting loud sounds that could disturb the residents.
Impact on residents’ quality of life
For residents with the capacity to provide feedback, the new system has been well-received. Many reported improvements in their quality of life, particularly in terms of sleep quality. With fewer bells ringing throughout the night, residents found the environment quieter and more peaceful, mealtimes are now free of call bells as there is a monitor in the dining room, leading to better rest and enhanced overall wellbeing.
Nurse response and system efficiency
The home monitored the nurse response time after the introduction of the silent pagers and found that it remained consistent with previous response times. The emergency calls still sound on all the monitors and the pagers bleep to ensure an emergency response from staff.
Management and monitoring
The new paging system integrates seamlessly with the nursing home’s existing IT monitoring system, Nourish. The system provides detailed management information, categorising calls by urgency: ‘normal’ calls are displayed in orange, ’emergency’ calls in red, and ‘sensor mat’ alerts in purple. Additionally, management can track which nurse or carer responded to each call and monitor the time taken for each response. This data allows for better oversight of care quality and helps identify any areas for improvement.
Conclusion
The implementation of silent pagers at Robert Harvey House has had a positive impact on the overall atmosphere of the home, improving both the residents’ quality of life and the efficiency of staff responses. The system has created a quieter, calmer environment, especially at night, and has provided valuable management data to improve care. Despite the variability in call frequency, the overall success of the initiative highlights the effectiveness of targeted communication technology in enhancing the nursing home experience.
