There is no button in a hospital or care home that is more vital to the service user than their call bell. It is imperative that this button is always in good working order, because patients heavily rely upon it, often in moments of their lives when they are at their most vulnerable. They need to be able to trust that the alarm system works and that when they need something a nurse will respond promptly. This is especially important in emergency situations. If the patient call bell is faulty, then this could cause massive risk to the health, wellbeing and even the lives of the people your facility serves.
Being admitted to a hospital or moving into a nursing home can be a frightening experience. People often find it daunting, because generally, it means that either there is something wrong with your health or you are losing your independence. People love the comfort of their own homes, and nobody wants to give that up unless they absolutely must, not for any length of time. People who have had their independence all of their lives often don’t enjoy being waited on by nurses and many express feelings of being a burden. A good, reliable call bell system coupled with friendly and responsive nurses all help to make people feel at ease during their stay. Without these things, patient transition to a hospital or care home can be made worse.
Lack of a reliable call system can lead to the person attempting to get out of bed themselves and attend to their business without the help of a nurse. This is the leading cause of service users falling in nursing homes and can have a severe impact on the health of the individual.
Patients falls might be more likely in older patients, but anyone who is unwell or injured can have a fall. Some medications or surgical procedures can lead to a person feeling drowsy. A fall can lead to broken bones and a more extended stay in hospital.
It has been reported 40% of falls in hospital happen because patients attempt to go to the toilet unassisted. In some cases, this could be because the patient call bell is not in good working order, and the patient felt they had no choice but to go to the toilet themselves.
Having a regularly maintained nurse call system is vital to ensuring a safe stay in the hospital or care home and can save lives.
When was the last time that you checked your patient call buttons are working?
At Swift Fire and Safety, we install and maintain patient call bell systems in nursing homes and hospitals across the country. Talk to us today if you feel you need an update or for all your call bell system maintenance needs.