Tag Archive for: BCube

Small Senior Living Providers

Nearly half of all skilled nursing facilities in the U.S. have fewer than 120 beds. In fact, according to the Nursing Home Data Compendium of 2015 by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, there are close to 8,000 skilled nursing communities that have fewer than 100 beds. This leaves a lot of small senior living providers with few options to provide top-quality care to people who deserve the very best.

BCube for Small Senior Living ProvidersAdvanced nurse call systems such as RCare’s standard advanced nurse call system offerings are complex and feature-rich. Typical installations may be in large facilities that have hundreds of beds, a large staff and many receivers and transmitters collecting information throughout the facility. (Think nurse stations, nurse call buttons, pull-cords, door sensors, etc.) The system may include dozens of mobile devices carried by caregiving staff and administration. Managing all these devices and their communications with one another requires an enterprise-class computer server. But along with this robust technology comes a price tag that isn’t affordable for small campuses. So, they simply don’t have access to the best advanced nurse call options available to other communities.

RCare recognized this underserved population and decided to address it by engineering a customized, scaled and innovative solution designed for small campuses with this great need and smaller budget. RCare realized that first and foremost, the approach to the design needed to change. Small campuses simply don’t need the robust enterprise-level server hardware. A much smaller computer can easily manage the job, while saving on unnecessary hardware costs. There are also far fewer transmitters and devices in a smaller facility, which results in fewer communications. This means the lower horse-power of a smaller computer can efficiently and effectively handle and distribute the communications from each of the devices. So, which computer could do this at the right cost? That may be the cleverest part. RCare took an existing RCare nurse desk console unit and reengineered it to act as the server itself, in addition to its regular duties as a nurse station.

The result is the RCare BCube. Now, for the first time, smaller senior living communities will be able to afford and deploy caregiving technology previously only available to the big players. They will be able to get the very best technology available, at a fraction of the price. With the BCube, the facilities get the benefits of the existing, thoroughly developed, tested, and supported functionality of the larger RCare solutions, but re-engineered to serve the smaller installation.

BCube for Small Senior Living ProvidersThe BCube nurse stations function like the nurse stations of the larger cube products, reporting sensor information, alert statuses and ensuring caregiver accountability. And the BCube provides the important accountability capabilities of the larger systems, including analytics, reporting and the RPhone “I Got It” caregiving accountability tool.

The BCube was designed only for smaller communities and is limited to installations with fewer than 128 beds. But what if a small campus expands and gets hundreds of additional beds and tries to deploy hundreds more push buttons and other devices? RCare thought of that too. It is seamlessly forward compatible and easily upgradable to larger and more robust RCare solutions, without hassle or inconvenience.

RCare’s revolutionary new BCube.

Better technology
Bigger value
Best fit for you

Learn more.

Best Little Nurse Call System

That is not the question. The question is When?

It’s your first week on the job for a small caregiving staff at a 50-bed skilled nursing community. The intimate and family-like feeling of the community is what drew you in to begin with. And so far, you have met almost all of the residents and you like the small team of carers that you work with.

RPhone for the BCube has the I Got It Feature

The RPhone, with its unique “I Got It” feature

But, there is one thing that is frustrating to you. When multiple calls come in from residents, you are given no information on what to expect, what to bring and how urgent it is. On this Saturday evening, you receive two calls within minutes of each other, from Rooms 101 and 134. It could be a fall, a request for help to get out of bed or just someone needing a glass of water. The readout on the caregivers’ pagers simply shows the time of the call with a room number. You wonder whether someone is already handling the calls or perhaps most importantly, which resident do you prioritize to check on first?

The problem is that you need some more information to properly prioritize the calls. But you just don’t have it. You don’t know if it’s an emergency, or the resident history, or what to bring along, or if they happen to have allergies you should know about. You’re stuck in an impossible situation. You know you can’t possibly provide the best care without having the facts. So what to do?

Well the call from Room 101 came in first, so that’s the one you answer. But, your coworker is also there when you get there. Turns out Ruth accidentally pressed the button. Now two of you have responded to this non-emergency situation simultaneously, while Henry in Room 134 has slipped in the bathroom, is extremely frightened, and nobody is there to assist him.

RCare's Pretty Pretty Pendant and the BCube

Pretty Pretty Pendants work with any RCare nurse call system, including the new BCube for small facilities

If you work in a larger facility, you may have the benefit of a high-tech call system that can help you sort that all out. High-end advanced nurse call systems, like RCare’s flagship solution called the RCube, sends you all of the information you need to various communication devices, lighting platforms or even to nurse call console stations. Communities can go one step better and use secured, encrypted mobile devices such as the RCare RPhone to securely receive all information and have two-way communication between the caregiving staff, administration and even to the residents.

You can talk to the resident, gauge the situation, bring the correct supplies, reassure that you’re on the way, and prioritize. These RPhones also allow caregiving staff to claim responsibility using the “I Got it” feature, informing the rest of the staff that you’re responding to this call, eliminating duplicate efforts and ensuring accountability.

Around half of all skilled nursing facilities in the U.S. have fewer than 120 beds. That’s a lot of hard-working, compassionate caregivers who have inadequate tools to provide care, and a lot of seniors who don’t benefit from new caregiving technology and improved response times.  

But because you work in a smaller facility, you simply don’t have this kind of high end technology. Instead, you are stuck with a low-information nurse call system that gives you beeping pagers and loud intercom messages. It’s really not fair to your residents and to the caregivers striving to provide top-notch quality care. So, If the technology is available, why don’t smaller facilities use it? It’s because high-end, advanced nurse call technology is simply unaffordable for small campuses.

Well, that is until now.

Introducing the RCare BCube: Best Little Nurse Call System Ever. Designed, customized and scaled for the smallest skilled and assisted living communities, with all of the features of the big time advanced nurse call systems, at a fraction of the price. Now, even the smallest senior living communities can afford to have the best nurse call technology for their staff and their residents.

So to BCube or not to BCube?

That’s never been the question. The real question is, how soon can I get it installed?

The RCare BCube. All the monitoring, communication and reporting features of our large flagship RCare advanced nurse call system, scaled and priced for a smaller facility.

LeadingAge2017

New Orleans is known for amazing food, music, and of course the renowned Mardi Gras celebrations. At the end of October, New Orleans will have a new claim to fame. It will be host to America’s largest not-for-profit aging services industry event, the LeadingAge Annual Meeting & Expo.

Anyone who’s anyone in aging services gathers together at LeadingAge to see the latest and greatest in senior care innovation and services, learn best practices and renew a shared passion for delivering the best possible care to seniors everywhere.

At RCare, we never miss it. And this year we’ll be at Booth 1310, showcasing our brand new RCare booth with expanded product offerings, new and improved RMetrix enterprise and analytics features for all RCare customers, and our latest “Everyone’s a Winner with RCare” Series. You see, RCare has designed product offerings and services for every single individual involved in care, whether you’re a resident, administrator, caregiver, facility manager or in charge of quality management. Our systems are designed to help everyone have the tools they need to provide the best possible care. And we can prove it.

LeadingAge 2017 PrizesTo celebrate our “Everyone’s a Winner with RCare” campaign, we have big giveaways at the booth. Stop by Booth 1310 to pick up your free Bluetooth fidget spinner. No, they are not JUST for the kids, take a look at this McKnight’s article highlighting the advantage of Fidget Spinners for dementia residents. Plus, try for a bigger prize while finding out RCare can help you and your community.

LeadingAge 2017 RMetrix

RMetrix v2

We know that something on everyone’s minds this year is Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI). The CDC will be issuing regulations requiring skilled nursing facilities to implement a quality assurance and improvement program. At that point, the clock starts ticking, and facilities will have one year to have their programs implemented and complete. Now is the time to be getting these programs in place, and RCare knows exactly how to help satisfy all your QAPI needs.

For example, RMetrix v2 is a new reporting and analytics package that comes native with every RCare nurse call system. RMetrix provides reports and data that help communities measure how they’re doing, and assess their improvements, which is the core of QAPI. RMetrix comes with an impressive list of built-in reports that can be run for your entire facility, or by shift, by wing, by client, and more. You get the option to filter the data the way you need it. If we don’t have the report you need, the custom report designer included with RMetrix lets you create your own. Or, if you need a little help, RCare’s business analyst can custom-design reports for you, for a modest fee. RCare can help you make your QAPI program a success.

LeadingAge 2017 GeoPendantBe sure to check out our all new GeoPendant. This pendant was designed to provide residents with the flexibility and freedom to move safely around the community. Caregiving staff can define individual “safe zones”, and receive discreet alert notifications if a resident moves outside of their custom safe zone. It also serves as a push-button PERS. Location tracking lets caregivers know where the help is needed. Perfect for mixed communities, the GeoPendant is small, sleek, wireless and attractive, and it’s fully integrated with RCare’s nurse call systems.

According to the Nursing Home Data Compendium of 2015 by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, nearly half the residents of skilled nursing communities are in facilities with under 100 beds. RCare recognizes that these communities don’t require expensive, enterprise-level server hardware, but they do require the most innovative and comprehensive tools to provide the best possible care with fewer staff.

Stop by Booth 1310 to check out the BCube, designed and priced exclusively for small communities with 128 beds or fewer. Using a smaller touch-based computer server, RCare’s revolutionary BCube provides all the reporting features and advanced technology of our flagship RCube wireless nurse call system, at a fraction of the cost.

But that’s not all. We’ll be telling everyone about our brand new Durable RPhone, coming in 2018. You already know that the RPhone is a powerhouse of secure caregiver communication and notifications. What you didn’t know is that it’s now nearly indestructible. Stop by Booth 1310 for a sneak peek, and to see all the latest advancements in wireless nurse call systems.

2017 LeadingAge Annual Meeting & Expo
October 29 – November 1
Ernest N Morial Convention Center
New Orleans

Expo Hall Hours:
Monday, October. 30 | Noon – 3:30pm
Tuesday, October 31 | 11:30am – 3:30pm
Wednesday, November 1 | 9:30am – 11:30am

RCare Booth: 1310
RCare on Twitter: @ResponseCare
RCare on Facebook: @RCareInc

More Info:
Schedule: https://www.leadingage.org/schedule-events
Website: https://www.leadingage.org/leadingage-annual-meeting-expo
Hashtag: #LeadingAge17
Twitter handle: @LeadingAge

Everyone is a winner with RCare at AHCA/NCAL 2017

Everyone is a Winner with RCare at AHCA/NCAL 2017Every year when fall rolls around, RCare looks forward to the annual AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo. Four days of education, networking, and being able to show off the latest features of our RCare nurse call and emergency monitoring platform, and help you see why everyone is a winner with RCare.

AHXA/NCAL is the annual gathering of the largest association of long-term and post-acute care providers in the country. The work that members do is so very important to the health and happiness of our nation’s seniors, and we’re glad we can support it.

Something on everyone’s minds this year is Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI). In a short time, the CDC is expected to issue regulations requiring skilled nursing facilities to implement a quality assurance and improvement program. Facilities have one year from the time the regulation is final in which to have their programs in place, which means now is the right time to be working on them.

Everyone is a winner with RCare at AHCA/NCAL

RMetrix v2

RCare can help. Stop by booth 748 to see RMetrix v2, our new reporting and analytics package which is native to every RCare nurse call system. RMetrix provides reports and data that help communities measure how they’re doing, and assess their improvements, the basis of QAPI. Call response time analyses, incident lists and exceptions, call distributions, and trend analyses, for example, are just a few of the ways RCare can help you make your QAPI program a success.

If you operate a smaller community, be sure to check out the BCube, our new nurse call system exclusively for small communities. According to the Nursing Home Data Compendium of 2015 by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, there are nearly 8,000 skilled nursing communities with fewer than 100 beds. These communities don’t require expensive, enterprise-level server hardware, but they do require the tools to provide the best possible care. Using a smaller touch-based computer, RCare’s revolutionary BCube is designed, scaled and priced for smaller campuses with 128 beds or fewer. It has all of the reporting features and advanced technology of the of the RCube, including the use of all the same emergency and monitoring devices, but at a fraction of the cost.

This year, we are celebrating that with RCare, everyone is a winner. From residents, administrators, caregivers, and facilities managers, our systems are designed to help everyone have the tools they need to provide the best possible care. Stop by Booth 748 to pick up your Bluetooth fidget spinner, take a chance on a bigger prize, and find out more about RCare.

AHCA/NCAL Convention & Expo
October 15 – 18
Mandalay Bay Resort
Las Vegas, NV
#LTCLV

Expo Hall Hours:
Monday, October 16 | 11:30am – 3:00pm
Tuesday, October 17 | 11:00am – 2:00pm

RCare booth: 748
www.rcareinc.com
585-671-4144

THCA/TNCAL 2017 Convention and Trade Show

RCare is headed to the Music City Center in Nashville, for this year’s THCA/TNCAL Convention and Trade Show. We’ll be exhibiting alongside trusted integrator South Western Communications in booth 603.

RCare VIP Cocktail Hour at THCA/TNCAL 2017We’re delighted to invite you to our special VIP Cocktail Hour on Monday evening, hosted by RCare, South Western Communications, and PointClickCare. If you’re at the show, be sure to stop by the Decker & Dyer Lounge in the Westin Nashville at 6pm, and join us for networking, socializing, and a delightful evening. We’d love to meet you.

At the trade show, we’ll be in the South Western Communications booth, exhibiting our full line of RCare nurse call technology. Stop by to say hello to Gary Jones, our Director of National Sales. And while you’re there, take a look at our full range of nurse call systems, for large and small communities. Check out the exciting updates to the RMetrix Reporting and Analytics package that comes with all of our nurse call systems. And check out the new Enterprise RMetrix features, designed to help you provide the most effective and efficient care across all sites in your organization.

Base RMetrix Dashboard

The Base RMetrix Dashboard

While you’re there, you’ll also want to get a look at our new GeoPendant, a sleek pushbutton pendant that allows you to customize safe zones for each resident. Discreet alerts let caregivers know when the resident moves outside the defined safe zone, and lets you pinpoint their location. Residents get the independence to move about freely and safely.

For smaller communities, check out the BCube, our full-featured nurse call system, designed and priced exclusively for small communities and smaller budgets.

See you in Nashville!

THCA/TNCAL Convention & Trade Show
August 27-30, 2017
Music City Center
South Western Communications – Booth 603
PointClickCare – Booth 630
201 5th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37203
on Twitter: @THCATNCAL
on Facebook: @tennesseehealthcareassociation

Expo Hours
Monday, Aug 28 10:30am-12:30pm
Monday, Aug 28 2:00pm-4:00pm
Tuesday, Aug 29 9:30am-11:30am
More info

VIP Cocktail Hour
Co-hosted by RCare, South Western Communications & PointClickCare
Monday, Aug 28 6:00pm-8:00pm
Decker & Dyer Social Lounge (hotel bar)
Westin Nashville
807 Clark Pl, Nashville
Nashville
More info

Excitement builds - RCare's new building

This year has been an exciting year for RCare. We keep building. Our product line, our market, our global footprint, it’s all growing and expanding. We’ve been introducing innovative new products that we think will really help our clients provide the best care possible. We’ve been hiring new staff.

The excitement builds.

And now we’re moving into a bigger facility. Want to see how things are going with our new space? Check out this video. Our CEO Myron Kowal takes you on a walk-through. As you can see, it has more office space, a bigger warehouse, and an expanded shipping area.

Building and expanding is what RCare is about. You may have heard about our new RMetrix reporting system and the BCube nurse call system for small campuses. And we’re not stopping there. We know it’s important that you have the best tools available, to help you provide the best care possible. That’s why we keep improving our products, adding new interoperability, and new features that we know you’ll love.

“When we began evaluating systems two major considerations were key – integration with our existing systems and forward thinking architecture allowing for future expansion. The RCare system and the fine folks at Sterling have time and again validated our decision.”
– Larry Lillo, Executive Director, Eastern Star Masonic Retirement Community

RCare has it all: from our high tech Geopendant to our variety of environmental sensors. We know it’s important to our customers that all the features of your system work together. That’s why we offer all the customizable components, and make sure they integrate flawlessly. From emergency transmitters and dome lights to caregiver tools and activity sensors. We have everything you need. Plus, interoperability with major technologies, such as PointClickCare records management, Accutech wander management, and GrandCare resident monitoring systems.

We’re expanding because business is booming! But don’t worry. We’re not sitting on our laurels. We keep thinking of other new products that will help you. Stay tuned for other exciting updates in the next few months!

Celebrate independence with RCare

In light of the recent celebration of Independence Day, we’ve been reflecting on the importance and meaning of independence for the birth of our country. Why is it so important? We see it in every stage of life. As kids grow up they seek and require more independence. As we age, our independence becomes even more important. We will do anything to stay more independent and empowered.

RCare's Pretty Pretty Pendant and Patriot PendantThis got us thinking, and we realized that independence is one of the foundations that underlies everything we do. More independence for residents. More independence for caregivers. More independence for administrators.

It’s why we created the Pretty Pretty Pendant and the Patriot Pendant. We know that community residents may need to call for help. And we thought, in order to have the independence and peace of mind that comes with a pendant, we needed to provide something that the resident wanted to wear. It’s a simple solution, and we’ve discovered that it makes the residents happy. And, it also makes them more likely to wear them.

RCare's GeoPendantIt’s why we created the GeoPendant. We know some residents need extra help being safe, but would like it to come without embarrassing alarms and bells. And what about those residents that don’t need those safety limits? How could we create something that could be customized, individually for each resident? The GeoPendant is a sleek push-button pendant, and it’s something more too. With the GeoPendant, caregiving staff can define safe zones for the residents that need them. That means, everyone can just go about their day. But if certain residents move outside their defined safe zone, care staff will be notified, and provided with the senior’s location, so they can offer assistance as needed.

It’s why we created environmental sensors. Community residents can rest assured they can remain safe and comfortable in their homes. Environmental sensors monitor things for the entire community. If something is wrong, for example the temperature is too low or too high, or a faucet overflows, the sensors will automatically send out an alert so that facility staff can intervene before the situation becomes an emergency.

It’s why we created the BCube, the best little nurse call system ever. We know how hard caregivers work. And we know that we can increase their independence by offering the best technology on the market. We’ve met a lot of caregivers in our line of work, and we’ve seen many working with outdated technologies, that hold them back from their goal of providing the best care possible. We realized that the most advanced nurse call systems, like our RCube, might be beyond the budgets of the smaller communities. But we think those community residents deserve the best care, and their caregivers deserve the best tools. So we sent our designers back to the drawing board to figure out how to re-engineer our best system for the little guys. And they came back with the BCube. It’s a full-featured, advanced nurse call system. But now it’s a good fit for smaller communities and their smaller budgets.

We value our independence just like our clients and their residents. We hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day. And we want you to know that, even after the parties have ended and the fireworks have been put away, we’re still here for you.

RCare receives STEP exports grant

RCare, a global provider of UL-1069 listed wireless nurse call and personal emergency response systems, announced their recent win of the State Trade & Export Promotion (STEP) Global NY Exports Grant. This program was designed to increase the number of New York-based small businesses that export goods globally, and to increase the value of their exports.

Africa HealthThe grant will send RCare to showcase their nurse call offerings at the Africa Health Exhibition in Johannesburg, South Africa June 7-9. This healthcare exhibition is one of Africa’s largest, with over 9,000 healthcare professionals in attendance. RCare was the only nurse call technology selected for this exclusive opportunity.

Myron Kowal, CEO of RCare, says RCare’s BCube system could have a huge impact on the care of people in Africa. The BCube is a full-featured wireless nurse call system, but is designed and priced exclusively for small campuses, which is perfect for rural parts of the world with a limited budget and smaller facilities.

“Rural and remote areas need the rich features of an advanced nurse call and monitoring technology, but their facilities are often small and cannot afford the price tag,” said Katya Kowal, Director of International Sales at RCare. “We are humbled to have this opportunity to enter into the African healthcare market with our BCube, which was designed just for small communities.”

For more information about the BCube, visit RCare’s BCube page.

RCare Invited to Senior Living Innovation Forum

RCare is heading to Florida in June. We’ve been invited to be part of the exclusive Senior Living Innovation Forum. This event is for “the nation’s premier owners and operators of senior housing, who are leveraging bold and creative thinking to deliver engaging and distinctive care environments.” RCare was honored to be included in this prestigious group.

Executives attending the conference can expect to explore the possibilities for improving care improving care using innovative technologies, as the industry edges “from a real estate-reliant industry to one driven by technological solutions.”

At the peer-led forum, participants will network with other C-level executives from the industry, and showcase their latest senior housing innovations, such as the RCare BCube nurse call system for small campuses.

Dubbed “the best little nurse call system ever,” The BCube is a full-featured nurse call system designed for smaller campuses of under 128 beds, and priced for smaller budgets. The BCube has everything you expect from our most advanced nurse call systems, including detailed reporting and analytics. Caregivers can use our HIPAA-compliant RPhone smartphone handsets to receive alerts, talk to residents and claim calls with the “I Got It” feature. Residents can choose from our beautiful Pretty Pretty Pendant and Patriot Pendant push-button alerts. Sleek and attractive, they can be worn on neck loops or watch bands.

We’ll also be showcasing our new GeoPendant. This sleek pendant does double duty. It’s a sleek, attractive push-button alert device. And it can also be used to send discreet alerts to caregivers when a resident move outside of a designed safe zone.

We’re also excited about our environmental monitoring devices. Our nurse call systems can connect to a variety of remote monitoring sensors from activity sensing devices to floor pressure mats to bed/chair mats, to temperature devices to water detection devices.

Participation in the Senior Living Innovation Forum is by invitation only.The Senior Living Innovation Forum was developed to showcase owners and operators who are leveraging bold and creative thinking to deliver engaging and distinctive care environments.

Senior Living Innovation Forum
June 4 – 6, 2017
Boca Raton, FL
More info

Meet RCare’s latest teammate: Mr Gary Jones.
Gary Jones
Sha la, la, la, la, la, la….

 

Please join us in welcoming Gary Jones to the RCare team. He is our new Director of National Sales and he’s a perfect addition to the RCare staff.

Gary JonesWe have to be honest, we couldn’t help trying to get Mr. Jones to “strike up a conversation.” It wasn’t hard to get him talking. He’s an incredibly smart, compassionate, friendly and personable guy. It was an obvious choice that he had the perfect mix of sales, technology and healthcare experience to be a great fit to our crew. Not to mention, he’s a swell guy who strongly believes in the RCare mission and vision.

He comes to us with a wide background in sales, technology, and health care. Before coming to RCare, Gary worked for the American Heart Association as the Director of Business Development & Corporate Relations. He has also worked for Asus, and the University of Rochester.

Gary attended Cornell University, and graduated with a degree in Biology. At Cornell, he competed on the Division I Track & Field team, where he was a Triple Jump champion. He is an Olympic Trials qualifier in that event as well.

So prepare to be amazed when you say “jump” and he says “how high?”

But Gary is not just about sales, healthcare and technology. In his spare time, he competes in CrossFit competitions around the country. He loves to travel, especially with his fiancée, Sarah. His favorite destination so far is Cairo, Egypt. Even though Mr. Gary Jones has admitted that he doesn’t know any “black-haired flamenco dancers,” we do know that he’s gonna be a big star.

Gary Jones

If you’re going to be on the road, you may have a chance to meet Gary. He’s going to be at HealthTAC in Nashville later this week. You’ll also find Gary at PEAK Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. He’ll bring along our March 2017 catalog, which showcases all of our advanced nurse call solutions. We’ll also debut brand new products such as the BCube. The BCube offers all of the advanced features and technologies of our flagship nurse call solutions, but is designed, priced and scaled for smaller senior campuses.

Stop by and introduce yourself. We like Gary. We think you’ll like him, too. And trust us, Mr Jones is not only funky, but we know he really is gonna be a big, big star.

LinkIn with Gary
Shoot Gary an Email

Inspiration drawn from Mr. Jones by Counting Crows