Tag Archive for: GeoPendant

The Senior Community That Cried Wolf: RCare’s Alternative to Loud Alarms

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alternative to loud alarms for senior housing

RCare is not only proud to be the maker of the most advanced wireless nurse call and advanced monitoring systems in the world, but we’re also honored to be a member and advocate of the Eden Alternative initiative.

What is The Eden Alternative? It’s a non-profit dedicated to improving the quality of life for elders and their care partners. “In a culture that typically views aging as a period of decline, the Eden Alternative philosophy asserts that no matter how old we are or what challenges we live with, life is about continuing to grow. Building on this new paradigm, it affirms that care is not a one-way street, but rather a collaborative partnership.”

RCare's GeoPendant and The Eden AlternativeThat’s one of the many reasons that RCare supports The Eden Alternative. RCare’s mission is to improve the lives of elders and those who care for them. We’ve been diligently working at this mission since our founding in 2006, and our innovations in user-friendly, easy-to-learn technology have allowed us to help more and more elders and caregivers every year. We take the time to understand caregiving and the unique issues facing each community to build customized solutions that last.

One of our latest innovations, the GeoPendant, is an example of our commitment to the quality of life of elders and carers. An attractive pendant that can be worn on a neck loop or on the wrist, the GeoPendant’s first function is that of a PERS pendant. But the GeoPendant does a lot more. It lets caregivers define geographical safe zones for elders who need them. Should the elder leave that safe zone, the care staff receive an alert so that they can discreetly intervene.

Like everyone else, elders value their independence and dignity. Moving to a locked ward is a big step that should only be taken when there is no other option. For many, the GeoPendant can now be that other option. Elders wearing the GeoPendant are free to go about their day, within an area defined as safe for them. The only time their movements are brought to anyone’s attention is if they move outside their personalized safe zone.

This is especially useful with so called “mixed populations.” One does not develop a need for a locked memory care unit overnight. These needs arise slowly over time. This means that there are people who may need moderate wander management who live in completely open communities alongside many who do not need such assistance. With the GeoPendant, only those elders who need this type of care receive it, and they do so discreetly, without embarrassing sirens or alarms ringing through the hallways.

One of the truly innovative features of the GeoPendant is that it doesn’t use GPS. Instead, it uses the existing RCare equipment placed throughout the community to determine if you are, or are not, where it’s safe for you to be. Also, safe zones are not just defined in terms of horizontal area, but also vertically, for example by floor. This is because the device utilizes artificial intelligence. During setup it is taught where the safe zone is for a particular resident. The elder’s zone can be highly specific, even singling out precise rooms and corridors for in/exclusion.

GeoPendants are integrated into the wider RCare nurse call system, meaning staff won’t have multiple systems to monitor. If an elder moves out of a safe zone, the alert is sent to the high-powered nurse call system. Care staff receive the alerts on their HIPAA-compliant RPhone mobile handsets, just like any other nurse call.

Alternative to Loud AlarmsCommunities and senior advocates are increasingly drawing attention to the indignity of noisy alarms. They disrupt sleep. They disrupt daily life. They embarrass elders unlucky enough to trigger them. Worse, they may immobilize them, if the elders avoid activities that risk triggering an alarm. And, like the boy who cried wolf, frequent alarms tend to get tuned out, which could put elders at risk. RCare’s alerts are all quiet. Whether an elder pulls a cord, pushes a button, or leaves a safe zone, the alerts are sent silently to the care staff. Calls are “claimed” by a caregiver using the “I got it” button on the RPhone, ensuring that everyone’s call is answered, without carers duplicating their efforts.

Because the GeoPendant is a personal emergency response system as well as a location minder, elders who need both don’t need to carry two devices. In addition to discreetly safeguarding their whereabouts, the push button can be used to summon help at any time.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, there are currently 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, and by 2050, that number could be as high as 16 million. By mid-century, someone in the United States will develop the disease every 33 seconds.”

Dr. G. Allen Power is a physician and a senior advocate. In his book, Dementia Beyond Drugs:
Changing the Culture of Care, he argues that “care environments are often designed around the needs of the carers, rather than those with dementia.” This is an issue that The Eden Alternative is addressing. It’s important that both parties in the care partnership are respected and honored.

A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or dementia doesn’t need to trigger an immediate loss of independence, even when it’s an effort to keep elders safe. The Eden Alternative challenges us to strive to enhance the well-being of elders by eliminating the three plagues of loneliness, helplessness, and boredom. RCare has accepted that challenge, and one outcome is the GeoPendant, designed to help elders live happier, more independent, more dignified lives. And at the same time, RCare is helping caregivers offer the best, most advanced care. For a small device, the GeoPendant is having a very big impact on the lives of elders and their care partners.

Rise Up. Change Starts with RCare – and some hot QAPI – at the Eden Alternative International Conference

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Rise up. Change starts with RCare at the Eden Alternative International Conference

RCare's GeoPendant and The Eden AlternativeAt RCare, we are not only proud to be the maker of the most advanced wireless nurse call and monitoring systems in the world, but we are also honored to be a member of the Eden Alternative initiative. In fact, we’ve been selected to showcase our products at this dynamic and passionate event in May.

The Eden Alternative International Conference challenges us to change the way we think about providing care to our elder population. It challenges us to develop innovative approaches to genuinely person-centered care. The Eden Alternative philosophy asserts that as we age, we do not go into a decline, but rather we enter another stage of learning and growing. Based upon this, EA caregivers learn that the caregiving process is not just a one-way arrangement, but rather it’s a collaborative partnership.

RCare’s mission is to improve the lives of elders and those who care for them. Our innovations are designed with the resident at the center, while providing helpful and user-friendly technologies that make the environment more comfortable and pleasant–and that ultimately lead to better outcomes. Every community is different, and RCare takes the time to understand the unique resident needs, caregiving process, and other issues, to build customized solutions that last.

A Quieter Approach

Recently, CMS issued restrictions on loud bed and chair alarms, classifying them as a “restraint.” There are many good reasons for this regulation. Communities and senior advocates are increasingly drawing attention to the indignity of these loud alarms. They disrupt sleep. They disrupt daily life. They embarrass elders unlucky enough to trigger them. Worse, they may immobilize them when the elders begin to avoid activities that risk triggering an alarm. And, like the boy who cried wolf, frequent alarms tend to get tuned out, which could put elders at risk.

RCare’s alerts are quiet and discreet. Whether an elder pulls a cord, pushes a button, or leaves a safe zone, the alerts are sent directly to the care staff. Calls are “claimed” by a caregiver using the “I got it” button on the RPhone, ensuring that every call is answered without duplication of effort.

In addition to bed and chair sensors, the RCare system integrates with motion sensors, contact sensors, and passive environmental sensors to detect unsafe room temperatures, refrigerator temperatures, and water overflows. And, of course, the system integrates with a full range of elder-activated devices such as push-button pendants, pull cords, and the like.

Setting Safe Zones with the GeoPendant

With RCare’s new GeoPendant, you can set safe zones for residents who need them, so care staff are discreetly alerted if and when particular residents move outside their designated safe area, without embarrassing alarms. Like everyone else, elders value their independence and RCare GeoPendant at the Eden Alternative International Conferencedignity. Moving to a locked ward is a big step that should only be taken as a last resort. For many, the GeoPendant can now be a better option. Elders wearing the GeoPendant are free to go about their day within an area defined as safe for them. The only time their movements are brought to anyone’s attention is if they move outside their personalized safe zone.

Each call made contributes to an incident record that helps staff tailor a plan of care for each resident. This record helps staff and families know when the situation has changed, and the care plan needs to change. It keeps a record of the the resident/care staff interaction, too, which is critical for elder-centered care and quality.

Powerful Data

RCare’s RMetrix reporting module has been redesigned to provide stronger tools to communities initiating and managing Quality Assurance and Performance Improvemenet (QAPI) and other quality programs. WIth RMetrix, you can measure important information about calls, such as call volume, frequent callers, and response times, that will help you improve the experience of elders and their families, and staff work loads. For communities with multiple facilities, Enterprise RMetrix provides a dashboard that makes it easy to compare facilities on key metrics, by day, month or quarter. RMetrix gives administrators the kind of reporting that turns data into insight, and insight into action.

Join RCare as we RISE UP at the Eden Alternative Conference. Together we are changing the nature of elder care, making it more collaborative, more dignified, and more satisfying.

Eden Alternative International Conference
May 3-5, 2018
The Westin Buckhead Atlanta
3391 Peachtree Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30326
Twitter – event: @edenalt  RCare: @ResponseCare
Facebook – event: @theedenalternative  RCare: @RCareInc

PEAK Leadership Summit: Good Information. Good Technology. Better Decisions.

RCare - PEAK Leadership Summit 2018

RCare - PEAK Leadership Summit - QAPI and RMetrixCoffee

Like all decision-makers, executives in non-profit CCRCs need good information to make informed decisions. This information can be about regulations, industry trends, or demographic shifts–pretty much any aspect of business. But having good, up-to-date information is never more important than when it comes to decisions about technology, and how the right tool can help your community improve its ratings, and provide the data and insights you need for a successful quality assurance and improvement program. That’s why RCare is attending the PEAK Leadership Summit in Washington, DC this year and offering a free cup of QAPI!

We’ll be at BaseCamp in Kiosk #36. Stop by and visit, and have a cup of coffee on us. And then let’s talk about QAPI.

QAPI

Many CCRCs are hip-deep in implementing their regulation-mandated QAPI (quality assurance and performance improvement) programs. Leaders in these organizations will want to know about RCare’s newly revamped RMetrix reporting. We specifically redesigned it around the needs of communities who are initiating and managing quality programs. At RCare we like to say that if you can’t measure it, how can you manage it? RMetrix helps you measure important information about calls that will help you improve resident and family satisfaction, staff work loads, and resident health and safety, from basic call response times, to so-called “frequent fliers,” to comparisons among shifts, wings, and even different campuses.

The reports are extremely customizable, but we also want to give you flexibility to build your own reports with the included report designer. And if you don’t have the time or expertise to do it, RCare’s own business analysts can build custom-tailored reports for you. This is the kind of reporting that turns data into insight, and insight into action. When community leaders implement change in their organization, it will be data-driven. And its success will be proven with real metrics.

But that’s not all. We are also showcasing our brand new, safe area zoning, 3-in-1 GeoPendants.

GeoPendant

Seniors don’t become wander risks overnight. They don’t go from functioning perfectly in assisted living one day and requiring locked unit memory care the next. What are the best policies and procedures when caring for people going through this slow transition? Senior living executives will want to know about RCare’s GeoPendant when they make these kinds of decisions.

RCare - PEAK Leadership Summit - GeoPendant and QAPIThe GeoPendant can be programmed with a “safe zone,” unique to each wearer. What’s more, that safe zone can be customized right down to certain hallways or floors, other specific locations inside or outside a building. If the wearer moves outside the safe zone, caregivers are quietly and discreetly alerted so that they can redirect the individual. This way someone who poses a slight wander risk can be kept safe even while enjoying the independence and freedoms that come with living in a least-restrictive environment.

The GeoPendant also functions as a PERS button. When the wearer presses the button, it alerts staff that help is needed. And the GeoPendant comes equipped with Advanced Locating Protocol (ALP), to let caregivers know the location where the call was made, so that help can be directed to where it’s needed.

Stop by Kiosk #36, have a cup of QAPI coffee on us, and let us show you how your nurse call system can help your community raise its ratings, and succeed in its QAPI programs.

PEAK Leadership Summit
March 18-20, 2018
Washington, D.C.
Kiosk #36
BaseCamp Kiosk Hours:
Mon, March 19, 9:30am-1pm & 4:30pm-5:30pm
Tues, March 20, 11:30am-1:30pm
@LeadingAge

RCare’s Got Strong QAPI Brewing at the Quality Summit

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RCare brews strong QAPI at the Quality Summit

What’s Brewing at the Quality Summit? QAPI.
Do you like your QAPI Strong? RCare can help.

Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) are on everyone’s minds these days. Because of new CMS regulations, QAPI is the latest watchword in long-term care and skilled nursing facilities across the country. No doubt your senior community already has an implementation strategy in place for moving forward. But here’s something you may not have realized: Your nurse call system can play an important role in the success of your QAPI program.

RCare is the global provider of advanced, wireless nurse call systems. We’ve designed our nurse call systems to give you the tools you need for your QAPI program. Why are so many communities overlooking the value of nurse call systems for QAPI? It might be because they’re not using RCare.

RCare brews strong QAPI at the Quality SummitNext week RCare will be in New Orleans at the AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit, to show you how the right nurse call system can help you strengthen your QAPI program.

When a resident pulls a cord or pushes a button on their PERS pendant, your caregiving staff responds. Are any calls missed? How quickly does your staff respond? How accurate and complete is their information when they arrive? Right from the start of an incident, RCare can help you improve resident satisfaction and the quality of care. And right from the start of an incident, RCare can help you gather accurate, actionable data.

The Quality Summit is the third annual gathering of long-term and post-acute care quality leaders. For three days they’ll be learning best practices, networking with other professionals, and educating themselves about the latest issues in quality and compliance for skilled nursing, post-acute, and assisted living providers.

RCare will be the only Nurse Call System provider at the summit.

Stop by our table, have a cup of coffee on us, and let us show you how your nurse call system can help with QAPI.

In your job, there’s a lot expected of you. You should expect a lot from your nurse call system. RCare offers the most advanced wireless nurse call technology, for large or small facilities. RCare wants to join efforts and support you as you develop your QAPI program.

AHCA/NCAL Quality Summit
March 12-14, 2018
New Orleans Marriott
Expo Dates/Times
Monday: 11am–1pm, 2:30pm–3pm
Tuesday: 10am–10:30am, 1:30pm-2pm, 3:30pm–4pm
#QSUMMIT18
@ahcancal

RCare touted by McKnight’s Senior Living as innovative and robust solution

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RCare Touted as Robust Solution by McKnight's Senior Living

McKnight’s Senior Living recently featured RCare in an article about innovative technologies that are improving care in senior communities. Called the “Strong, Silent Type,” the article focuses on the importance of resident comfort, safety and peace of mind. And it addresses the challenge of providing that security discreetly, and with respect for the dignity and independence of the residents.

How do communities accomplish this? And how do they manage it without burning out their staff with unrealistic expectations? The article had some very specific suggestions for technology and innovative industry leaders, including RCare. The innovations highlighted by the article help raise the level of care in senior living communities by offering comfort, safety and peace of mind, while preserving the independence and autonomy of the residents.

RCare's GeoPendant in McKnight's Senior LivingThe article spotlighted the RCare GeoPendant as an excellent example of a product that lets caregivers custom-define safe zones for residents who need them. “Seniors can move about the community freely, but if they move outside an individually customized safety zone, a discreet alert can be sent to specified caregivers.” This is especially important in mixed communities, where not all residents have the same needs, and the needs of any resident may change over time. “Because residents’ security and care needs differ and will continue evolving over time, security solutions providers also must develop flexible products to meet those changes.”

In fact, the GeoPendant was designed for mixed communities. It allows care staff to use the right tool for individual residents who can benefit from it. Meanwhile, it helps reduce the problem of alarm fatigue, an issue the article points out is becoming an increasing concern for communities. By integrating a wide variety of devices with their nurse call system, RCare avoids loud alarms, and instead alerts are sent to caregivers quietly, discreetly, and efficiently.

RCare’s GeoPendant allows operators to define customized areas that are safe for a resident, without using walls and locked doors.

The article also addressed the growing trend in wireless nurse call systems, and RCare is at the forefront, providing a full line of wireless systems. “Wireless solutions also continue to gain ground in the senior housing segment, a shift experts attribute to the ease of use and scalability of WiFi, which can allow operators to more easily cover their entire campuses.”

RCare RPhone in McKnight's Senior LivingAs RCare’s marketing director Mike Andolina pointed out, residents deserve privacy and health data protection. In order to be effective for communities, nurse call systems and their integrated devices also need to be HIPAA-compliant. “To help meet those requirements, RCare’s customized, locked-down RPhone offers all the key caregiver communication features needed to address resident needs, while excluding other features that could jeopardize privacy, such as camera, personal texts or social media access.” And that’s critical to communities, where HIPAA is a very real part of day-to-day operations. Communities want their staff to have the best tools available, but those tools have to meet the regulatory needs of the organization as well.

Read the whole article at www.mcknightsseniorliving.com.

Everyone’s a winner with RCare at LeadingAge 2017. And we can prove it!

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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

RCare Hits the Road with Fall Tour – Stops in Ohio, New Orleans, Texas and Florida

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RCare Tradeshows 2017

At RCare, we know how important it is to meet face-to-face and we want to make it easy for you to come see us. We have new advanced nurse call and monitoring technologies to share, a new caregiver mobile tool, a new “Safe Zone” resident GeoPendant, advanced metrics features and so much more to ensure the highest level of care. So, we’re hitting the road and touring from Ohio, to New Orleans, to Texas and to Florida. Can we make a date to see you?

If you’re at one of these events or tradeshows, we’re going to be discussing how RCare is designed for QAPI programs, our integratable and flexible nurse call and monitoring technologies and how we can scale a solution to fit your exact needs.

RCare Tradeshows 2017 Logos

RCare Tradeshows 2017

OALA Fall Conference & Trade Show
October 26-27
Easton Hilton
Columbus, OH

LeadingAge Annual Meeting & Expo
October 29-November 1
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
New Orleans
Booth 1310

HealthTAC
November 5-7
JW Marriott Hill Country Resort & Spa
San Antonio TX

PointClickCare Summit
Nov 6-9
Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center
Kissimmee, FL

RCare Tradeshows 2017 Health Grade Networks LogoOn October 26, we’re heading to Columbus, Ohio for the Ohio Assisted Living Association’s Fall Conference and Trade Show. OALA is the largest trade association for assisted living communities in the state, and prides itself on being a strong voice on all issues affecting assisted living. That’s good stuff. RCare is attending with Health Grade Networks, one of our trusted integrators. These folks are experts at implementing turnkey solutions for assisted living facilities. If you’re at OALA, stop by and say hello, and learn more about how RCare’s wireless nurse call solutions can help you with your QAPI program.

RCare Tradeshows 2017 LeadingAge GraphicA few days later, RCare is heading to New Orleans for LeadingAge 2017. The LeadingAge Annual Meeting & Expo is our nation’s largest annual event for the not-for-profit aging services field and we never miss it. This year, we’re launching our “Everyone’s a Winner with RCare” campaign, because no matter what your role is in a community, whether you’re a caregiver or resident, the executive director, the IT support person, or the food service director, RCare’s powerful tools will make your life better. To kick off the “Everyone’s a Winner with RCare” campaign, we have giveaways for every single person who stops by our booth. If you’re in New Orleans, be sure to stop by Booth 1310 and pick up a free Bluetooth fidget spinner, take a chance on a bigger prize, and learn more about how RCare can help customize the best solution for your community.

From New Orleans we’ll be going west to San Antonio, TX for HealthTac. This is an invitation-only event for senior executives in the healthcare industry. We love these opportunities to network, and to get to know the people who are making things happen in the senior care industry. If you’re going to HealthTAC, let’s find a time to talk.

And then from November 6 – 9 we’ll be in Kissimmee, FL for this year’s PCC Summit. RCare is integrated with PointClickCare’s EHR system because we know that time is a rare commodity in senior care. Communities using both PCC and RCare get some pretty great benefits. When you enter a resident’s data to PCC, it updates automatically in RCare. Any changes or updates to the resident record, or room changes, are automatically transferred. No duplication of effort. No lag time waiting for data entry. Decreased errors. And when you get an alert through the nurse call system, you know the data is complete and up-to-date. It’s an integration that just made sense.

RCare Tradeshows 2017 Gary Jones, RCare's Director of National SalesEven if you’re not going to be at one of these events, you can set up an appointment with our very own road warrior, Gary Jones by emailing garyj@rcareinc.com or calling 585-671-4144.

Want to know more?
Check us out: www.rcareinc.com or download our product catalog.

Everyone is a Winner with RCare at AHCA/NCAL

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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

Join RCare for Cocktails at the THCA/TNCAL 2017 Convention & Trade Show

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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

Pioneer Network: Culture Change the RCare Way

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Pioneer Network Annual Conference

RCare is going to the Pioneer Network annual conference later this month, and we’re extra excited this year. Why? Because this year’s focus is one of our favorite subjects: individual culture change. Nobody — caregiving staff or residents — wants their senior living community to be impersonal and institutional. We can all agree that we want a warmer, more home-like environment for each and every person. But how do you achieve it? We’re here to show how Person-Directed Culture Change can be done, the RCare Way.  

The forward-thinking Pioneer Network conference showcases all kinds of innovative best practices in the long-term care culture change movement. More than one thousand people will gather to learn, network, and inspire each other. And all of them care deeply about changing the culture of senior living.

This years theme, “Be the Future,” puts the focus on personal choice, dignity, and respect. These, as we know, are the hallmarks of self-determination and purposeful living. At RCare, these same values underlie everything we do and every product we design.

“We use the RCare system to ensure that the residents get the care and services they need at the time they need it, or as rapidly as they need it. It’s helped with accountability. It’s helped with efficiency. It’s really helped in terms of caregiver burnout. And it’s helped in terms of resident satisfaction and safety.”
– Janelle Zacho, Director of Nursing at Columbia Healthcare Center

GeoPendant

GeoPendant

Do you want your residents to retain their independence, and move freely throughout your facility, while staying safe? Check out our GeoPendant. You can custom-define the safe zones for any resident, and receive discreet alerts if the resident moves outside the zone. You can pinpoint their location and help them if they need it. Keep them safe and independent. It makes a difference.

Do you want to assure your residents and their families that calls are responded to quickly? Check out our RMetrix Reporting Package, integrated into every system we make. Supervisors can see data on response times by shift, by group and by person, to let you know how you’re doing, see patterns, and know where improvements can be made. It’s good for the care staff. And it contributes to the safety and satisfaction of the residents. It makes a difference.

RPhone

RPhone

Do you want to protect your residents privacy? With the RPhone, your staff have the best communication tools available. They’ll use locked-down smartphones to coordinate with each other, communicate with the resident, get more information, and reassure them. The system gives your staff complete information about the resident before they answer the call. You can minimize duplication of effort and ensure that no calls go unanswered with the “I got it” feature. And best of all, there is no access to the internet or social media, no cameras. It protects your your facility from the risk of privacy violations. It preserves your residents’ dignity. It makes a difference.

RCare can help you achieve positive changes in senior living. Come see us during the conference. We’d love to hear your ideas.


2017 Pioneer Network Conference
July, 30 – August 2, 2017
Hyatt Regency O’Hare
Rosemont, IL
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