How do nurses in retirement homes monitor whether an elder is in need of attention?

[kwastmeister]

I was wondering how the staff of retirement homes/care homes/etc. monitors their residents in case something happens to them? Are they using some kind of device with an alarm button on which residents can press whenever they require assistance? Does something like that work?

[Sour Lemon]

I was wondering how the staff of retirement homes/care homes/etc. monitors their residents in case something happens to them? Are they using some kind of device with an alarm button on which residents can press whenever they require assistance? Does something like that work?

There is no universal way. Check with the specific facility that you're interested in knowing more about.

[kwastmeister]

All right, thanks for your info! How has it been done in your experience?

[Sour Lemon]

All right, thanks for your info! How has it been done in your experience?

call lights, bed alarms, locked units, rounding on patients at set intervals, surveillance cameras, etc.

[purplegal]

Most of them are very good at letting us know when they need something. We mostly use call lights, but have occasionally used alarms as well for those who tend to fall a lot. We have some patients that will walk out of their rooms up to the nurse's station to ask for something. Another patient likes to stand in the doorway and call out staff members' names until someone responds. For those who aren't so obvious, you just have to check on them frequently.