Residential Nurse Alert to the Rescue
People can be creatures of habit — when something new comes into our lives, we often wonder, ‘When will I ever use this?’ If we’ve gotten along fine without it, the thinking goes, then our tendencies won’t change. Chances are you had such thoughts about home computers, portable computers, cellular phones, smart phones, and a host of other technologies…and chances are that one or many of those advances has by now crept into your daily life.
Whatever our hesitation, the more we use a new gadget or service, the more we get used to it. But what about something designed for emergency use only — like a personal emergency response system? That’s yet another benefit of the Anytime-Anywhere-Anything philosophy behind Residential Nurse Alert, the mobile alert system exclusive to Residential Home Health. We want patients to feel at ease pushing the button for any concern, day or night. As the following patient story shows, frequent use can lead to comfort, which can in turn lead to quick thinking and critical responses when they’re needed most.
Getting Familiar
The patient, a 56-year-old woman, was receiving care from Residential Home Health after major back surgery. Although she primarily needed help with post-operative instructions, pain control, monitoring for dangerous side effects like blood clots, and wound care during her recovery, the patient also had other chronic conditions that could benefit from skilled oversight. Other than occasional assistance from friends nearby who would stop in to help, she lived alone and took care of herself.
Early in her Residential Home Health plan of care, the patient was having a painful, sleepless night. She had accepted the free 60-day trial of Residential Nurse Alert, and so rather than wait for her doctor’s office hours or for her next Residential clinician visit, she decided to embrace the convenient new resource, and pushed the button to speak with a nurse. They discussed the patient’s body pain, her mobility problems, and the brace she was supposed to wear while sleeping. After reinforcing the importance of wearing the back brace as directed, the nurse also reviewed the patient’s prescribed medications with her and gave sound advice for more effective pain management over time. While hardly an emergency, this first call left the patient with a better understanding of her symptoms and how to manage them safely, as well as confidence in the ease and convenience of her Residential Nurse Alert system.
The Go-To in an Emergency
Many days later, the patient pushed the button for a second time, for a very different reason. She was having chest pains and needed emergency assistance, so help was quickly sent to her home. The patient ultimately recovered safely without requiring a hospital visit, but again felt assured that pushing the button was the best course of action in a crisis.
This early acclimation to Residential Nurse Alert later proved fortunate, when the patient sounded a third alert. This time, she reported feeling ‘funny,’ with symptoms like double vision, weakness in the legs and face, and trouble finding her words — all of which the nurse recognized as possible signs of a stroke. Because early recognition and treatment are critical when it comes to stroke, the responding nurse had the patient rushed to the hospital. Urine, blood, and CAT scan tests were run; when all the results came back negative, the patient was sent safely home.
Routine Care Resumes
The next day, the nurse from the patient’s Residential Home Health Care Team followed up to make sure she was feeling better. They discussed medication regimen and dosing until all of the patient’s concerns were addressed. Although the patient had mixed feelings about having gone to the hospital for a false alarm, her Residential nurse reassured her that going to the hospital is the right thing to do any time a person shows signs of a stroke. Pushing the Residential Nurse Alert button and getting help to supplement her routine care was definitely the right call.
Over time, the patient’s incision healed without issue, and her pain was better controlled thanks to medication management by her Residential Home Health Care Team, as well as informative coaching during her Residential Nurse Alert calls. The patient was well supported throughout her care, and her recovery was completed.
This patient used Residential Nurse Alert for a variety of issues; in fact, this exclusive mobile response system can be used for any reason, day or night:
- Emergency situations
- Questions regarding hospital discharge instructions or medications
- Help with scheduling physician appointments
- Assistance with transportation
- Questions for your primary care physician
- Health concerns or any other reason
Residential Nurse Alert provides patients with Anytime-Anywhere-Anything access to their care team. Non-patients can also use the service to connect with Residential’s clinical team. In 2014, more than 300 probable hospital admissions were avoided with this system. For more information, click the link below, or call (888)930-WELL (9355) to speak with a nurse.
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