Enhancing Seniors' Safety with Technology

by Christian Schreiber, staff blogger

You may have noticed in our newsletter articles and previous blogs that Providence Life Services appreciates technology. We are not a technology company, but we understand that technology is a powerful tool. We get especially excited when we find ways to use technology for enhancing relationships.

So when a company called Status Solutions developed a Situational Awareness and Response Assistant — SARA — Providence saw the benefits. So far, we've installed SARA in three of our communities: Palos Heights’ Providence Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center and Zeeland’s Royal Park Place retirement community and Royal Atrium Inn Assisted Living community. SARA allows residents of these communities to alert caregivers whenever they need help — in both emergency and non-emergency situations.

As a result, seniors are safer and their families worry less — and that kind of peace of mind helps make relationships less strained.

Providence of Palos Heights is one of our skilled nursing/rehab communities, and Royal Atrium Inn is our Assisted Living community in Zeeland. "Wander detection" is important in these communities because people with memory issues tend to want to roam. At Providence, we want to provide as much independence as possible, without opening up anyone to danger. SARA has an egress monitoring system that frees us to keep doors unlocked, because it sounds an alert when the doors are opened or left ajar, it triggers magnetic locks on the exit doors, and it sends calls and emails to staff. The SARA system gives us a beautiful balance of freedom and safety.

Royal Park Place is our retirement community in Zeeland. Their needs are different from the needs of a skilled nursing or Assisted Living setting, but SARA has capabilities that benefit them as well. SARA’s wireless emergency call capabilities will enhance not only safety but also efficiency. We set it up to send voice and text alerts to people's pagers, email, telephones, cell phones, radios, and CCTV, and — so both staff and residents can be notified of important events at any time, wherever they are located. A wireless pendant (pictured above) will be available soon as well. Having all these communication options available means staff members will be able to address safety concerns or environmental problems before they turn into emergencies.

And SARA is easy to maintain and support. Our in-house technology experts, ProviNET Solutions, are the first line of support for any technical issues that may come up. In fact, with remote access, ProviNET staff can log into Royal Park Place’s SARA server, diagnose, and resolve a problem without ever leaving their office.

Technology is exciting, and it's fun to have the latest gadgets and gizmos. But the real excitement comes when that technology makes life better for everyone.

Do you agree? Or do you think that most seniors find technology to be a hindrance rather than a help? Post a comment to let me know what you think — and share examples from your own experience to illustrate your point!

The sky's the limit

by Melanie Jongsma, Director of Communications

Things are looking up for Rudy Gebner. He recently completed therapy at Providence Healthcare & Rehabilitation of Downers Grove. Now he's looking forward to flying again.

Rudy is president of the Woodland Aero Modelers club, an AMA-chartered club that was founded in 1936 for model airplane hobbyists. The group meets several times a month, to conduct business, make plans, and fly their planes — indoors during poor weather and outdoors whenever possible. "If you've been to our fly field," says Rudy, "you know how beautiful it is out there. It's wonderful."

Rudy's wings had been somewhat clipped this year, due to health problems. That's why he turned to Providence. When he broke his leg in a fall, he took advantage of our Marianjoy rehabilitation services to restore his strength and mobility. He chose Providence because he had been with us before and was impressed with the caring atmosphere and the effective therapy.

The rigorous workouts he received during his time with us have strengthened Rudy enough to give him hope of flying again. In fact, Rudy is planning to attend his club's 32nd annual Open House and Model Air Show, this Sunday, August 30. You can hear the eagerness in his voice when he begins talking about it.

The event is open to the public, so feel free to stop by! Directions can be found at their website: http://www.wam-rc.com/about_wam.htm .

At Providence we like to use the phrase "Under His Wings" to describe the kind of healing and hope we offer the people we serve. It's exciting to hear stories about people like Rudy who find renewed strength under His wings — strength enough to take flight again themselves!

Getting back on his feet

by Melanie Jongsma, Director of Communications

Earlier this week I posted a blog about a man whose sister wrote us a beautiful letter thanking Providence for "being there for my brother."

Just yesterday I met this man, and his story is truly remarkable.

His name is Paul, and he's only 62 years old. The accident that landed him in nursing care was a fluke — he tripped over a short, concrete step and hit his head. The fall knocked him out. He regained consciousness briefly, and dragged himself to the bathroom, where he passed out again. He lay on the bathroom floor, unconscious, for three days.

Paul lives in a friendly, old neighborhood in Whiting, Indiana, so when his neighbor began to wonder why he hadn't seen Paul for a while, he walked over and knocked on the door. At the sound of the knock, Paul revived enough to make some noise, which his neighbor heard. The neighbor let himself in and found Paul in the bathroom. When he saw Paul's condition, he immediately called 911.

The paramedics who arrived nearly pronounced him dead. Paul had injured his kidneys in the fall and was suffering renal failure, which is often fatal. But they rushed him to the hospital, and he survived surgery, to everyone's surprise!

Paul needed follow-up care upon his release, so he was discharged to a local nursing home. "It was awful," remembers Paul. "It was...," his voice trails off, and he shakes his head, unable to put words to his memories. This nursing home lived up to all the negative perceptions that most people have about nursing care facilities. Paul almost died again.

And then he found Providence.

As his sister wrote in her letter, "Julie at St. Margaret Mercy helped me find Providence Healthcare and Rehabilitation of South Holland (Illinois). In your nursing environment he became well and strong!" Six weeks later Paul was strong enough to move to Holland Home, our retirement community on the same campus. He depended on a wheelchair when he first arrived, but when I visited him yesterday he was using a walker — and that only intermittently.

"This is a good place," Paul says quietly about Holland Home. Physically, he could probably handle moving back to his home in Whiting any time, but for now he appreciates the security of community living, and having help available at the push of a button. "I'm still afraid of steps," he says. "I have a reaction every time I think about what happened."

It's perfectly understandable. No one likes to think that one missed step can lead to renal failure, surgery, and weeks of rehab.

So for now, Paul is one of the youngest members of the Holland Home family! He walks around the campus every day, building up his strength. He enjoys the meals and fellowship available three times a day in the restaurant-style dining room. His smile is still somewhat tentative, but it's there. Perhaps as peace replaces Paul's traumatic memories, that smile will flash more easily.

It was an honor to meet Paul and hear his story. As Deana Wilson, Community Manager, says, "Paul's story is one example of why I do what I do." I agree. It's an honor to be part of a ministry that offers healing to body, mind, and spirit in the name of Christ.

Paul's story reminds me of a Bible verse we like to quote around here:

You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit. (Job 10:12)

Amen — I love seeing that Providence at work!