Hartland House, a 31-room assisted living community in Milnthorpe, Cumbria, is partnering with Nobi in a pilot project to demonstrate the transformative impact of Nobi lights in fall detection and prevention. Read on to find out how our smart lights will make a difference in the UK.
An elderly community increasingly in need of care and protection
Aging is a problem affecting every country in the world. Healthcare is under pressure everywhere, but in the United Kingdom the situation is even more dire than elsewhere. Take the region of Cumbria, for example, which has been facing major staff shortages for years. There, there is a desperate search for solutions to better help the elderly, although it is becoming increasingly difficult to find sufficient care staff.
One of the assisted living communities in that region, Hartland House, struggles with a specific problem typical of the elderly worldwide: falls. These types of incidents are the leading cause of hospitalizations. Studies show that 25% of fall incidents result in hospitalization. 50% of the elderly who remain on the floor for more than an hour after a fall incident die within 6 months. Immediate help after a fall incident is thus literally a matter of life and death, and this has not escaped Hartland House staff.
"I get to do many different things within my day, but one of my main tasks right now is preventing falls in our residents." Leanne Scroghem, registered care manager also says that "Falls are one of the biggest mysteries in healthcare. We have no idea when they will occur. The biggest frustration for our care staff is that we can't always give 100% to all of our residents because of this." So it was high time something changed.
Hartland House is known for its careful reporting of fall incidents and was therefore selected by the local ICB (NHS Integrated care board) for a pilot project. This project could provide a solution to fall incidents and relieve the increasingly busy staff. A partnership with Nobi was chosen, as the modern age tech of our smart lights seemed to offer the perfect solution in fall prevention and detection in the UK.
Hartland House as innovator in the future of health care in the UK
Thanks to the financial support of the local ICB, Nobi lamps were purchased at favorable prices for each room of the Hartland House residential care center. During the implementation process, Nobi's smart lamp was effortlessly integrated into the residential care center's existing infrastructure. The Nobi lamps were placed at strategic locations in the rooms for optimal fall detection. All without compromising their comfort or privacy.
"In the beginning, I only brought my mother here for a one-month trial period after the death of my father. But in the last two years, she started falling more and more often. That worried me a lot. But since they bought the Nobi lamp at Hartland House, I am a lot more reassured. I really love it because I can just look on the app to see if my mom is safe.
AgeTech to the rescue: a huge impact for older adults and their caregivers
After a few weeks, the results were simply stunning, both for Hartland House residents and their caregivers. Leanne Scroghem testifies, "Because of our duties and busyness, we are always running out of time. But Nobi gives us that time back! Not only does the smart light automatically monitor every possible fall incident, but we also get detailed sleep reports for each resident. So we always have more insight into why an elderly person feels a certain way the following day and what we can do about it. And all without any paperwork."
"We have found that the Nobi lamps are 100% effective in terms of fall detection. In terms of safety, I couldn't be happier, but what also plays into it for me is that the Nobi lamp allows our nursing staff to spend more time with our residents," says Rebecca Etherington. She continues: "As far as I'm concerned, we should put Nobi lamps all over the country (laughs)."
Discover the staggering results!
Only 5 months after installation, Nobi’s Smart Lamps have had a big impact on residents and caregivers!
Hidden falls revealed
The Nobi lamp identified 64% of fall incidents that would otherwise have remained under the radar.
Thanks to Nobi, every fall is reported and care staff can provide immediate assistance.
84% fewer falls
At Hartland House, Nobi provides a remarkable 84% reduction in falls. The Nobi lamps not only detect all fall incidents (100%). They also provide preventive measures that can significantly contribute to reducing these incidents.
Statistics show that 62% of falls happen at night. To respond to this, when a resident sits upright in bed at night Nobi will shine soft light upwards to gently illuminate the room. Then if the person stands up, to go to the bathroom, for example, the smart lamp will illuminate the entire room.
Further to this, preventative alerts can be set up for frequent fallers to let care staff know when they sit up in bed. This means that carers can reach the resident before they attempt to get out of bed unaided.
More effective than regular nurse call systems
Regular nurse call systems are only effective in 20% of fall incidents. This means that 80% of people who have fallen are unable to call for help.
Results from Hartland House confirm these findings: 82% of the elderly residents were unable to use the nurse call system. This means that if a resident falls in the night and cannot call for help they could be on the floor until care staff make their scheduled rounds to check on them. This could be anything up to 2 hours.
Intervention up to 28 times faster
Rapid response to a fall can be life-saving. The Nobi lamp detects 100% of falls and alerts care staff immediately. This has led to a huge reduction in the average response time at Hartland House, falling from 57 minutes to under 2 minutes.
Nobi Facts:
- 100% effective
Every fall is detected - Rapid assistance
Help in as little as 92 seconds after a fall. - Preventing falls
Thanks to automatic light when getting out of bed at night; thanks to notifications when getting in and out of bed allowing caregivers to proactively assist, thus avoiding falls. - Improved sleep quality
Thanks to permanency, no more unnecessary nighttime intrusions, preventing disrupted sleep; sleep reports help with tailored care.
- Job satisfaction
Care workers are no longer behind the times and are once again given time for those tasks where they can really make a difference. This leads to satisfied employees and less turnover. - Time-saving
Linking with smart devices such as blood pressure monitors and a digital patient file ensures automatic and thus efficient administration of patient data.
- Peace of mind for residents, their families and care staff
Never again the stress of not noticing a fall.
"Nobi's technology has truly been a breakthrough for us. The lamps' fall detection system alerted our nursing staff immediately, giving our residents quick help when they needed it most. The peace of mind of both our staff and our residents' families is invaluable. Nobi has truly made a difference in improving the safety and well-being of our residents."
Watch the full testimonial here:
Conclusion
The implementation of smart Nobi lights at Hartland House has led to significant positive results. With its 100% effective fall detection, rapid response time and proactive fall prevention measures, Nobi has significantly changed the approach to fall detection and prevention at the residential care center. It has provided a renewed sense of safety for residents, peace of mind for family members, time savings for staff and increased job satisfaction.
Want to learn more about Nobi's smart lights and age tech solutions? Visit www.nobi.life. Contact Rob Fedrick to find out how Nobi can help your assisted living facility, like Hartland House, increase the quality of care for residents and improve the job satisfaction of your staff.
About Hartland House
Hartland House is a 31-room assisted living community providing personal care for up to 32 residents in a homely environment in the beautiful village of Milnthorpe, Cumbria. It is managed by the Abbeyfield Lakeland Extra Care Society, part of the international Abbeyfield group. Hartland House offers a home-from-home environment and residents benefit from three beautifully decorated lounges where activities take place and are ideal for catching up with friends and family. There is also a beautiful conservatory overlooking Dallam Park.