For those that are looking for superior quality of care and attention to their residents, RTLS is definitely the way of the future.

By Kandi Short

There was a time in our not so distant past that horse-and-buggy was the most common mode of transportation. Entire industries thrived off making parts for carriages and wagons, not to mention the special detail that went into harnesses and saddles.

My great-grandmother used to tell me stories about how, as a young girl, she still remembered hating having to get up in the morning to harness the horses to take the wagon to church. The amount of work that went into the daily care and operation of horses-and-buggies would boggle the mind today . . . when all we need to do is go out and turn a key to start our car.

Sinking Into the Muck and Mire

It wasn’t until the 1910s that cars outnumbered buggies and the major shift in transportation technology began to take place. Sadly, there were many businesses that watched their livelihood sink into the muck and mire of their horse stalls — all because they dragged their hooves and refused to keep up with the times. All the while, their competitors readily made the switch to faster more dependable transportation when the automobile industry first took shape — and as a result, thrived in the new modern era.

It’s easy to look back on it now and think how short-sighted it was for anyone to try to hold onto such a foolish desire as using horses when automobiles were so obviously the wave of the future.

Yet, we are still doing that today.

Horse and Buggy Days Are Over

Technology is moving at incredible speeds and there are two types of people in this world: those who embrace new technology and thrive vs. those who shy away from new technology and fail. The senior living industry is no exception.

Real Time Location Technology (RTLS), is no longer a thing of the future . . . it is technology that is available here and now. Recently, Steve Moran had a chance to chat with Martin Rokicki, Chief Executive Officer for Skynet Healthcare Technologies, Inc. (a Senior Housing Forum partner). Steve asked Martin to explain exactly what RTLS is and what it means for senior living and memory care.

The Evolution of the Emergency Call System

Martin explained that RTLS is the next evolution of the emergency call system (e-call). While RTLS is commonly used technology in the hospital environment, it’s been slow to be implemented into the senior living field due to the cost and scope of installation. However, Skynet Healthcare Technologies, Inc. has actively built an entirely new RTLS platform that is both affordable and sustainable, specifically designed on a more personal scale as needed for senior living.

Compared to an e-call system — where you use a pull cord for assistance and/or emergencies — RTLS actually has the specific ability to know exactly where your residents and staff are immediately in real-time.

What Real Time Location Technology Actually Means

  • Staff immediately know when a resident is wandering off and can see exactly where they are.

  • Residents are able to have more independence since — with merely the click of a button — staff can see exactly where the resident is at all times.

  • When a family visits a community and wants to see their loved one, staff can simply open the app and see exactly where the resident is and direct the family to their loved one.

  • When staff makes the med-pass rounds, they simply open the app and can see where the resident is at any given moment, saving time and money.

E-call systems simply do not have this ability.

RTLS Is Not for Everyone

RTLS is not for everyone. E-call is the way most have been doing things for a long, long time. However, for those that are looking for superior quality of care and attention to their residents, RTLS is definitely the way of the future.

With the ever expanding technical advances available for today’s senior living and memory care markets, don’t get caught driving a horse-and-buggy, when everyone else has moved on to more efficient means of transportation.

Click on the video below to hear more from Martin Rokicki and learn how Skynet Healthcare Technologies, Inc. can help your business keep up with this ever-changing world!

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