Supporting healthcare staff at Creagh Suite in St. Brigid’s Hospital

About St. Brigid’s Hospital

The Creagh Suite in St. Brigid’s Hospital, Galway offers long-stay, continuing care for residents living with dementia and experiencing the psychological and behavioural symptoms of this illness. Staff at the hospital provide therapeutic activities, physical health monitoring and continuous support to allow residents to carry out their daily lives.

The Challenge

In order to comply with Ireland’s health and safety legislation, St. Brigid’s Hospital required a reliable, effective staff safety system to protect the nursing staff on site.

People with dementia can behave aggressively as a result of the behavioural and psychological symptoms of the illness, which include confusion, memory loss, pain and hallucinations. Healthcare staff working with patients experiencing dementia are therefore frequently exposed to violence.

Pinpoint’s easy-to-use, trusted security alarm system was chosen to meet the complex safety needs of the residents in Creagh Suite.

The Solution

To minimise any interruptions to the daily running of the facility, the installation of Pinpoint’s staff safety systems was carried out ahead of the residents moving into the building.

Twin Code Perpetual PITs were given to all healthcare workers. Powered by a Pinpoint energizer, these individual alarms could be used and recharged between shifts. The Perpetual PITs have two levels, Assistance and Emergency, which relate to the severity of the incident. By activating the alarm, signals are transmitted to receiver units found within the hospital, activating the system and alerting a response team to the exact location and nature of the call.

Every member of the team was given comprehensive training on how to use the system and the protocol in place for responding to calls. This was all carried out before the hospital opened to ensure staff were confident and competent in using the systems in case of an incident.

The Result

Installing Pinpoint’s staff safety system gave staff confidence in their safety on the ward. With the approval of the HSE, the advanced security system met the legal safety requirements for St. Brigid’s Hospital, providing reliable, full-proof coverage of the Creagh Suite.

Maria Donnellan, Clinical Nurse Manager 3 at St. Brigid’s Hospital, said

“With Pinpoint’s staff safety systems installed, staff are reassured of their safety at work and know they can call for help in the event of any emergency. If a resident becomes abusive toward a member of the team, or if a patient is choking, staff can quickly call for support and know it will soon be on its way”

“The systems help us all stay safe, and crucially, meet the high requirements of health and safety legislation in Ireland. The Health and Safety Authority were impressed during a recent visit to the facility”

To find out more about staff security systems used in hospitals across Ireland, please contact us here.