Help to find an unremovable bracelet for confused patients?

[heatherindeskies]

Quote:
I'm thinking a chip would require a whole new set of alarm devices on the doors, although they sure would be hard to remove! We do have a lot of doors that must be coded or a magnetic lock holds them in place, unless the fire alarm is pulled. Our other doors have this system called wandergaard. Free access unless you are wearing a wandergaard, then the alarms sound.

 

[fuzziebutt]

Where sister in Love was, all the doors had a code. If you didn't know the code, an alarm would sound when a door is opened without anyone punching a code in.

 

[Beekissed]

For the record, most confused patients do not have access to anything sharp with which to cut these bands. Some will use a butter knife to cut the bands currently in use in most facilities, as they are flat, plastic coated paper bands.

I can't believe you've gotten by with using metal bands all this time....the comfort issue alone is a patient's rights violation.

Zip ties would be cheap and affective...more effective than what most facilities use, but you still have the comfort issue of that small, thick ridge of plastic biting into flesh when the patient is lying down and causing pressure to the area. A flat and wide zip tie would be the best solution and I'm sure they make them. Zip tie plastic is very hard to cut with a butter knife.

It's only a matter of time before they use the chip inserted under the skin just like they use in animal identification.

 

[heatherindeskies]

Quote:
We used to have something like that until the residents would learn the code and let themselves out, especially the ones we were trying to keep in. We couldn't hide the code either because of all the visitors and delivery people.
Sometimes if a resident with a wandergard would go through and sound the alarm, another resident knowing the code would just go over and shut it off, and staff thought another staff member had taken care of the alarm....
with the right kind of residents it would work well though.

 

[Beekissed]

That works very well everywhere but the front door. Can't really expect all the visitors to have the code. As it is, the people wearing bracelets cannot try to open even the front door without an alarm going off, code or not.

 

[heatherindeskies]

Quote:
A lot of our patients are angry head injured patients just bent on getting to heck outta there. A simple plastic band is not gonna stop them. They get them lodged in things to pull them off, even have chewed them off.
For the record, the 'metal bands' we use are simply chains like medical alert bracelets or something you might find in a jewelry store. We drill into the plastic wandergaard and connect it to the chain. The comfort is of NO issue! Cable ties would be a comfort issue imo. wish I knew what other facilities do. Maybe they don't have patients like we do, idk.
Our supplier is no longer going to make them in the wrist sized length we need and jewelry stores are waay to expensive when we go through one each week it seems.

 

[heatherindeskies]

The boss did go down to the hardware store and looked over all the wheels with various chains on them and did not find anything suitable that could be used for us. It has to be soft enough to open a link to attach the plastic wandergard to, but strong enough that pulling it and cutting it off are not an option.
i know the answer is out there somewhere and you have all been helpful and i appreciate your efforts!

 

[SourRoses]

Whatever you get... I would steer clear of most metals in future if I were you/your company. I've known people with allergies to copper and the like... and if you have confused patients thats likely the last thing they'd be thinking to tell you about, if they even knew.

What about something with a plastic coating?


Another thing too... is sometimes the facility has to make more of an effort to step into the patients shoes for a moment. Forget about the confused part and whatever other issues....
If someone locked you in somewhere, would you try to get out? I think alot of times people and places blame the behaviour on the patients mental function, when in reality it's basic human nature.

If the facility can arrange things so these patients can have access to more areas that are still safe, and more fun and engaging things to do, things that draw interest, promote exercise, special treats, compassionate workers.... it can help more people *want* to stay, instead of forcing them to by locking them in.

 

[heatherindeskies]

Quote:
Right! Our alarms go off if they are even near the door and someone else opens it.

 

[Beekissed]

Agreed. Unfortunately, most places like that are state run and funded and don't have the funding for good solutions to these behaviors. My dad just spent two years on the elopement risk wing of the mental hospital. They didn't have bands, they had codes and guards and nice injections to keep the rowdies in line.