A hospital committee explored six security systems for ease of use, a short ramp-up time for staff and a low false alarm risk. Ultimately, the Cuddles infant protection system from Accutech was chosen.

A nurse at Montrose Hospital uses the Cuddles infant security system

“One of the key factors to us was the low instance of false alarms as well as a local source for support and maintenance. We wouldn’t be dependent on technicians having to fly in or support it remotely. They could be on-site quickly if we needed them,” says Ms. Hackett.

False alarms on maternity floors are disruptive and upsetting to new parents and can harm the quiet environment fostered by nursing staff. They may also lead to alarm fatigue, which reduces the urgency required to respond. Accutech Security products operate at a unique frequency just below the maximum requirement mandated by the Department of Defense. This makes the system one of the most interference free on the market so false alarm rates are very low. The soft band used by the Cuddles system is also not affected by infant weight loss so
a loose band won’t fall off and generate an alarm. These “too loose” alarms are a common occurunce with other systems and can significantly increase alarm fatigue and response time.

The audit was an immediate success. “It did exactly what it was supposed to do.  It was perfect,” said Ms. Hackett,  “It worked so well we had to let the person off the floor to allow the rest of the hospital to participate in the drill.”

A hospital-wide “Code Pink” was issued as the volunteer continued into the main hospital area. She was stopped swiftly and repeatedly by both hospital staff and security officers and never made it to the outside entrance. The Accutech Cuddles infant protection system worked flawlessly and reinforced the decision of Montrose Memorial to select and install it.

The success of the security audit was reassuring to Ms. Hackett and the staff at Montrose Memorial. They know that if the day ever comes when a genuine security situation occurs the response will be quick and decisive. The Cuddles system from Accutech gives the hospital team the security and peace of mind to concentrate their attention (and love) on their tiny new patients.

If your facility is interested in testing current “Code Pink” policies and procedures, please contact Accutech Security for a free, high-level security audit.

According to National Center For Missing and Exploited Children, of the 17 infants abducted in 1991, 11 of them were taken from health care facilities. Jump to 2009, and of the 11 infants abducted just three were taken from a healthcare facility. Increased safety measures within hospitals have reduced the number of on-site abductions but may have driven the abductors outside and into the world where infants may be easier to obtain.  Unfortunately this has also meant an increase in the violence used to abduct the child.

Infant abductors often fit a specific behavioral profile.

What drives this person, almost always a woman, to stalk and kill another mother and take her child? Criminologists and psychologists have come together to create list of traits that an infant abductor may demonstrate to give law enforcement and caregivers a “profile” to be aware of.

Almost all abductors will fake a pregnancy and include family and friends in the preparations. Most will also use this pregnancy as a means to keep a husband or boyfriend in the relationship. They will use some prosthetic device to simulate pregnancy and will pretend to undergo symptoms.

The abductor may also either befriend the victim or place themselves in a position to observe and identify the infant to take. In the Texas case the abductor was a nurse who may have been able to watch her victim before acting. Abductors may also frequent one or more hospitals or maternity wards to gauge security measures, chat up staff or even parents.The ruse may seem airtight but in hindsight many family and friends remember instances or behavior inconsistent with pregnancy. Going to “doctor visits” alone or lacking sonograms, not being familiar with aspects of being pregnant or becoming increasingly depressed or nervous as the imagined due date approaches.

As the end of the pretend pregnancy nears the woman will feel more and more pressure to “deliver” an infant and this is when desperation will overwhelm normal thought processes and the abduction will be attempted. As demonstrated in recent events and in the past the attempt ends in tragedy for everyone involved and violates the peace of mind of all new parents.

Accutech works with hospitals to prevent infant abductions with the Cuddles infant protection system. It pairs with existing security protocol to stop an attempted abduction before the infant is even off the premises. Cuddles eases the worry of parents and caregivers so they can enjoy the beautiful first days of being a family.

Accutech offers our condolences to any family who has been touched by infant abduction.

This is one of a very few residential facilities specifically built to maintain the illusion of an unchanged life for its residents. The village was specially constructed to mimic shops, cafes, a movie theater and even a beauty parlor. Nurses and other caregivers are the shopkeepers and clerks. Residents walk the lovely landscaped streets, stop to visit or have coffee unaware that they are being watched over by professionals.

The village was designed to give residents with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) the chance to spend their remaining years surrounded by as much normalcy as possible. People with AD  tend to live in their own pasts, unaware of their conditions, so Hogewey’s environment simply reinforces that. Living quarters are modeled after their former environments; rustic, urban, Christian, upscale, and even Indonesian.

“Our director compared it to a theater,” said Isabel van Zuthem, Hogewey’s information officer. “The frontstage is what all the residents experience as a normal way of living, their normal home. But backstage, we are a nursing home. Everything is arranged to give all residents all the care they need. But they feel like they’re living a normal life, and that’s what we think is very important.”

Moving to a completely different and often confusing environment, filled with people they don’t know, can be distressing to AD sufferers and the resulting anxiety can make them difficult to manage. The director of Hogewey has said the residents are calmer, more agreeable and often require less medication. To put it another way, they’re happier.

Hogewey has been criticized for deceiving residents with a false sense of normality. Staff and managers argue that they provide a safe, nurturing environment that encourages them to interact, be active and use their cognitive skills.

Hogewey isn’t the only resource of its kind. Towsley Village Memory Care Center in Chelsea, Michigan, is a similar facility where residents live in four neighborhoods, each staffed with elder care professionals. Families are asked to bring familiar furniture, knick-knacks, photographs or other familiar possessions to make them feel more at ease. Surrounding AD residents with their memorabilia is a common practice in Alzheimer’s care and can help reduce the stress associated with a move to a care facility.

While this may be a wonderful alternative to traditional elder-care, this kind of facility can be prohibitively expensive. Hogewey costs residents an estimated $6000 monthly, which can be out of reach for many families. But the hope is that as more and more facilities begin to model themselves after places like Hogewey and Towsley Village, the costs will go down. In the meantime, these fortunate residents will live out their days in peace, in friendship and at “home”.

Accutech knows that caring for elderly AD or Dementia residents requires patience, compassion and empathy. But it also requires security and vigilance as confused and distressed residents will often try and leave for reasons they may not even know themselves. Accutech’s ResidentGuard wander management systems secures them comfortably while allowing the freedom to move about their care facilities. Accutech offers several systems as well as a system comparison chart to determine the system that’s appropriate for any facility.

Accutech offers this state-of-the-art technology that uses Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID, to monitor infant activity on the maternity ward. Infants are fitted with a small, comfortable bracelet around the ankle or wrist that sends a signal if the child is removed from the area or if the band is removed or cut. The signal sounds an alarm and the ward will immediately respond with a lockdown until the infant is located. Only nursing personnel can remove or deactivate the bracelets. Each tag is also uniquely identifiable to instantly match mother and baby.

Cuddles infant protection system gives peace of mind to new parents.

Jim Matney, President and CEO of Colquitt Regional Medical Center, says the new security system is part of the hospital’s goal to use technological advances to provide the highest level of care.

“This is one of many measures we have in place to keep the babies safe,” he said. “Colquitt Regional Medical Center is setting the standard for healthcare by providing the latest high technology in all areas of care we provide while still giving a personal touch to our patients.”

The Cuddles Infant Protection System can also be enhanced with the Accutech Two-Way Radio that allows healthcare professionals to speak to one another, giving specific and real-time information about the location and nature of an alarm. This decreases the time it takes for the staff of a healthcare facility to respond to an alarm by sending customizable audio messages to all the radios on the network.

Accutech Security offers several options to hospitals and care facilities to keep track of vulnerable patients, offering comfort to families that their loved ones will always be protected. For more information please call us at toll-free at (800) 356-2671 and we would be happy to help you.

It does seem that there is very strong evidence that the nurses were simply doing their job of preventing an infant from leaving the maternity floor. There is no indication that he was attempting to abduct the child by any means but staff does not usually take a poll when hospital rules are clearly being broken.

It’s likely that Kennedy and his wife, Molly, were given multiple forms when they checked in or pre-registered with the hospital and these forms likely included how and when they would be allowed to remove their newborn from the premises. Compounding the mystery is why a father would feel the need to take a two-day old infant outside at 7pm on a January evening. The husband of one of the nurses involved said that Kennedy had removed the infant protection band from his son. This would have undoubtedly resulted in a “Code Pink” which means infant abduction. Nurses and staff would have acted on their training and immediately moved to prevent the infant from being taken. Whether or not they knew or cared that the child was with his father shouldn’t be a factor in the immediate as the safety of the boy is the primary goal. Had paternity been established there is still the matter of removing a newborn into other areas of the hospital or outside exposing him to other factors.

In a maternity ward the priorities are babies first, mothers second and that’s it. Any concern for infant welfare is and should be addressed without care to parentage or privilege. That excess force may have been used on either side is regrettable but it seems that hospital staff was simply doing their job.

What do you think about it? You can read the details about the altercation and conflicting opinions.

Accutech Security is the proud manufacture of Cuddles Infant Protection systems, designed to protect infants while they are at their most vulnerable. They also protect parents as well, from the unimaginable. Maybe we a little bit biased here but our life’s work is to make sure a situation like this has a positive outcome.

Accutech Security has a number of products to assist healthcare facilities with combating these types of incidents. Our RFID and wireless security products make us the leader in infant protection, wander management and pediatric elopement fields. We consistently strive to improve on our product lines and technology and so are pleased to announce the next step in protection with the introduction of the Accutech Two-Way Radio.  It’s a lightweight device that gives healthcare facilities an effective, low cost communication tool that also integrates into existing security systems to function as a customizable alarm notification device.

Most healthcare facilities are large and can have confusing floor plans. Staff is already deeply involved in patient care and the environment can be hectic. This can complicate the response time when a wander or protection incident occurs. Speed is key in resolving the instance and this is where immediate communication is critical. The Accutech Two-Way Radio allows healthcare professionals to speak to each other, giving specific and real-time information about the location and nature of an alarm. This decreases the time it takes for the staff of a healthcare facility to respond to an alarm by sending customizable audio messages to all the radios on the network. When an alarm is triggered, the facility’s staff is notified via the radio – wherever they are – exactly what and where the alarm is and can communicate an immediate response. This ensures that someone is responding to the alarm and eliminating multiple people being interrupted to address the same situation.

“The radio’s ability to enunciate door alarm locations allows our staff to respond more quickly to an incident. It also saves time by sending an alert when the alarm is cleared, so that we don’t have multiple nurses responding after it has been cleared,” said Margaret K, Director of Nursing

The Accutech two-way radio easily integrates into existing Accutech RFID security systems, which include ResidentGuard for wander management, Cuddles for infant abduction prevention, and Kidz for pediatric protection. This continues Accutech Security’s dedication to protecting vulnerable patients and children and providing confidence and reliability to dedicated healthcare professionals and their staff.

The Accutech Cuddles Infant Protection Protects Newborns in the Hospital

What Questions Should Expectant Parents Ask?

• How many deliveries take place at the hospital each year? The more they have the better able they are at dealing with unexpected problems.
• How long is the typical postpartum stay for vaginal deliveries or for Caesarean sections?
• What types of birthing rooms do they have? Some hospitals allow labor and delivery in the same room. This reduces stress and allows for a calmer atmosphere.
• What are the visitor policies for labor and delivery? Are siblings allowed during any part of the birthing process?
• Can you record the birth? More and more hospitals are limiting cameras in the delivery room. Some have outlawed video cameras altogether.
• What are the nursery facilities like? There are varying levels of nursery, up to and including a neonatal intensive care unit. If you have a high-risk pregnancy you’ll want to know if your newborn will have to be moved to a NICU if needed and if this means moving to another facility.
• If choosing breastfeeding ask about policy. Will there be a lactation consultant and are they available seven days a week? Does she see every nursing mother or is her involvement dependent on your health care coverage?
• What security precautions do they take to guard against mother/baby mix-ups or infant abductions? More and more maternity wards are equipping parents and infants with security devices that greatly reduce the chance of either of these incidents happening. In the future there will even be DNA-based security measures that will all but eliminate the possibility.

The Accutech Cuddles infant protection system ensures the safety of every infant with unique, tamper-proof and continuously visible tags that prevent accidental mix-ups or abductions. The RFID based system experiences the lowest-rate of false alarms in the industry so staff can spend more time caring for your newborn while ensuring the piece of mind that every new parent deserves.

Sundowning in dementia or Alzheimer’s patients can be difficult enough to manage in the home but can become a real issue for larger residential facilities where many patients may display the behavior simultaneously.

“It’s a big problem for caregivers. Patients can get aggressive and very disruptive,” said Tracy Bedrosian, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in neuroscience at Ohio State University. One of the theories about sundowning is that it is tied to disruptions that often occur in the biological clocks of older people, where their sleep-wake cycles are fragmented.

Studies done on aged mice showed an excess amount of a particular enzyme, acetylcholinesterase, a vital element of nerve activity, before sleep than earlier in the day. Heightened levels are associated with anxiety, confusion and agitation. Researchers found comparable behaviors in these mice to the dementia patients with regards to attention, emotion and arousal. Middle-aged mice in the study showed no time of day difference in their acetylcholinesterase levels. This study may hold promise of a treatment to combat sundowning and make dementia patients more comfortable and reduce their stress levels.

So while research is ongoing what can be done in the meantime to combat sundowning? There are several steps that can be taken that may reduce the effect and keep a patient calm.

• The increase in activity at end of day shift changes may increase the effect of sundowning so distractions may be used to occupy patients and reduce confusion.
• Serve dinner early and limit sugar and caffeine to early in the day.
• Keep a light on during the night to reduce confusion in an unfamiliar location.
• Encourage family or other loved ones to bring items that are familiar and comforting for a patient. Photographs with images of both the patient and loved ones together will encourage a feeling of belonging or grounding and may decrease agitation.

Higher levels of agitation may increase a patient’s urge to wander. It’s estimated that 31,000 Alzheimer’s patients will wander each year and they are unable to reasonably judge dangerous situations or places. It’s imperative that systems be in place to reduce the chances of wandering patients and keep them in a safe environment. Accutech’s ResidentGuard wander management systems give dementia patients the ability to move freely while still preventing them from leaving a facility. RFID (radio frequency identification) technology can give both staff and families the piece of mind that their loved one is protected and secure. Accutech offers several systems as well as a system comparison chart to determine the system that’s appropriate for any facility.

Infant Protection Systems identify Plano hospital mix-up. Photo courtesy of flickr

Last week several news sources reported the recent “baby switch” at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Plano. The Houston Chronicle reported that two baby boys were returned to the wrong parents after circumcision. Neither one of the parents caught the mix-up. One mother even fed the wrong child. The switch wasn’t identified until a nurse performing an infant hearing test typed in the security band numbers 3 hours later and realized the baby boy was not with the right family.

How did This Baby Switch Happen?

Even as a leading manufacturer of RFID-based infant protection systems, we struggled to comprehend how this mix-up occurred.

The Houston Chronicle’s report from the Associated Press stated:
“The infants had been circumcised at about the same time last month and their code numbers — 27988 and 27980 — were similar. They were placed in the wrong cribs in the nursery when they came back from the surgeries.”

The hospital attributed the mix-up to human error.

How to Prevent a Baby Switch In Your Hospital

Columnist Katie Fairbank from the Dallas Morning News points out that,

“Summary data reported voluntarily by hospitals to the Joint Commission shows that only two infants were discharged to the wrong families since 2004.”

Our infant protection systems keep these cases low. Even with outstanding hospital security protocols, this story reminds us of the attention and detail it takes to keep your hospital secure. Protection systems must not only be implemented; but hospital staff and volunteers must also be properly trained.

The Plano hospital made public statements, ensuring that “in addition to the re-education of staff, volunteers are no longer transporting newborns back to the room.”

We’re encouraged by the commitment of the hospital to infant security, the effectiveness of infant security bands to identify a critical error, and that each baby boy was quickly returned to the right family.

Learn more about our recommended best practices for securing infants at your hospital.

These are scary facts about a debilitating disease that has begun to affect more people than ever before and created a variety of issues for families of these victims. Wandering is one of the most dangerous elements associated with Alzheimer’s. When a person with Alzheimer’s leaves there home without any sense of direction or purpose, they can be stranded for days without any means to food, water, or shelter. It’s estimated that there are hundreds of wander-related deaths a year, with that number expected to grow into the thousands. In this article on CNN, there are several tips on how to limit Alzheimer wandering:

CNN How to limit Alzheimer’s wandering

The RFID wander management systems we manufacture fall into some of the solutions that CNN recommends.