While ensuring the care of others, unfortunately some council workers in community health find themselves in concerning situations, where there are risks to their personal health and safety.
Statistics from Worksafe Victoria reveal up to 95% of healthcare workers have experienced physical or verbal assault in their career and this has come from many different people – patients and residents, visiting friends and family and even bystanders.
For council workers in community health, ensuring that their clients receive essential medical care can mean putting themselves at risk.
The new MePACS Solo, a revolutionary duress alarm on the Samsung Galaxy watch, not only provides lone workers with 24/7 emergency assistance from the MePACS response team,but also has the ability to contact trace each user and provide insight into their daily interactions; enabling teams to monitor the potential spread of COVID-19 and keep themselves and their clients safe.
In community health, council workers may travel between clients and suburbs, and often out of normal hours or at night – their need for safety and security is paramount.
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What is a Duress safety watch for council workers in community health?
A duress safety watch for council workers is a discreet, comfortable wearable device that has the ability to send a signal for help in a distressing situation, such as a medical emergency or act of physical or verbal assault.
The MePACS Solo watch has two-way communication with the dedicated MePACS response team, who are available at all hours of the day and night and experienced in dealing with emergency situations.
How does a Duress safety watch work for council workers in community health?
Duress situations for council workers in maternal health, counselling, and aged care services can vary depending on the location, time and client’s medical condition.
Most duress safety watches will text or call a predetermined list of numbers until someone answers. This automated response not only takes valuable time during a duress situation, but does not accommodate for unique experiences.
With a MePACS Duress wearable alarm, you are connected directly to our 24/7 response centre of trained professionals who will respond within 2 minutes.
With just a simple tap on the ‘alert icon’ or two taps on the ‘home key’, the alert can be activated. It will also be triggered if a fall is detected, and then a signal for help is automatically sent to MePACS.
What are risks for lone council workers in community health?
The MePACS Solo, an intuitive duress safety watch, enables the wearer to signal for emergency assistance when they feel threatened by anyone around them.
Lone workers may encounter risks such as physical or verbal assault, sudden accidents for themselves or a client, environmental hazards such as misused or broken equipment and most importantly, medical emergencies.
In fact, our regular duress alarm, a mobile device on a safety lanyard, helped Sarah from Clinical Labs when she experienced a distressing situation.
“I was concerned for the other patients in the room,” she said.
“When I pressed my MePACS alarm, it de-escalated the situation and the patient ran out of the building, then I locked the door to keep ourselves safe.”
How can the MePACS Solo benefit council workers in community health?
The MePACS 24/7 duress alarm service has provided council workers with the reassurance and confidence to get on with their job for many years.
There are many benefits that the MePACS Solo watch can provide, including:
Check-in functionality – where a timed check-in can be set. If this check-in is not updated when required or cancelled, an alert will be raised to MePACS to check on the user’s well-being.
Built-in GPS – allowing MePACS to quickly locate the user during a duress situation and send help.
Geo Fencing technology – the ability to track and trace entry and exit points, which is ideal for contact tracing during the pandemic.
Short Questionnaires – ensuring protocols are being followed.
All this connects to an online platform, where management teams can access reporting and insights.
The MePACS response team triage the level of help necessary for each duress situation – whether you need a manager to alert your team, security personnel to restrain a client or to call emergency services.
We contact you via the Solo watch to understand the situation and relay essential information to whoever necessary, all while providing constant and reassuring support until help arrives.