About St. Brigid’s Hospital

Located in Ballinasloe, Galway, The Creagh Suite in St. Brigid’s Hospital offers long-stay, continuing care for residents living with dementia and experiencing the psychological and behavioural symptoms of this illness.

The facility holds 14-beds for individuals who require ongoing care for severe mental health conditions and dementia. Staff at the hospital provide therapeutic activities, physical health monitoring and continuous support to allow residents to carry out their daily lives.

The Challenge 

St. Brigid’s Hospital required a reliable, effective staff safety system to comply with Ireland’s health and safety legislation and protect the nursing staff on site. Pinpoint’s easy-to-use programme was chosen to meet the complex safety needs of the residents in Creagh Suite.

Aggressive behaviour can occur in people experiencing the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. The confusion, hallucinations, memory loss and physical pain associated with the illness can cause a person to behave violently, often unintentionally.

To protect against this, Pinpoint’s staff safety systems were installed prior to the residents moving into the Creagh Suite.

The Solution 

Meeting the high standards set by Ireland’s health and safety legislation, Pinpoint’s security systems were installed in St. Brigid’s Hospital to protect healthcare staff at risk of violence on the ward.

To minimise any interruptions to the daily running of the facility, the installation was carried out ahead of the residents moving into the building. 

Twin Code Perpetual PITs were given to all staff members. Powered by a specialist energizer, these personal alarms could be used and recharged between shifts. The Perpetual PITs have two call levels, Assistance and Emergency, which correlate to the severity of the incident in question. By activating the alarm, infrared signals are transmitted to receiver units found within the hospital, activating the system and alerting a response team to the exact location and type of call. Doing so reduces the risk of an incident escalating and limits harm to the staff member.

Every member of the team was then given comprehensive training on how to use the system and the protocol in place for responding to incidents. 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 superseded the legal safety requirements for St. Brigid’s Hospital, providing reliable, full-proof coverage of the Creagh Suite and garden area. 

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.