Health, Home Nursing | The residents had to use cowbells as an alarm: now the entire agreement must be replaced

(Budstikka): Failing alarms have been a nightmare for residents of nursing homes in Bærum for several years. The notification system will now be replaced by a new one.

It is clear after the entire notification system, both in Bærum and Asker, was put out to tender this week.

This means, among other things, that the current system around security alarms for elderly people living at home, as well as alarm systems for residents in institutions, must be replaced.

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Around 2,000 residents have security alarms in Bærum municipality. Around 1,000 of the places in institutions in Bærum have patient alarms.

“Asker and Bærum municipality (…) invites to a competition with negotiation in connection with the conclusion of a contract for the purchase of coherent and sustainable services using welfare technology and digital home monitoring”, the text of the extensive tender reads.

Marit Kronborg, municipal manager for prevention and management in Bærum, describes the agreement as large and complex. The agreement has a duration of up to 12 years.

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– This is a future-oriented agreement. We envision a supplier who can work closely with us to develop the offer in a sustainable and innovative way, says Kronborg, who is the project owner for the procurement on behalf of Bærum.

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Alarm about alarms

Asker and Bærum collaborate on the procurement process, but will sign independent contracts with suppliers.

– Both Asker and Bærum have a long tradition of using welfare technology in their services. We believe it is appropriate to do the procurement together, says Kronborg.

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Both in Bærum and Asker, there have been major challenges with alarms at several of the municipality’s institutions for several years.

Last year, an alarm was raised that cowbells were being used by the sick and dying as a substitute for alarms that did not work in Bærum. Then there was political washing up.

– There is a large and extensive work underway with the current supplier to find out the challenges we have seen. I feel that we are making good progress in solving the problems with the alarms, says Kronborg, who points out that all the agreements that are now published are agreements that expire.

– We have to obtain new agreements. And then, with the new contract, we can assess whether we should change some systems. Basically, the current facility will be continued, says Kronborg.

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Want the elderly to take a home check

The purpose of the acquisition is also to replace the current agreements for the purchase of welfare technology and digital home monitoring.

– We want to facilitate a future-oriented service by merging these areas into one new contract. The municipality’s goal is for users to be able to stay at home for as long as possible. Strengthening digital welfare services is one of the factors that must be in place to make it happen, says Kronborg.

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One of the new measures that can come into place with the new agreement is so-called “Digital home monitoring”.

– Patients living at home with chronic diseases can be followed up with self-measurements using digital tools. The results must be sent to the health service for assessment and follow-up. With the help of such digital tools, the patient does not need to go to the doctor as often, says Kronborg, who emphasizes that this must be carried out in agreement with the doctor.

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– We envision a supplier that works closely with us to develop the offer to meet the needs of the future. We do not know what the technological future is, it is difficult now to know what will exist in a few years. The supplier of the technology must help us with this, says Kronborg.

The supplier must have primary responsibility for the establishment, introduction, technical operation and management of what is included in the services that are established, it is specified in the tender.

The deadline for submitting a response to the tender is 16 May, while the municipalities have until 20 June to respond. Negotiations on the agreement are scheduled to start after the summer holidays.

The value of the agreement is not specified in the tender.

– That is part of what we have to negotiate about. There has been great interest in this tender. We hope that a new partner will be in place in the autumn, in any case before the turn of the year, says Kronborg.

– Reduce the need for institutional places

No total value has been announced for the agreement that is now being published.

– Future extraction will depend, among other things, on political guidance and financial grants, says project owner Ole-Kristian Tangen in Asker municipality.

Around 1,600 residents in Asker currently have security alarms. In addition, approximately 800 institutional places have patient alarms.

– The new agreement will ensure a more coherent and sustainable service for our residents, writes Tangen in an e-mail to Budstikka.

– We want to use welfare technology and digital home monitoring to improve the quality of life for our residents, reduce the need for institutional places and give our residents the opportunity to live at home for as long as possible.