A request for proposals from Prairie Mountain Health for patient protection system replacement projects was issued July 27.

The health region is seeking a fixed bid from qualified consultants to provide design and construction administration services to replace patient protection systems at four facilities. The closing date is Aug. 12.

In an email from Prairie Mountain Health CEO Brian Schoonbaert, he said Prairie Mountain Health is replacing several patient protection systems, which are also known as elopement management systems, at Birtle Health Centre (both the Health Centre and Personal Care Home), Minnedosa Health Centre, Russell Personal Care Home and Souris Health Centre (Health Centre and Personal Care Home).

The protection systems at the facilities have reached the end of their service life, Schoonbaert said. “This means that vendor support has ended and replacement parts are increasingly difficult to find. As a result, repairs to these systems are becoming more difficult and costly.”

A patient protection system is intended to prevent clients or residents who are experiencing cognitive impairment — for example, dementia — from accidentally walking away from the care facility.

“The client or resident who is at risk of wandering away wears a small transmitter as part of a bracelet,” Schoonbaert explained.

“The doors that exit the facility or ward that the at-risk individual would have access to have an automatic locking system that is activated when their transmitter is in close proximity.”

The scope of these projects is to replace all patient protection system hardware and control systems with current technology.

“Our intent is to begin the installations in September 2021 and be wrapped up by the end of the year.”

Funding for these upgrades has been provided by Manitoba Health and Seniors Care.

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