Blood Pressure Monitor
Overview
With the blood pressure monitor, your loved one can take a blood pressure reading, which will be recorded automatically in the system. The process operates completely wirelessly. Caregivers can log in to see the blood pressure readings, and to set up rules, for example to alert caregivers when a reading has been taken, or to remind the loved one if a reading hasn't been taken at the expected time.
Supported Model
There is one particular model of blood pressure monitor that can be integrated with a system, the A&D Medical brand, Model UA-767 Plus BT. It comes with your choice of three cuff sizes, small, medium or large. The monitor is battery-operated, and communicates with the system wirelessly via Bluetooth. As part of the installation process, a Bluetooth antenna will be installed, and the blood pressure monitor will be paired with your system, so that the signals are picked up properly. It will also be assigned to the resident(s) who will be using it, so that readings will be recorded for the correct person. This is typically done for you by your installer.
Taking a Reading
The blood pressure monitor comes with manufacturer-provided directions for installing the batteries, attaching the components of the device, and taking a safe and accurate reading, which your loved one should follow.
Assigning the Reading
In some cases, a blood pressure monitor will be shared by multiple residents. In that case, when a reading is taken, it must be assigned to the appropriate resident. To assign a reading:
- At the Touchscreen Main Menu, press the "Caregiving" button
- Enter the 4-digit System PIN number (which is set, and can be viewed, on the Advanced Settings screen in the Care Menu.)
- Press the "Assign Reading" button
- There may be more than one unassigned reading on the system. The first will be displayed. Press the "Select Resident" button
- Select the appropriate resident, then press the "OK" button
- If there are additional readings to be assigned, the next one will appear, otherwise the screen will show that there are no more readings to be assigned
Viewing the Readings on the Touchscreen
To view assigned readings at the Touchscreen:
- At the Main Menu, press the "Wellness" button
- Press the button for the appropriate resident
- If the Resident has a personal PIN (which is set, and can be viewed, on the Edit Loved Ones screen in the Care Menu) it may be required now
- Press the "Blood Pressure" button
- Readings for the current month will display - press the arrow buttons to navigate to other months
Viewing the Readings Remotely
Caregivers can view blood pressure readings from any Internet-connected computer. To view readings:
- Log in to the Online Care Portal
- Open the Care Menu
- Open the Wellness module
- In the Wellness People area, click the BP icon for the appropriate resident
- Readings for the current month will display - press the arrow buttons to navigate to other months
Printing the Readings
You can print a list of the readings from the Account Dashboard. To generate a printable report, see the Health Reports help page.
Setting Rules
You can set up rules to alert caregivers when a reading is taken, or if a scheduled reading is not taken. To add a rule:
- Log in to the Online Care Portal
- Open the Care Menu
- Click the "Wellness" button
- In the Wellness Rules section, click the "Add New Rule" button
There are two parts to each rule, a condition and an action. On the first screen, choose the condition. Your rule can be triggered:
- Whenever a blood pressure reading is taken
- If a blood pressure reading isn't taken between a particular time range
- If a blood pressure reading isn't taken all day
Once you have defined the condition, you need to set the action. Possible actions include contacting a single caregiver, all caregivers, or a Call List. The types of contact include:
- Text message
- Phone call to home, work or cell phone
- Phone call to a Call List
Examples of rules might be:
- If a blood pressure reading is taken, email all caregivers, so they can view the reading
- If a blood pressure reading isn't taken before noon, text an adult child who can remind the parent
- If a blood pressure reading isn't taken at a set time, phone the loved one with a reminder - only caregivers can receive alerts from rules, but a loved one can easily be added as a caregiver for this purpose
Multiple rules can be triggered for any event, so that multiple types of alerts can be sent out, for example both phone calls and emails.
A checkbox next to the rule lets you set whether the rule is enabled or disabled. It might make sense to turn off a rule while your loved one is on vacation, so that alerts won't be sent out during that time. You can disable a rule by unchecking the box. When you're ready for the rule to be active again, just check the Enabled checkbox again, and then save the rule settings.
It's a good idea to "white list" the alert email address in your email account, so that alert emails from your loved one's system don't get treated as spam by your email. Methods for doing this vary among email programs, but one good way is to add "noreply@grandcare.com" as a contact in your email address book.
View the Safety Precautions page
pdf format (Media:BloodPressureMonitor.pdf)