It’s 11 pm, the alarm on the O2 concentrator is flashing red. It’s beeping every 10 seconds and has woken her father from what she thought was a deep, peaceful sleep.

Where are the instructions, the how-to-use guide? Is there a video - QR Code? See below.

Giana, the youngest daughter has the night shift and wasn’t there when the DME company dropped off the equipment. She was running late this evening because of work and her oldest sister wasn’t very pleasant when she arrived.

Everyone is stressed out. There are new schedules, new medications, a team of caregivers, social workers, and other people from the hospice visiting throughout the week. No one expected this life-changing event.

Their father had been battling for a long time. He had done everything in his power not to bother the kids with treatments and medical appointments. The conversation with his doctor leads the family down the hospice path. He was tired and wanted to live in the most peaceful environment for the rest of his life, where he was most comfortable, his home for the last 50+ years.

The beeping noise is getting louder and more frequent. The red light is flashing brighter. Giana’s father is getting more agitated and is having trouble catching his breath for the situation is not ideal and everyone is scared.

Giana doesn’t know what to do. Does she unplug the concentrator? Should she turn it off? She can’t turn it off because he’ll stop breathing? She’s frazzled and has no idea what to do. Where is the QR Code?

She calls and wakes her sister with a phone call asking what’s going on and how to fix it. Her sister makes a rude comment and says, “That’s why it was so important for you to be here earlier.” “There’s a folder on the kitchen table with a number - call and the hospice will tell you what to do.”

The folder is not on the kitchen table. It took 30 minutes to find the folder with the hospice info and phone number to call. There are four numbers listed, which one?

It’s now 11:45 pm. She calls the first number and gets a voicemail. She leaves a message and still has no idea what to do.

Tears start running down her cheek as she tells her father she’s doing her best. The phone rings with a calming voice on the other side. It’s the assigned hospice nurse asking how she can help.

Giana explains that the oxygen thing is not working, it’s beeping, red lights are flashing and her Dad is having problems. And there’s no QR Code? 

The nurse explains that this is simple to fix. “Turn the machine off, the button is on the top. Don’t be alarmed this will not harm your father in any way.”

The nurse says, “Give it a minute” and asks, “Besides being scared, how is your father otherwise.” The daughter explains.

“Now flip the switch back, give it a minute, everything sounds normal.”

The daughter, still a bit frantic, asks why is this happening.

The nurse explains, “Sometimes this equipment does weird things, but be assured there is nothing to be alarmed about.”

“Is the light green on and the concentrator humming?”

The daughter says yes. The next question from the nurse was, “Where is the concentrator located?” Giana explains that it’s pushed into the corner next to the outlet and curtains.

The nurse responds with, “That’s good to know and I think you just solved the problem.” “Those concentrators need ventilation in the back, so you should move it away from the wall.” Giana moves it away from the wall.

“How’s your Dad?” Giana says, “he seems fine, and appears that everything is back to normal.”

“I apologize for the concentrator scaring you. It will be fine for the rest of the evening and I’ll see you first thing in the morning,” the nurse tells Giana.

Giana asks, “Are you sure?” The nurse with absolute confidence says, “I am sure, but if anything comes up, please feel free to call or text me - that’s what I’m here for.”

Does this sound familiar?

Coming from the DME space, I can confirm that the next call the hospice makes is to the DME provider to schedule a service tech to go out and check the equipment. Unless something was physically broken, 80% + of these calls are to reeducate the family member on what to do if something happened in the middle of the night. The least efficient way to solve a majority of the questions.

Family members are barely listening to the tech when the DME is initially delivered. They’re looking for linens (that no one told them they had to provide), pillows, favorite blankets, and making space in a home with too much furniture already. How many homes have old circuit breakers that keep tripping when you plug in all of the equipment? The list goes on.

How can HospicePass Help?

We’ve had hundreds of conversations with hospices regarding this challenge - and it’s a challenge. There are dozens upon dozens of equipment vendors, and every piece of equipment has its nuances, some of the equipment can be intimidating and most families aren’t necessarily equipped to understand, clean, and maintain this gear. Let alone troubleshoot it in the middle of the night.

So how as an industry can we aggregate all of this information into one place, with easy access and make it simple to use?

Having access to a quick video, through your smartphone resolves the beeping concentrator by a family member in minutes. How to lower the medical bed or adjust it when the controller may not be working, by video, using your phone, solves an immediate issue before a tech can physically arrive to fix or replace it.

How about that Airvo unit? Not complicated for the RT. Complex for the daughter taking care of her father in need.

Have a phone, scan a code, and watch a quick video to answer questions.

O2 tanks, nebulizers, and aspirators all generate phone calls to your hospice staff and/or the DME provider.

Let’s Make It Better……………………….

Before you get too excited, this is a prototype that is currently in progress. The team at HospicePass is already in contact with every major vendor of DME. We are currently collecting videos, how-to guides, instructions, and more for the equipment that is placed in homes.

The QR code will be made available to hospices to add to the information packets you leave behind. You’ll have the ability to customize your QR Code to help brand your hospice to families and referring physicians. This is a tool that separates your agency from the other hospices fighting for referrals.

Second, the goal is to have vendor-specific QR codes on each piece of equipment. HospicePass will maintain the library of information and will be able to offer DME providers the codes to be placed on their equipment.

Beds get QR codes for beds.

Concentrators get QR codes for concentrators. All vendor-specific.

DME Providers - we’re looking into ways these QR codes can be embedded with ways to track your gear too. Wait, what - yes it’s possible. 

This ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no fooling around.