York Care Centre – Mobile nurse call system for faster response and safer care

• Single Tier-1 partner for life safety systems
• End-to-end ownership from install through support
• Consistent response across care teams
• Clear accountability with one point of contact

Why York Care Centre chose QSA

York Care Centre selected QSA as its delivery and support partner based on a shared commitment to reliability, accountability, and minimal disruption in live care environments.

Key considerations included:

• Single Tier-1 partner for design, installation, and ongoing support
• Proven experience delivering upgrades in active healthcare facilities
• Like-for-like replacement approach to avoid resident disruption
• End-to-end ownership – no handoffs, no finger-pointing

“This upgrade delivered in close partnership with QSA changed how the facility operates day to day. We now have clearer visibility into response times and increased confidence that staff have what they need to respond quickly and consistently. It’s taken a lot of pressure off the team.”

Michel Boyer

Director of Facilities and Infrastructure

Challenge

Aging nurse call technology was reaching the limits of modern care delivery

York Care Centre is a large long-term care home in Fredericton, New Brunswick, supporting residents with complex and evolving care needs. Known for its commitment to high-quality, person-centred care, the facility has consistently invested in both its people and its care environment.

By 2024–2025, York Care Centre recognized that its nurse call system – originally installed in 2012 – was approaching the limits of what it was designed to support. While the system had served the facility reliably for over a decade, long-term care delivery has continued to evolve, placing new demands on staff mobility, response coordination, and risk management.

To continue delivering care at the standard residents and families expect, leadership saw an opportunity to modernize the underlying technology supporting frontline teams.

End-of-life equipment created long-term operational risk

As the existing system neared end-of-life, manufacturer support was being gradually wound down. While day-to-day operations remained stable, leadership identified increasing long-term risk related to parts availability, maintenance complexity, and unplanned downtime for a mission-critical system.

Rather than wait for a failure or forced replacement, York Care Centre chose to take a proactive approach – modernizing infrastructure on their own timeline to protect continuity of care. Addressing this risk proactively allowed the facility to avoid emergency replacements and maintain stability for residents and staff.

Centralized workflows limited staff flexibility

The legacy system reflected best practices at the time of installation and included mobile functionality supported by another provider. As care models evolved, York Care Centre saw an opportunity to modernize by simplifying support and strengthening reliability – consolidating life safety systems under a single Tier-1 partner while enabling faster, more flexible response from wherever caregivers were working on the floor.

The goal was not to correct poor performance, but to equip strong clinical teams with tools that better support efficient, consistent care in a dynamic environment.

Balancing safety with resident dignity and independence

Many residents at York Care Centre live with dementia or cognitive impairment, where wandering and disorientation are common. The facility places a high priority on safety while also preserving dignity, independence, and a calm, home-like environment.

Leadership sought a solution that could enhance safety and risk management without relying on restrictive measures or disruptive alarms that can increase anxiety for residents. To move forward confidently, York Care Centre sought a partner who could modernize critical infrastructure without disrupting care – and who could own the system long after installation.

“We have the commitment and the staff to deliver excellent care. What we needed was modern infrastructure that could better support fast response, manage risk, and still respect resident independence.”

Solution

A mobile, integrated nurse call system designed to support modern care delivery

To reduce long-term operational risk and support evolving care workflows, York Care Centre selected a full upgrade to ASCOM nurse call and workflow technology, delivered and supported by QSA. The objective was not simply to replace aging equipment, but to intentionally introduce a platform that aligns with modern, person-centred care – supporting staff mobility, faster response, and operational visibility.

QSA led the upgrade using a like-for-like replacement approach, allowing the new system to be installed within the existing footprint. This minimized disruption to residents and staff, enabled multiple rooms to be completed per day, and allowed the project to finish ahead of schedule without extended downtime.

With the system fully deployed, York Care Centre now operates on a modern care platform that supports both frontline teams and facility leadership.

Simplified mobile workflows for faster, more consistent response

Alerts are routed directly to staff mobile devices, allowing caregivers to respond wherever they are working on the floor. Automated escalation ensures calls are reassigned if a team member is unavailable, helping requests be addressed quickly and consistently. By consolidating mobile workflows within the Ascom platform and a single Tier-1 support model, York Care Centre reduces complexity and improves day-to-day reliability for frontline teams.

Simplified visibility through a unified approach

Leadership can easily access response times and system performance through a single, unified platform. By consolidating visibility under one Tier-1 provider, oversight is simpler and more efficient, supporting ongoing refinement of workflows, validation of improvements, and proactive staffing decisions – without increasing administrative burden on clinical teams.

Safety mechanisms that preserve dignity and independence

The upgraded system enhances resident safety through discreet monitoring and intelligent alerting, reducing unnecessary noise and interruptions. This helps maintain a calmer environment while supporting the needs of residents living with dementia or cognitive impairment.

Single-point accountability for mission-critical systems

QSA acts as York Care Centre’s Tier-1 partner for life safety and communications systems – owning issues end-to-end rather than passing responsibility between vendors. This model ensures faster resolution, clearer accountability, and allows clinical teams to remain focused on resident care rather than system troubleshooting.

“Having one accountable partner makes a huge difference. QSA owns the issue and is highly responsive, which lets our nursing staff stay focused on residents instead of troubleshooting systems.”

Outcome

Clear ownership, simpler operations, and improved support for care teams

Since consolidating its nurse call and workflow systems under a single Tier-1 partner, York Care Centre has reduced complexity and strengthened day-to-day operations for both frontline staff and leadership. With one system provider and one team responsible for installation, service, and ongoing support, the organization benefits from clearer accountability, faster issue resolution, and greater confidence in the systems that support resident care.

Key outcomes include:

• One provider, end-to-end ownership

QSA serves as the single point of accountability – from installation through ongoing support – eliminating handoffs and ownership confusion

• Simplified workflows for frontline staff

Faster call routing and escalation improved throughput during recovery periods.

• Clear accountability with a single Tier-1 partner

QSA owns issues end-to-end, reducing downtime and eliminating finger-pointing.

“QSA acts as our one-stop partner for life safety systems. There’s no finger-pointing — they respond quickly, which lets our nursing staff stay focused on residents.”

Looking Forward

With a modern nurse call and workflow platform in place, York Care Centre is well positioned to continue refining care delivery as resident needs grow more complex. Leadership now has the flexibility to make incremental improvements over time without replacing core infrastructure or disrupting daily operations.

Recommendation for Other Facilities

Invest early, integrate deeply, and choose accountable partners

York Care Centre’s experience highlights an important lesson for long-term care providers: mission-critical systems should evolve alongside care delivery – not lag behind it.

Key considerations include:

• Plan ahead for end-of-life technology to avoid reactive upgrades
• Prioritize integrated, mobile systems that support modern workflows
• Choose a single, accountable partner to own delivery and support
• Use data to continuously improve care without increasing staff burden

By investing proactively in modern infrastructure and a trusted partner, facilities can protect care quality, staff morale, and – most importantly – resident safety and dignity. In environments where system failure is not an option, York Care Centre chose a partner built for accountability, continuity, and long-term support.