PROVEN PANASONIC RELIABILITY AND COST-EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONALITY LETS
CABANDA CARE BETTER SERVE ITS COMMUNITY

Cabanda Care Inc. is a non-profit, community-owned care facility located in Rosewood, Queensland, Australia with a history
of serving its community dating back to 1987. Managers are all registered nurses with 25 years’ experience in their field. Cabanda Care offers a whole menu of services including: physiotherapy, dietician care, dental care, local doctor visits, bus trips, and live entertainment.

Offering enjoyment of an attractive, accessible environment with spacious outdoor areas, the facility allows visiting 24 hours a day, and most importantly has a nurse call system to alert a nurse or other health care staff member remotely of a client’s need for help. As active member of the broader community, Cabanda Care also provides outside services such as Meals on Wheels, Home Care and local transportation, and participates in local events.
 

CHALLENGE

When the certified Panasonic unified communications reseller, Phones Now Pty Ltd (formerly Phone Systems Brisbane) was first called upon to improve overall communications at Cabanda Care Inc., it supplied Panasonic’s KX-TDA200 Hybrid IP PBX system as a solution to work with the customer’s legacy cordless telephones from another manufacturer. Five years later, Cabanda Care remained impressed by Panasonic’s reliability and affordability, but was also facing new and expanded – needs and experiencing the limitations of a solid platform designed for less sophisticated requirements. For example,Cabanda Care wanted a system that could integrate a nurse call system with DECT cordless phones. Another frustration was that under the previous system, the caller ID displayed to customers could be any one of 6 telephone numbers, creating confusion. Next, they were
missing important after-hours calls due to the lack of a rational routing system. Finally, the nurse call function itself needed both upgrading and integration to reduce wasted staff hours and raise efficiency.
 

SOLUTION

To address these important needs and eliminate the noted shortcomings, Phones Now Pty Ltd (previously Phone Systems Brisbane) recommended and installed a powerful Panasonic KX-NS700 compact hybrid communication platform specifically designed for small-to-medium sized businesses. Supporting up to 250 users and expansion-ready, this unified communication platform included builtin voice mail, integrated e-mail, basic call center functions, and a wireless solution (DECT wireless system). Along with the KX-NS700, the system was upgraded with 28 Panasonic KX-NT553 IP proprietary phones featuring best-inclass audio performance, 3-line backlit display, and 12 x 2 self-labeling flexible CO keys. For wireless staff mobility, 25 Panasonic KX-TCA385 DECT handsets with dust-and-splash-resistant durability, DECT paging, noise reduction, vibration function and built-in Bluetooth™ completed the package. This versatile Panasonic solution comprising these three types of devices both rationalized and upgraded Cabanda Care’s system, enabling them to serve their residents and community on a 24/7 basis at the highest level.

“Easy low cost expansion using IP handsets backed by legendary Panasonic reliability were the deciding factors.”
Elizabeth Maloney

General Manager, Cabanda Care

CARE ON CALL

With the new system residents can use the nurse call system and get a timely response thanks to the system’s DECT compatibility. Nurses equipped with the rugged TCA385 handsets are now much better able to respond as calls are sent to the nearest 3 DECT phones, and they can react appropriately. Having experience the benefits of Panasonic DECT, Cabanda Care management expects to increase the number of cordless handsets by 50% over the next 12 months. Also with the new system, there is just one caller ID
owing to Panasonic and SIP technology, and call routing facilities have enhanced the efficiency and productivity of nursing staff especially after hours.

Appropriate response and system rationalization are not the only benefits that Cabanda Care now enjoys. They also benefit from lower support and maintenance costs, particularly on legacy line rental and associated rates. Savings realised can now be re-purposed to further upgrade the system with CAT5 cabling infrastructure at no extra cost to themselves.

Finally, to better serve the aging “baby boomer” generation that will one day be the majority of their clients, Cabanda Care plans to provide a phone and internet connection in each of its rooms and for a low flat fee. The Panasonic solution adopted today by Cabanda Care makes such a solution for tomorrow entirely possible.