Question 1

What is the RCare nurse call system?

Accepted Answer

RCare is a configurable nurse-call and resident-safety platform. A resident device starts an alarm, the RCare wireless or wired infrastructure delivers it to the Cube, and the Cube creates an incident and routes notifications to the configured caregiver devices. The platform also records incident and response information for reporting.

Question 2

What does the Cube do?

Accepted Answer

The Cube is the RCare system's processing and software platform. It receives events from the Master Receiver or connected interfaces, creates incidents, associates them with the configured device or resident, sends notifications, stores incident history, and supports system administration and reporting.

Question 3

What is the normal wireless event path?

Accepted Answer

The documented G4 path is: 1. A pendant, pull cord, sensor, or other transmitter sends an event. 2. One or more locators receive it. 3. Locators and, where needed, repeaters forward it to the Master Receiver. 4. The Master Receiver sends the event to the Cube. 5. The Cube creates an incident and routes it to the configured notification devices.

Question 4

Is RCare only wireless?

Accepted Answer

No. The library includes RCare G4 wireless infrastructure, iCall wired call stations and interfaces, dome lights, duty stations, and hybrid/takeover options. The correct design depends on care setting, existing infrastructure, project requirements, and the listing applicable to the installed system.

Question 5

Can RCare be added to an existing wired nurse-call system?

Accepted Answer

RCare documents takeover and hybrid approaches that preserve compatible installed equipment while adding RCare functions. The HR7 Hybrid Receiver can translate activations from a small set of supported wireless devices into contact closures for a compatible hardwired system. Compatibility and the complete system design must be verified before purchase or installation.

Question 6

How many devices can the HR7 Hybrid Receiver accept?

Accepted Answer

The HR7 cut sheet states that up to ten supported devices can be programmed. It supports momentary or maintained contact closure and lists pendants, pull cords, bedside stations, and bed/chair alarm use. Confirm the current model and application before design.

Question 7

Does RCare support emergency, bathroom, shower, and routine call stations?

Accepted Answer

The iCall library includes distinct routine call, Code Blue, emergency, shower, bathroom, call-cord, duty-station, and dome-light components. Required priorities, reset behavior, annunciation, and listing must be confirmed for the project's care setting.

Question 8

What is the Master Receiver?

Accepted Answer

The MR-500-G4 receives forwarded messages from G4 locators and repeaters and passes them by serial connection to the RCare system for processing. It may be stand-alone or integrated into a Cube housing.

Question 9

How many locators and repeaters can one Master Receiver support?

Accepted Answer

The MR-500-G4 documentation states a combined total of up to 100 locators and repeaters. This is a device count, not a coverage guarantee; RF path, hop design, building construction, traffic, and project validation still matter.

Question 10

What does a G4 locator do?

Accepted Answer

An LT-490-G4 receives signals from RCare wireless transmitters and relays them toward an MR-500-G4 directly or through an RP-990-G4 repeater. Locators are placed strategically for coverage and, when locating is enabled, provide signal observations used by the location engine.

Question 11

What does a G4 repeater do?

Accepted Answer

An RP-990-G4 extends the locator network by receiving messages from locators or other repeaters and retransmitting them toward another repeater or the Master Receiver. Repeaters are a backhaul tool; they do not substitute for transmitter coverage and must be included in an engineered RF path.

Question 12

Can published RF ranges be treated as guaranteed coverage?

Accepted Answer

No. Published ranges are planning references measured under particular conditions. Walls, floors, metal, elevators, utilities, device placement, interference, radio settings, and antenna orientation affect real performance. Complete an on-site RF survey, walk test, and acceptance test for the actual building.

Question 13

What is Advanced Locating Protocol (ALP)?

Accepted Answer

ALP uses the pattern of received signal-strength values from multiple locators to estimate where a transmitter event originated. The location map is created by fingerprinting known test positions. It is an estimated-location system that depends on careful RF design, mapping, and validation.

Question 14

Can locators be moved after ALP fingerprinting?

Accepted Answer

Moving, replacing, retuning, or adding locators can change the RF fingerprints used by ALP and degrade location results. Coordinate changes with authorized support and validate or update the mapping after the change.

Question 15

Does selecting supervision in the Cube make a pendant supervise?

Accepted Answer

No. The transmitter manual explicitly distinguishes configuring the Cube to expect supervision from placing a supported transmitter into its supervision mode. Model, generation, supported schedule, and activation procedure must all be verified.

Question 16

Are all pendants compatible with G3, G4, and ALP?

Accepted Answer

No. The transmitter manual lists different compatibility for G3, G4, G34, and GeoPendant families. Some work across G3 and G4 but do not support ALP; others are G4/ALP-only. Confirm the exact model label before replacement or programming.

Question 17

Does tapping “I Got It” clear an active incident?

Accepted Answer

No. The RCare Mobile manual states that “I Got It” claims or acknowledges responsibility but does not close the incident. The incident must be physically reset through the configured device/workflow.

Question 18

Why is local reset important?

Accepted Answer

The documented workflow keeps the incident active until the system receives the correct reset signal. This supports a care process in which an alert is not treated as completed merely because it was viewed on a phone. Exact reset behavior depends on the configured device and account.

Question 19

Can a device be configured to require a separate reset device?

Accepted Answer

Some transmitter workflows can be paired with a dedicated reset function so staff must go to a specific location to restore the event. Because this changes operational behavior, it should be configured and acceptance-tested by an authorized technician with clinical stakeholders.

Question 20

What should staff do if an alert is active but no mobile notification arrived?

Accepted Answer

Follow the facility's downtime and escalation procedure and use the system's local annunciation; do not assume the call did not exist. A technician should check the incident at the Cube, the notification chain, receiver availability, mobile connectivity, licensing, and device status.

Question 21

What is RCare Mobile?

Accepted Answer

RCare Mobile delivers RCare alerts and messages to supported caregiver smartphones. Depending on system configuration, it can show resident context, let caregivers claim calls, support caregiver communication, and record response-related workflow information.

Question 22

Can RCare Mobile show resident information from an EHR?

Accepted Answer

An approved EHR integration can provide resident information to RCare and make relevant context available to caregivers responding on supported mobile devices. The exact fields and behavior depend on the integration, mapping, permissions, and current interfaces.

Question 23

What commonly causes an RCare Mobile API authentication error?

Accepted Answer

The troubleshooting guide lists several common categories: the phone is not on the correct Wi-Fi, the configured Cube address is wrong, the user is not enabled for RCare Mobile, the available mobile licenses are exhausted, or the phone needs a restart. Configuration changes should be performed by authorized staff.

Question 24

How are notifications organized?

Accepted Answer

RCare supports message receivers, notification chains, groups, views, repeat intervals, escalation stages, and schedules. These determine which devices receive which events and when the system moves to the next caregiver or group.

Question 25

Can too many notification destinations cause a problem?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The notification manual warns that too many receivers in a notification chain can create backlogs. Routing should be purposeful, tested under realistic load, and monitored after changes.

Question 26

What is True SMS?

Accepted Answer

True SMS is RCare's SMS messaging method for supported notifications and communications. The FAQ describes uses including caregiver incident notification and community/family mass communication. Enrollment, consent, messaging policy, and carrier requirements still apply.

Question 27

Can RCare place phone or SIP notifications?

Accepted Answer

The notification documentation includes supported receiver identifiers and routing examples for SIP endpoints, trunks, ring groups, analog interfaces, and other message destinations. The exact PBX, dial plan, network, licensing, and acknowledgment behavior must be engineered and tested for the site.

Question 28

What reports are available?

Accepted Answer

The reporting materials describe response-time, call-volume, frequent-caller, device/service, and diagnostic reporting. Delivery format, schedule, recipients, filters, and custom reports can be configured according to available system capabilities.

Question 29

What can response-time reporting help identify?

Accepted Answer

Response-time and call-volume data can help a facility review service targets, outliers, staffing patterns, repeated calls, and system/device health. Reports support operational improvement but do not prove causation or replace clinical review.

Question 30

Does RCare integrate with PointClickCare?

Accepted Answer

The library documents a PointClickCare integration that evolved from HL7 exchange to a RESTful API approach. It synchronizes mapped resident and room information so the nurse-call system can use current context. Integration success depends on data normalization, ordering, mapping, and end-to-end testing.

Question 31

What other integration areas are documented?

Accepted Answer

RCare materials discuss EHR, wander-management, fire-panel, phone-system, healthcare intelligence, paging, central-station, and existing-system integrations. Availability and certification vary by product, version, partner, and project.

Question 32

Does RCare provide backup and disaster-recovery options?

Accepted Answer

The library describes scheduled backups and an optional disaster-recovery approach covering incident and site information. Confirm the purchased service, backup scope, frequency, retention, restore process, and recovery test with the provider; a backup claim is not proof that a restore has been tested.

Question 33

What happened to RCare G3?

Accepted Answer

RCare's G3 end-of-life notice says G3 was replaced by G4 and lists January 1, 2020 as the end of sales for G3 RF networking devices, with G3 transmitter sales ending on that date or when inventory ran out. Treat G3 as a lifecycle and migration issue, not the default for new design.

Question 34

Can G3 transmitters operate during a G4 transition?

Accepted Answer

The lifecycle notice says supported G3 transmitters can be received by G4 locator/repeater/ Master Receiver infrastructure, but device-specific compatibility and Cube software must be confirmed. ALP compatibility is a separate question and cannot be assumed.

Question 35

Can G3 and G4 network equipment be mixed arbitrarily?

Accepted Answer

No. The G3-to-G4 technical guide documents acceptable and unacceptable transition topologies. Inventory the existing Cube, Master Receiver, repeaters, locators, transmitters, and network paths, then use the approved migration scenario.

Question 36

What should be documented before a G3-to-G4 upgrade?

Accepted Answer

At minimum, document all existing RF network equipment and locations, the Cube hardware and software state, Master Receiver connection, locator/repeater paths, transmitter models, ALP status, power, network dependencies, and the cutover/rollback test plan.

Question 37

What should a site walk verify?

Accepted Answer

The site-walk checklist covers construction readiness, ceiling and pathway conditions, power, generator/UPS availability, network and firewall readiness, Cube/rack space, locator and repeater locations, Master Receiver paths, dome-light cabling, wired call points, consoles, and planned integrations.

Question 38

What information is needed before installation?

Accepted Answer

The pre-install checklist asks for the project schedule, room/resident roster, power and network deliverables, head-end space, training plan, staff/user list, device locations, ALP scope, notification chains, reporting requirements, and integrations. Review it with the statement of work before technicians arrive.

Question 39

What should happen before system acceptance?

Accepted Answer

Acceptance should document the installed scope, administrators, network and device locations, reports, service-alert routing, remote-support status, open items, and responsible parties. It should also include device-by-device event, reset, annunciation, supervision, power-loss, network-loss, notification, and escalation testing even where the form provides only a summary.

Question 40

Can an installer rely only on the web interface to prove the system works?

Accepted Answer

No. A successful login or visible configuration does not prove RF coverage, event delivery, local annunciation, reset behavior, supervision, escalation, mobile delivery, or resilience. Those functions must be activated and observed under acceptance-test conditions.

Question 41

How does RCare remote support connect?

Accepted Answer

The remote-support manual describes an encrypted tunnel between the Cube/client network and the support environment using per-client keys. Facility IT should review and approve the current network, firewall, encryption, access, logging, and termination requirements before activation.

Question 42

When should a user stop troubleshooting and escalate?

Accepted Answer

Escalate active emergencies immediately. For non-emergency support, escalate when calls are missed, supervision faults persist, RF location is unreliable, the issue affects multiple residents or wings, hardware generations are uncertain, a database or firmware change is proposed, credentials are requested, or available documentation does not match the installed system.

RCare Wireless Nurse Call — Frequently Asked Questions