The corporate mission of Kunde Health Care Services is to “preserve the dignity, safety and comfort of the elderly.” With that in mind, and in response to the stated needs of a national nursing home chain, Michael Kunde, president of the Oconomowoc company bearing his name, developed The Halo Safety Ring.
The Halo Safety Ring prevents injuries and saves the lives of senior citizens residing in long term care (LTC) or assisted living center (ALC) facilities.
According to Lisa Geason-Bauer of Evolution Marketing, there are approximately 2 million people living in 20,000 such facilities across the nation. About 320,000 of those seniors are expected to experience some type of fall or entrapment in their beds once this year, and about 30 residents a month will have an accident resulting in death or a near miss.
“The Halo Safety Ring is an innovative product that is positively impacting the lives of individuals in nursing homes and assisted living facilities,” said Geason-Bauer, who nominated Kunde Health Care Services for the IQ Award.
The Halo Safety Ring prevents entrapment, due to its circular design and vertical mounting bar, which allows exit points for a resident’s neck head and chest. The Halo Safety Ring’s design serves also as a bedside assistant for resident transfers – from wheel chair to bed and from bed to wheel chair – as well as preventing bed entrapments/entanglements.
The Halo Safety Ring has become the product of choice for many national nursing home chains across the nation, according to Kunde, a 21-year-veteran of the elder care industry.
That’s due to the fact that it meets current federal guidelines set forth by the Hospital Bed Safety Workgroup for bed safety in LTC and ALC facilities. Since the product was launched in January 2006, more than 2,000 facilities have purchased the device. Approximately 35,000 residents have avoided falls or entanglements due to the product and have been able to maintain their independence.
“We should always put a high priority on the care of our elderly,” Kunde said.
Address: 1261 Shoal Ridge Road, Oconomowoc
Web Site: www.kundehealthcareservices.com
Industry: Elder care
Innovations: Developed the Halo Safety Ring for the care of the elderly.