Wander Management System for Hospitals & Care Homes

Xtag Medical’s Wander Management System helps UK hospitals, NHS Trusts, and care providers prevent unauthorised exits (“elopement”) among people living with Alzheimer’s, dementia, cognitive impairment, or at risk of getting lost. Using discreet patient tags and location-aware readers at doors, lifts, and unit boundaries, the system creates smart “geofences” that automatically trigger local alarms, lock or hold doors, and notify staff on a touchscreen patient management client - before a vulnerable person reaches a risk point.

Designed and manufactured in the UK, our wander solution builds on two decades of active UHF/RTLS expertise used across the NHS. It integrates with existing infrastructure (access control, lifts, CCTV) to deliver fast, reliable protection without disrupting patient flow.

Why it matters for the UK/NHS

• Safeguarding & duty of care: Supports local policies for at-risk patients and aligns with CQC expectations around safety, risk assessment, and incident prevention.
• Clinical workflow first: Quiet operation and adjustable rules minimise alarm fatigue while maintaining rapid escalation to the right team.
• Information governance by design: UK-hosted options, role-based access, data minimisation, audit trails, and configuration suited to GDPR requirements.
• Measurable outcomes: Fewer “near-miss” incidents, reduced security call-outs, more time at the bedside, and improved family confidence.

How it works

1. Lightweight patient tag (hypoallergenic, tamper-evident) uniquely identifies the wearer.
2. Doorway & zone readers create geofenced areas (e.g., ward exits, garden gates, lift lobbies).
3. Rules engine determines responses—local sounder, silent staff alert, door hold/lock.
4. Real-time dashboard shows patient status and location, with incident logs, reports, and analytics for quality & safety committees.

Built for UK care environments: simple, scalable, and clinically safe

Whether you need a single secure exit on a memory ward or site-wide protection linking multiple floors and buildings, Xtag scales easily. Start with a ward-level kit and extend to additional doors and zones as needs evolve. Profiles can be tailored per individual (e.g., time-of-day permissions for supervised garden access), with temporary “escort mode” to avoid nuisance alarms during transfers.

Key benefits for NHS Trusts & care providers

1. Proactive elopement prevention
   Create safe boundaries without restricting therapeutic mobility. Smart rules intervene early - alerting staff or securing doors - so incidents are prevented rather than reported.
2. Better patient and family experience
   Discreet tags and quiet operations reduce stigma and anxiety, while clear permissions (e.g., supervised outdoor access) maintain dignity and independence.
3. Reduced alarm fatigue & clearer escalation
   Tuneable thresholds, role-based notifications ensure the right team receives the right alert at the right time.
4. Actionable governance & reporting
   Incident logs and custom reports support safety and CQC inspections - demonstrating learning and continual improvement.

Feature set designed for clinical reality

• Discreet patient tags
  Comfortable, tamper-evident, and water-resistant with long battery life. Tag removal or cut bands trigger immediate alerts.
• Door & lift integration
  Works with common UK access-control panels and lift controllers. Supports safe door-hold/lock (subject to local fire strategy), anti-tailgating logic, and temporary overrides for clinicians.
• Analytics & dashboards
  Real-time views of active tags, open incidents, and door status; trend reports on attempts, time-of-day patterns, and zone risk to inform staffing and estates decisions.
• Safety & IG aligned
  Configurable data retention and pseudonymisation support GDPR. Policies and SOP templates help standardise practice across ICS partners and multi-site providers.