A fall, a burst geyser or a car breakdown can turn an ordinary day into an emergency. For Rand Aid residents, help is just a button press away.
Rand Aid’s 24-hour call centre at Ron Smith Care Centre provides a central point of contact for medical, maintenance and security-related emergencies across its retirement villages.
Each residential unit has a cellular-enabled panic button, small enough to carry on a lanyard. It has a microphone and speaker, allowing the call centre operator to speak directly to the resident.
When a button is pressed, the operator can immediately see the resident’s details and location on a map and attempts to establish contact. If there is no response, the resident’s cellphone is called and, if necessary, a nursing sister or security personnel is sent to the unit.
“The call centre gives our residents the reassurance that someone is always looking out for them,” says Hennie Mostert, Rand Aid’s technical manager.
The GPS tracking capability can also be useful when a resident is away from the village. Hennie recalls an occasion when a resident accidentally activated her panic button inside her handbag while visiting the Pilanesberg National Park. She could not hear the button ringing, but the call centre was able to track its location and contact the lodge where she was staying.
Calls are roughly evenly divided between maintenance issues – such as burst geysers, stuck doors and power failures – and medical needs, ranging from requesting a nurse to treating a wound or responding to a fall. The village sister assesses medical emergencies during the day, while the nurse on call responds at night, over weekends and on public holidays. An ambulance is arranged when necessary.
Ulricka Beukman, manager of Ron Smith Care Centre, says the call centre operates around the clock, with two staff members on duty during the day and one at night.
Going the extra mile
Former care phone operator and current Elphin Lodge/Ron Smith Care Centre receptionist Zodwa Mthombeni has seen how the system can make a difference well beyond the village gates.
A Tarentaal resident once pressed her panic button after her car broke down at a busy intersection on the way to Greenstone Shopping Centre. Her son was in Pretoria and she did not know who else to call.
Zodwa established that the resident was safely locked inside the vehicle, confirmed that she had car insurance and contacted the insurer. The car was towed back to the village.
“She was so appreciative,” says Zodwa, who worked at the care centre from 2013 to 2017 and again from 2018 until her move to the reception desk in 2025.
On another occasion, a resident fell at a shopping centre and used her panic button. Zodwa contacted the centre’s security team and arranged for an ambulance to assist her.
For Zodwa, these experiences underline why residents should not dismiss the panic button as something they will never need.
“Knowing that help is available at the press of a button gives residents a sense of security, especially those who live alone. They don’t have to find a number and make a call – they just press the button,” she says.
Residents are encouraged to test their buttons at least once a month, both to ensure they are working and to become familiar with the process.
“The important thing is that our residents know they have our backs when they need us,” says Hennie. “It is a service we are very proud of.”
