A Smarter Call for Help: Will-Call in Canadian Long-Term Care
A custom nurse call setup helps a young resident move beyond sip-and-puff limitations
Facility Overview: Dufferin Oaks Long Term Care Home
Dufferin Oaks is a municipal long-term care home located in Shelburne, Ontario, offering compassionate, resident-centered care to individuals with diverse and complex needs. With a strong culture of innovation and collaboration, the team actively seeks out adaptive technologies to improve quality of life and independence for residents.
The Challenge: Advanced Needs and Limited Options
A younger resident at Dufferin Oaks had previously relied on a sip-and-puff system to activate his call bell. While functional, the method was limited in comfort and reliability. It occasionally failed to trigger, and in some cases, it was accidentally activated or delayed during times of need. Nursing staff and administrators began exploring alternatives that could offer more autonomy and comfort.
Finding Will-Call
The care team discovered Will-Call while researching voice-activated nurse call devices. Intrigued by its simplicity, they reached out to ask: “Is Will-Call available in Canada?” After confirming it could work with the resident’s setup with some cable adaptation. Will-Call shipped its first international unit to Ontario.
Adapting the Setup
The nurse call system at Dufferin Oaks used a DIN8 connector, common in some Rauland Responder systems. Although Will-Call is typically plug-and-play, this environment required a custom jumper cable to ensure seamless integration. Fortunately, the team already had the required adapter on hand.
Once the Will-Call unit arrived, it was configured quickly and tested in the resident’s room. The setup worked smoothly, requiring only minor placement adjustments.
Resident Experience and Feedback
The nursing team checked in with the resident after implementation. His feedback was clear:
““I like this version of the call bell much better than what I’ve used in the past.””
While he noted that very occasionally the system could be triggered by loud TV dialogue (such as someone saying "help"), he still saw it as a major improvement in both usability and independence.
Staff Response
Dufferin Oaks staff expressed appreciation for the solution, noting that Will-Call made a real difference in this young man’s life. The ability to use his voice to request help, without relying on physical movement or breath control, represented a major step forward in autonomy.
“Thank you everyone for being able to obtain and implement this for him!”
Key Highlights
✅ First Will-Call installation outside the U.S.
✅ Replaced sip-and-puff with a voice-activated system
✅ Adapted to a DIN8 nurse call environment
✅ Installed with a simple jumper cable
✅ Resident describes it as a preferred solution over previous methods
Learn More About Voice-Activated Call Solutions for Complex Care
Will-Call helps patients with mobility limitations—including MS, ALS, and spinal injuries—regain control over how they access help. From U.S. veterans to long-term care residents in Canada, the system is making an impact wherever communication matters most.