Abstract: A mobile patient support chair to assist in bathing of a patient by a carer with little or no upper body strength comprises a chair pivotally mounted in a support frame comprised of four legs each ending in a wheel. The chair frame comprises groups of support panels which can be locked in support positions and rotated through 90 degrees to provide access to the patient's legs, buttocks and back. Additionally the chair is balanced to allow easy rotation into a fully backwards lying position, and a fully forward lying position. In the fully forward lying position flexible retaining strips are placed across the patient to retain them in place. Additionally the wheels may be step-climbing wheels to assist in climbing small steps found in bathroom entrances and shower cubicles.

Abstract: A mobile patient support chair to assist in bathing of a patient by a carer with little or no upper body strength comprises a chair pivotally mounted in a support frame comprised of four legs each ending in a wheel. The chair frame comprises groups of support panels which can be locked in support positions and rotated through 90 degrees to provide access to the patient's legs, buttocks and back. Additionally the chair is balanced to allow easy rotation into a fully backwards lying position, and a fully forward lying position. In the fully forward lying position flexible retaining strips are placed across the patient to retain them in place. Additionally the wheels may be step-climbing wheels to assist in climbing small steps found in bathroom entrances and shower cubicles.

Abstract: A portable communication device includes a processor, a memory holding data and instructions, a simplified user input interface for manually initiating functions of the portable communication device, a mobile telephone transceiver, and a short-range wireless communication transceiver. The devices uses the short-range transceiver to retrieve information from an external data storage device such as an NFC tag, and based on the received data, initiate a function of the portable communication device. Functions that may be initiated include pairing with another device, downloading and installing application software, and receiving and forwarding data from a health monitoring device.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a computer system comprises a processor, memory, and an interface to an electronic communication network. The memory holds instructions that when executed by the processor cause the computer system to maintain in electronic storage personal profiles of a number of clients of a service. At least one of the personal profiles includes identification of one or more entities authorized by the respective client to receive information about the client. The instructions further cause the system to produce a log associated with the client including information about the client. The information included in the log is filtered so that not all available information about the client is included in the log. The log is further made accessible via the electronic communication network to at least some of the one or more entities authorized by the client to receive information about the client.

Abstract: According to one aspect, a computer system comprises a processor, memory, and an interface to an electronic communication network. The memory holds instructions that when executed by the processor cause the computer system to maintain in electronic storage personal profiles of a number of clients of a service. At least one of the personal profiles includes identification of one or more entities authorized by the respective client to receive information about the client. The instructions further cause the system to produce a log associated with the client including information about the client. The information included in the log is filtered so that not all available information about the client is included in the log. The log is further made accessible via the electronic communication network to at least some of the one or more entities authorized by the client to receive information about the client.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for connecting a caller to an alternate telephone number, such as 9-1-1, when a call to a private response center does not result in immediate assistance, or when it is recognized by the private response center that emergency services are needed at the caller's location. In one example, when the call to the private response center does not connect, the private response center may explicitly reject the call, causing the calling device to take action to call an emergency services telephone number, if needed. In another example, the call to the private response center may reach a customer service representative who recognizes that emergency services are needed. A signal is then sent to the calling device causing the device to call 9-1-1 directly.

Abstract: In an example method of operating a call center, personal profiles of a number of clients of a service provided by the call center are maintained in electronic storage. At least one of the personal profiles includes identification of one or more entities authorized by the respective client to act on behalf of the respective client, and a particular one of the one or more entities is assigned one or more trust level indicators specific respectively to one or more particular categories of action. An inquiry is received, inquiring whether the particular entity is authorized by a particular client to perform a proposed action on behalf of the particular client, the proposed action relating to one of the categories of action. It is then determined, based the trust level indicators and the category, whether the particular entity is authorized by the particular client to perform the proposed action.

Abstract: A portable communication device includes a processor, a memory holding data and instructions, a simplified user input interface for manually initiating functions of the portable communication device, a mobile telephone transceiver, and a short-range wireless communication transceiver. The devices uses the short-range transceiver to retrieve information from an external data storage device such as an NFC tag, and based on the received data, initiate a function of the portable communication device. Functions that may be initiated include pairing with another device, downloading and installing application software, and receiving and forwarding data from a health monitoring device.

Abstract: In an example method of operating a call center, personal profiles of a number of clients of a service provided by the call center are maintained in electronic storage. At least one of the personal profiles includes identification of one or more entities authorized by the respective client to act on behalf of the respective client, and a particular one of the one or more entities is assigned one or more trust level indicators specific respectively to one or more particular categories of action. An inquiry is received, inquiring whether the particular entity is authorized by a particular client to perform a proposed action on behalf of the particular client, the proposed action relating to one of the categories of action. It is then determined, based the trust level indicators and the category, whether the particular entity is authorized by the particular client to perform the proposed action.

Abstract: In an example system for operating a call center, personal profiles of clients of a service of the call center are maintained. At least some of the profiles include contact information for entities in a trusted network designated by the respective clients. When a contact is received at the call center relating to a particular one of the clients, the call center automatically selects on of the designated entities to contact. The automatic selection may be made based on one or more of a number of factors, for example the location of the designated entity, the nature of the incident that prompted the initial contact to the call center, skills possessed by the designated entities, or other factors.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for connecting a caller to an alternate telephone number, such as 9-1-1, when a call to a private response center does not result in immediate assistance, or when it is recognized by the private response center that emergency services are needed at the caller's location. In one example, when the call to the private response center does not connect, the private response center may explicitly reject the call, causing the calling device to take action to call an emergency services telephone number, if needed. In another example, the call to the private response center may reach a customer service representative who recognizes that emergency services are needed. A signal is then sent to the calling device causing the device to call 9-1-1 directly.

Abstract: In an example system for operating a call center, personal profiles of clients of a service of the call center are maintained. At least some of the profiles include contact information for entities in a trusted network designated by the respective clients. When a contact is received at the call center relating to a particular one of the clients, the call center automatically selects on of the designated entities to contact. The automatic selection may be made based on one or more of a number of factors, for example the location of the designated entity, the nature of the incident that prompted the initial contact to the call center, skills possessed by the designated entities, or other factors.

Abstract: A response center or other entity maintains in electronic storage records of trust relationships between parties. In an example method of operating a call center, personal profiles of clients of a service of the call center are maintained. At least some of the profiles include contact information for entities in trusted networks of the respective clients. An inquiry can be received from an inquiring party, inquiring whether a particular entity is trusted by a particular client. An electronic message is automatically sent to the inquiring part indicating whether or not the particular entity is trusted. In some implementations, entities may be assigned levels of trustedness.

Abstract: A response center or other entity maintains in electronic storage records of trust relationships between parties. In an example method of operating a call center, personal profiles of clients of a service of the call center are maintained. At least some of the profiles include contact information for entities in trusted networks of the respective clients. An inquiry can be received from an inquiring party, inquiring whether a particular entity is trusted by a particular client. An electronic message is automatically sent to the inquiring part indicating whether or not the particular entity is trusted. In some implementations, entities may be assigned levels of trustedness.

Abstract: Systems and methods of managing operational records, for example of a private response center. In one implementation the system includes one or more processors, memory holding instructions executable by the one or more processors, distributed storage holding a plurality of event stores storing records of events, and one or more electronic communication links between locations at which the event stores are stored. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to receive a request for a view of a state of the system, and construct the view from the records in at least one of the event stores.

Abstract: A response center maintains personal profiles of clients of a service of the response center. At least some of the profiles include contact information for entities in trusted networks of the respective clients. At least some of those trusted network entities may also have designated second-level entities in their own trusted networks. In some applications, the response center utilizes this extended network of entities for the benefit of its clients. For example, the response center may request information from a second-level entity if the information is not available from the client or one of the client's trusted entities. In other examples, the response center may recruit members of the extended network for assistance in certain situations, or may use the extended network as an information distribution mechanism. Principles of the invention may apply to a private response center or a public center such as a public safety answering point.