- Case Study
A quieter night's sleep at Saxonwood Care Home
How Sussex Housing & Care deployed Spark Care’s Nurse Call Messaging Service (NMS) at their Saxonwood home in Battle — replacing noisy call bells with discreet smartphone alerts, and creating a calmer, more person-centred environment for residents, families and staff.
Client
Sussex Housing & Care
Location
Saxonwood Care Home, Battle
Solution
Nurse Call Messaging Service (NMS)
Deployed
February 2025
At a glance
Quieter
Noisy call bells replaced by discreet smartphone alerts
Calmer
More peaceful environment for residents, families and staff
Faster
Staff can prioritise calls and respond more promptly
Integrated
Part of Sussex Housing & Care's wider digital transformation
The challenge
Traditional nurse call systems rely on audible alarms and panel displays that can disturb residents — particularly at night — and make care environments feel clinical rather than homely. For Sussex Housing & Care, a values-led provider running three care homes in East and West Sussex, the goal was clear: use technology to deliver a more person-centric service without compromising on responsiveness or safety.
Saxonwood Care Home in Battle was selected as part of a wider digital transformation programme to improve record keeping, reduce unnecessary noise, and give staff more time to spend with residents.
The solution
Spark Care deployed the Nurse Call Messaging Service (NMS) at Saxonwood, integrating with the home’s existing infrastructure to route alerts directly to staff smartphones. Instead of loud, shared panel alarms, the right team member receives the right alert at the right time — with full context, categorisation and an audit trail.
The rollout formed one part of Sussex Housing & Care’s broader digital strategy, sitting alongside their work on digital care planning and person-centred record keeping.
“I do like my sleep. I do not wake up so often at night now, and I have a more peaceful sleep in the mornings as I cannot hear those call bells ringing anymore.”
June, 98 — Resident at Saxonwood
Voices from Saxonwood
Real feedback from the people who use the system every day — residents, families and care leadership.
Resident
I do not wake up so often at night now, and I have a more peaceful sleep in the mornings as I cannot hear those call bells ringing anymore.
June, 98
Resident, Saxonwood Care Home
Family
I observed that the lack of call bells made for a much calmer environment for residents and visitors. I think it is a great approach.
Chrissie
Daughter of a Saxonwood resident
Operations
We’re delighted the new call system has had a positive impact on daily life at Saxonwood. The implementation is part of our wider digital transformation programme to use technology to provide a more person-centric and responsive service.
Amanda Hodge
Operations Director, Sussex Housing & Care
The outcome
The feedback from Saxonwood speaks for itself. Residents sleep better. Families report calmer, more enjoyable visits. Staff can prioritise their response and communicate more efficiently — spending less time reacting to noise and more time with the people in their care.
For Sussex Housing & Care, NMS is now a cornerstone of a broader digital vision: one where technology quietly supports compassionate care, rather than getting in the way of it.
Our philosophy
“Care should feel like home, not a hospital. The nurse call messaging system at Saxonwood has made such a difference already — creating a calmer, more restful environment where residents like June can enjoy a proper night’s sleep, and families can visit without the constant sound of call bells.”
Nadia Morris — Founder & CEO, Spark Care
Bring a calmer, smarter nurse call system to your care home
Book a discovery call to see how NMS could fit into your home's existing systems — with no costly infrastructure replacement.
Quotes and details reproduced with permission from Sussex Housing & Care. Originally published on sussexhousing.org.uk, 26 February 2025 .