Discriminating patient care communications system

A patient care communications system of a care facility comprising:

• a patient bed,
• a bed communications device attached to the patient bed, and
• a local communications device associated with a room of the care facility and configured for communication with the bed communications device,
• wherein the one of the local communications device and the bed communications device transmits at least one ID signal indicating an ID code, and forms an ad-hoc network with the other of the local communications device and the bed communications device upon receiving a confirmation signal indicating the ID code.

A discriminating patient care communications system for communication with a network of a care facility, the system comprising:

• a plurality of communication hubs each including circuitry configured to send and receive communication signals and a signal meter configured to measure the strength of signals received, a number of the plurality of communication hubs being arranged in communication with each other, wherein at least one network hub of the plurality of communication hubs is arranged in communication with the network of the care facility,
• a patient bed including communication circuitry configured to send signals indicating bed information to at least one of the plurality of communication hubs, and
• at least one patient care device for attending a patient assigned to the patent bed, the at least one patient care device including communication circuitry configured to send signals indicating care device information to at least one of the plurality of communication hubs,
• wherein the plurality of communication hubs are configured to determine a preferred hub of the plurality of communication hubs for communication with the at least one patient care device based on the greatest signal strength as measured by the signal meter, and to selectively operate the preferred hub to receive the signals indicating care device information from the at least one patient care device and to communicate an indication of the care device information to the network through the at least one network hub, and to selectively operate the communication hubs other than the preferred hub to disregard the signals indicating care device information.

A patient care communications system of a care facility having a facility communications system comprising:

• a patient-care device including at least one audio speaker,
• a patient-care communications device attached to the patient-care device, and
• a local communications device associated with a room of the care facility and configured for communication with the facility communications system and the patient-care communications device to communicate information therebetween,
• wherein the one of the local communications device and the patient-care communications device forms an ad-hoc network with the other of the local communications device and the patient-care communications device, and the local communication device configured to prioritize audio signals communicated from the facility communications system.