The benefits of cloud-based home care software
Many smaller agencies still rely on paper-based systems, which is both time consuming and expensive. From staff taking longer to complete their notes to the extra travel time in and out of the office, these types of inefficiencies will hurt any organisation’s growth. In contrast, by going digital, we estimate that agencies can save at least a few hundred pounds every month, and upwards of five minutes with every client.
Improved CQC ratings
Ah, the dreaded CQC inspection! Fortunately, it no longer needs to be such a burden. With comprehensive reporting and documentation handled automatically, it’s easier than ever to demonstrate how you’ve been responsive to changing care needs of your clients, well-led as an organisation, as well as safe, effective, and caring.
More client contact time
In care, if it’s not been documented, it’s not been done. Frequently, this means support workers need to spend significant time writing their notes after each visit. With a mobile phone app, staff can now choose what they’ve done with each client through pre-selected options, making the process quick and painless. Our case studies show that this can save as much as 15-20 minutes per client.
Happier care workers
You probably do your best to hire the best support workers in the business, those that can strike up an instant rapport with their clients. However, often these staff are expected to spend a large proportion of their day dealing with needless admin. Home care software lets care workers re-focus on their calling. By logging into their secure mobile phone app the night before their visits, staff can see their schedule, read their client notes and identify any important alerts. This means engaged staff, ready to hit the ground running as soon as they start work each day. Also, investing in tools that make the lives of your care workers easier shows that you care about them, and helps to keep them around longer.
Better teamwork
With varying shift patterns and the changing needs of clients, care workers can sometimes seem like ships in the night, making detailed handovers and continuity of care difficult. Not to mention the effect on teamwork with different care workers coming and going. Now, with all the important care notes stored safely online, each staff member can pick up where their colleagues left off, ensuring a unified approach with each client.
Safeguarding staff and service users
Using geolocation within home care software, the tram in the office can now see exactly where and when care staff are logging in and checking out of their visits, in addition to exactly what’s taking place on every visit. So if a family raises an issue or a client refuses entry, you now have digital evidence of what happened. This information not only improves accountability in the care process but also helps keep insurance premiums low! Our partners Aviva have modelled the significant impact that digital record keeping can have on insurance claims – if it’s clear who was at the client’s home, and what happened during a given incident, it’s much easier to close off the claim quickly.
Improved care standards
Despite the best care, incidents sometimes happen, which often go unnoticed for too long when using paper systems. If a client fails to take their medication or develops signs of a more serious health issue, digital tools allow an alert to be raised immediately, with no extra admin for the care worker. This can be picked up by the care manager, who can refer the incident to relevant health professionals, like the GP. Such streamlined systems nip any potential health conditions in the bud, before they become major issues.
Happy families
Naturally, when a loved one requires care, family and friends seek peace of mind. This ranges from family that demand daily updates, to others that simply want reassurance that an agency is doing their job well. Home care software does just that, notifying nominated individuals of a care worker’s arrival and departure through real-time alerts. Friends and family can also log into the system, providing access to client notes and greater participation in the care process. At OnCare we even have the option to send text messages to key family or friends to give additional reassurance whether they live down the road or in a different country.
Attract and retain new clients
By adopting the latest technology, agencies can show potential service users in a few quick clicks that they take their care standards seriously. With a beautiful interface tracking every aspect of your care, clients can be sure that they’re in safe hands, especially if friends and family don’t live closeby to call in regularly. With friends and family alerts and birthday reminders, you can add the personal touches to your care packages that your clients and their families deserve. Simply remembering someone’s birthday can have a huge positive impact on their health.
Improved security
Paper notes are hard to keep secure, especially when left unattended in clients’ houses for anyone to read. Home care software makes such concerns a thing of the past, as agencies can keep care plans confidential, with individual staff passcodes, user permissions and online banking level security, using the latest forms of data encryption. So instead of desperate hunts for missing paperwork and finding secure filing cabinets for mountains for notes, agencies can focus on delivering excellent care.
General Protection Data Regulation (GDPR) Compliance
The introduction of GDPR has caught many agencies by surprise, especially when it’s no longer permitted to send identifiable client data or care rotas via email. By adopting digital tools, organisations can instantly adhere to the new regulations, with all sensitive information sent and stored securely.