When I co-founded Person Centred Software with my brother, Simon, we combined our knowledge of social care with cloud-based technology to invent a new way of working for front-line care staff in care homes. Our system, Mobile Care Monitoring (MCM) has transformed how care workers evidence care for the better with a mobile application that they can understand and use effectively to help provide better care.
Initially some people thought our icon-driven approach was too simplistic, but over the five years since we started, and with over 1,000 care homes using the system, time has shown it to be the most effective way to evidence care. This is due to its speed of data entry, ease of use, and the ability for it to be used by non-native speakers of English, those with dyslexia and non-IT literate people.
Alongside the application’s ease of use, we have developed an implementation process that works for our customers, helping them to adapt to change and move from paper-based processes to using the mobile application.
The opportunity for care providers to transform their work in an effective ‘digital’ way only started when mobile devices became more commonplace. Now, every member of staff uses the icon-based application on a handheld device throughout their shift. They evidence care in real-time, ensuring the quality of information is accurate and detailed. It enables every carer to save at least one hour a day on administration, which equates to three days saved every month, compared to paper documentation.
Agnieszka Orlowska, General Manager at Malden House that was rated CQC Outstanding in 2018 says, “Our residents have benefitted from one on one interaction with our staff because our care team doesn’t have to worry about writing time consuming care plans. Instead residents’ profiles are updated quickly and efficiently, to reflect their specific care needs. This enhances communication between our teams to ensure we have the latest relevant information about our residents to concentrate on the finer details of daily living.”
Managers save time on care plan reviews and safeguarding with dashboards that deliver all the information to their fingertips. Time is even saved on admissions to hospital since up-to-date information can be automatically collated into a hospital pack. Information is transparent and can be shared with outside professionals involved in people’s care, and family members through an online Relatives Gateway portal.
Whilst these time savings mean that staff have more time to care and spend with residents which leads to providing a better quality of care, the benefits are also vital for those managing the care home as a business.
Rishi Sodha, Care Director at Handsale Care Homes says, “As we grew our care home business, a major requirement was to have an overview of how each of our eight homes was performing. We also needed a risk register at board level to identify any potential events that could impact the organisation. Initially we saw Mobile Care Monitoring as a way to save time, but it has given us insight into things we just didn’t know.”
Using Mobile Care Monitoring, care providers have the tools to put people at the heart of care. Evidencing care on-the-go frees staff from the burden of paper documentation so the person receiving care can be the sole focus. We know that social care is one of the most highly regulated industries, so our system is designed to help providers demonstrate quality of care to CQC as well as improving people’s outcomes, leading to happier staff and happier residents.
If you’re interested in using an electronic care system, download our free guide on ‘How to Choose an Electronic Care Planning, Monitoring and Reporting System’ www.personcentredsoftware.com/electronic-care-planning-guide or call 01483 357657 to book a demo.
