FEATURE
A More Efficient Care Home
Penny Brinsley, Account Director at Service Works Global, discusses the implications of facilities management technology in care estate management including the use of AI to create better maintenance schedules and keep care residents safe.
The UK care sector faces an ever-increasing demand for high- quality services, primarily due to demographic shiſts and the growing needs of an ageing population. Care home residents and staff already contend with numerous challenges related to comfort, safety, and human contact.
In this environment, the last thing they should worry about is the state of the care home facilities, whether it's heating, maintenance, or outdoor spaces.
This article explores the significant challenges faced by care homes and the pivotal role that technology, particularly Computer-Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) systems, can play in transforming care estate management. It also outlines the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for predictive maintenance, offering practical advice and insights that will help building managers in their day-to-day roles, all with the end goal of ensuring a safer environment for all occupants.
CHALLENGES IN THE CARE SECTOR
A recent Savills report found that there are 3.4 million people in the UK aged over 80 years and approximately 455,000 care home beds. It also reported that the number of people aged over 80 will increase by 32% in the next decade. While not every one of these people will require a care home bed, it
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does signal that a sector already under strain is likely to see demand increase.
This growing demand is further heightened by the ongoing issues surrounding maintenance and asset management. Care homes can be large and complex facilities that require meticulous attention to detail, both in terms of infrastructure and equipment.
It’s also widely believed that buildings converted into care homes, rather than purpose-built care homes, create additional challenges for facilities teams around maintenance and compliance.
Maintaining the physical infrastructure of care homes is no small feat. Maintenance tasks can range from simple repairs to complex system upgrades. Ensuring that residents are comfortable and safe is essential, but it is equally important to ensure that the premises and its assets are functional. In the winter months, this task becomes even more challenging, as cold weather can take a toll on heating systems, and outdoor areas may require regular gritting and maintenance.
Poorly maintained estates can result in subpar or even unsafe living conditions, which can jeopardise the quality of care provided. On top of this, non-compliance can lead to fines for operators, resulting in large business costs.
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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