COVID-19
right tools, they can help reduce the rate of transmission by quickly informing anyone who may have come into contact with the patient, either directly or indirectly, including other care workers and service users.
WORKING PATTERNS
Knowing someone’s COVID-19 status is vital for informed decision-making at this time, such as what PPE to wear and whether to self-isolate and be tested.
Technology such as people management soſtware also allows home care providers to limit the contact time service users have with different care workers, so infections are less likely to spread widely. A dynamic rota means managers are able to accurately match staff with people who they know and who are most local to them.
Continuity of care is essential, not just from an infection control perspective, but in providing reassurances to people who are extremely worried about contracting COVID-19 too.
COMMUNICATION
At a time when visits from family and friends are not permitted, effective communications have never been more important. We might have seen members of the older generation embracing video calls, perhaps for the first time, to ease their isolation and improve mental health – but care providers are using digital technology to update relatives too.
A next-of-kin app, supported by a care management system, enables family members to view key information about their loved one’s health and wellbeing. This could include how they are feeling and whether they are eating and sleeping well, to more serious incidents such as falls. At a time when families might feel powerless to help, it keeps them involved and encourages them to take positive action, such as arranging a video call with a much-missed grandchild.
With regular real-time updates, staff who are already facing immense time pressures can concentrate on delivering quality care rather than fielding calls from understandably concerned relatives.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Like their colleagues in the NHS, care workers are on the frontline of fighting COVID-19 in residential homes and complexes, and the wider community. The circumstances could not be more challenging, and they’ll need all the support they can get to protect themselves and service-users.
Technology, along with increased testing and PPE provision, has a leading role to play in helping to get the infection under control and ensuring people feel safe again.
It allows managers to respond quickly to the changing situation and use their valuable resources more strategically, while care workers benefit from reduced admin and increased safety when they come into contact with service-users.
Tools, like those outlined above, free up staff to focus on the health and wellbeing of those they look aſter by identifying symptoms of COVID-19, as well as other illnesses and mental distress. With the right information, they’re able to make potentially life-saving decisions quickly and with confidence.
www.theaccessgroup.com/care-management
twitter.com/TomorrowsCare - 21 - “Continuity of care is essential, not just from an
infection control perspective, but in providing reassurances to people who are extremely worried about contracting COVID-19 too.”
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