Procedures
and choosing the best care home for their relatives. They need confidence that their loved ones will receive the highest quality care, and that no aspect of their quality of life will be overlooked. Families of residents are key stakeholders in the reputation of care homes, and their opinion can greatly impact future occupancy. This is one area where the weaknesses
of traditional reporting mechanisms are exposed. Any care home manager who has spent time trying to collate disparate documents or spreadsheets from numerous sources in readiness for an audit will understand the pitfalls of paperwork. Logging and gathering information swallows up significant amounts of time and adds to the strain that is already being felt. But how do care homes provide measurable, evidence-backed answers without putting more weight on the shoulders of workers?
Digital reporting enables staff to log the status of activity quickly and easily, in the time and place where the work is happening – which means no more staying late to complete the day’s paperwork. Information is automatically stored in the cloud and available to managers via customisable daily, weekly, or monthly reports to shed light on activity that may have previously been hidden. Managers can compare sites, set benchmarks, and measure performance over time – providing data-driven insight long before any third-party inspection.
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Smarter regulation and acceleration of
improvement are both cited by the CQC as priorities for transformation.
Care home procedures in the future The care home challenges that peaked during the pandemic have taken a toll on the sector. But the pandemic has also revealed the potential for positive change. The digitisation of care home procedures is a source of hope.
The case for digitisation is highlighted by the British Geriatric Society (BGS): “The COVID pandemic has brought about advances in the way that digital technology is used in care homes and to support the delivery of healthcare in care homes. While the introduction of these technologies has not been without its challenges, digital technology has the potential to improve care for care home residents and help to bridge the gap between health and social care.”
The BGS goes on to point out that further
work is needed: “However, many care homes are not currently digitally enabled and need support, both financial and practical, to implement digital solutions for the benefit of their residents.” But what about those on the front line? What can other care homes learn from Hallmark’s experience? Julie Rayner says: “As a sector, we have been through a lot and there are probably a lot of challenges we’ve still got to get through. But as a sector, we are
Mike is a veteran of the UK healthcare sector with over 23-years’ experience working with organisations, including 13+ years in international sales at Molecular Devices (formerly Genetix). He began his career working on the human genome before moving on to screening cell lines for novel antibodies in cancer, helping to develop one of the market leading drugs for the disease.
incredibly resilient. We’re all fairly special working in the care sector. My advice would be, don’t give up. Just keep going and push those boundaries. You don’t have to accept everything as it is. You can question, practise and innovate, and continue to support older people to live their best lives.”
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Mike Hobby
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com June 2022
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