Cover story
them safe when they live together under the same roof. For this reason, homes will never again be able to allow unscheduled, unvetted visits. We all hope that Covid will be consigned to the history books, but this is far from guaranteed. It could become a seasonal concern, much like ‘flu, which has posed a great annual risk to the elderly for millennia. Indeed in 2017/18 over 26,000 UK deaths were attributed to ‘flu.2 Knowing what we know now, it is
obvious to see that ‘flu, other common viruses, illnesses, diseases and long- term health conditions must be better contained and managed with improved processes and workflows. Digital platforms will provide safeguards,
automate the enforcement of social distancing and provide an audit checklist to validate entry to many sites. Technology such as Ascom Mesh will create a simple way for homes to keep health dangers from the outside world firmly locked out.
Person-centred care in the palm of your hand Putting social distancing information in the hands of managers is the first step towards hosting visits, admitting new residents and reducing running pressures. Once this technology is in place though,
care homes can develop their technology infrastructure towards improving care outcomes. Apps for care planning can be loaded onto staff handsets to record interactions with residents. Digital care planning and evidencing
tools not only save huge amounts of valuable staff time but they also unlock vital insights about the health and wellbeing of residents, none of which would ever be possible with pen and paper. Apps that know - in depth - the health,
wellbeing and personal needs of each resident can ensure that their care plan is tailored precisely to their needs. That, combined with a digital audit trail, makes it more difficult for things to go wrong. It is important to stress here that
technology is not intended to replace staff but to support their work, unlock efficiencies and ultimately free them up to spend more time with residents – all with the result of better outcomes and monitoring. Our own Ascom Unite platform
integrates information from any combination of care admin and planning apps, turning real-time information into
workflows that can be accepted by staff. If, for example, there is a spillage or a resident fall, an alert can be sent to the nearest available carer to come and help. Once the situation is resolved they simply confirm task completion on their handset.
A data guided vision for dignity and wellbeing in care Digital records make everything from daily routines to hospital admissions quicker and safer. Perhaps more importantly, digital care planning makes it possible to spot when care is good and bad, giving operators vital insight that encourages continuous improvement. Data can link information and spot
trends that would otherwise be missed. That could be, for example, several residents on the top floor have all developed a cough. It could be that an individual has
refused food or drink for several days – and it could flag signals to speak to the GP about a change to a prescription. Such observations could prevent residents from needing hospital treatment. Added to this is the opportunity to
go on the front foot with wellbeing. With social distancing enforcement and planning tools at their disposal, carers can plan activities, organise socially distanced events and check residents are getting the exercise, nutrition and mental stimulation they need. The quicker that care homes gain such capabilities, the quicker care outcomes and resident wellbeing will improve.
Combining immediate impact with long-term viability While the pandemic has been a tragedy for our sector, best practice from Covid has dramatically reduced levels of ‘flu and deep vein thrombosis. Yet this is just the tip of the iceberg. As we look ahead,
March 2021 •
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com
it is clear the amassed learnings brought about by the pandemic will dramatically improve care outcomes. The biggest gains will be offered by
transitioning from paper to smartphones. The hours saved, the accuracy of records, the person-centred care plans, the ability to map social distancing and the potential of data to discover things before they become a problem are all truly exciting prospects. So while technologies like Mesh
provide a way for care operators to cautiously reopen to the world, going one step further and shifting to a digital care model will generate the data needed to improve in all areas of long term care. The last year has been filled with sadness
and tragedy but the future of care is exciting, viable and person-centred. If vaccines are the light at the end of the tunnel, technology delivers the tools providers urgently need to get there quicker.
References 1. Age UK, Age UK research lays bare the drastic impact of the pandemic on our older population’s health and morale, October 2020
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-press/ articles/2020/10/age-uk--research-into- the-effects-of-the-pandemic-on-the-older- populations-health/.
2. Healthy London Partnership, Influenza (Flu),
https://www.healthylondon.org/resource/ accelerated-improvement-resources/ enhanced-health-in-care-homes/seasonal- readiness/winter-readiness/influenza-flu/.
Contact details
Stephen Cavanagh, Ascom UK Telephone : +44 (0)7469 855 713 Email :
stephen.cavanagh@
ascom.com
https://www.ascom.com/uk/
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