Benefits of Digital Care Plans at Avondale Care Scotland

Person Centred Software's digital care plans have improved compliance, regulatory ratings and managers' peace of mind at Avondale Care Scotland's four homes in Stirlingshire and Fife

In 2017, Avondale Care Scotland replaced paper records with digital care plans to contribute to care plans in real-time.

Avondale Care Scotland operates four care homes in Fife and Stirlingshire. Together, they provide care to 168 residents and employ 350 staff members.

Choosing the right digital care plans

Adrian Hendry, Director at Avondale Care Scotland, chose to implement Mobile Care Monitoring, Person Centred Software’s system for digital care plans. “I could see that a mobile solution for digital evidence of care would help us to better record interactions between staff and residents.

“As Mobile Care Monitoring is icon-based and easy to use, staff save time on documentation, so they have more time to care. Before, using paperwork, the staff team struggled to complete all fluid and turning charts accurately and on time. Using digital care plans has improved the accuracy of our records. Now we have detailed records and can prove what we are doing for residents.”

Evidencing care using the easy-to-use Care App allows carers quickly create meaningful care records. This saves each carer an hour each per shift, equivalent to an incredible three days per month on paperwork.

Easy-to-use Mobile Care Monitoring system

“Due to the system’s ease of use, it required minimum training,” continues Adrian. Person Centred Software delivered on-site training to support Avondale with implementing the system. “We would do things exactly the same way if we had to implement the system at Avondale again,” says Adrian.

“If we need to monitor someone’s care or intake of fluids, we do it on the Care App – it’s a godsend!”

Each care home had two days of on-site implementation training. The initial training day supported the homes to go live using the system the very next day. An in-depth training session on how the detailed digital care plans integrate with evidence of care was then delivered.

Helps to increase regulatory rating

Within a year, one of Avondale’s care homes, Carrondale Nursing Home, improved its rating. In 2018, The Care Inspectorate awarded Carrondale Nursing Home a level 6 for Care and Support.

In the report, they cited that Mobile Care Monitoring had: “greatly reduced the time spent on paperwork, which allowed staff to spend more time with residents,” and “enabled the manager to have an immediate oversight of activities, audits and communications at any one time within the home.”

Helps carers to provide person-centred care

“The greatest feature of MCM is how the detailed information is visually presented for care staff to quickly understand what’s been happening.” continues Adrian.

“It enables them to find out more information if needed. It gives carers all the information they need to provide person-centred care to a resident, even if they have just met.

“The greatest benefits we’ve had from using digital care plans is not having to implement fluid charts, bed turning charts, nutrition charts. If we need to monitor someone’s care or intake of fluids, we do it on the Care App – it’s a godsend!

“Mobile Care Monitoring has had a positive effect on our reputation.”

“Not only is this feature a major time saving for our staff, but it means that charts are now no longer one person’s responsibility,” continues Adrian.

“We can set up planned care actions, and the system will alert everyone on shift that has the ability. This promotes team-working, and there’s far less opportunity to miss any care that our residents need.”

Driving outstanding care through technology

Person Centred Software’s aim with its digital care plan system is to drive outstanding care. Adrian believes that since using the system, Avondale can “guarantee residents a much better quality of care. We can also track specific care outcomes in a much more responsive way.”

The detailed, timely charts have helped Avondale to sustain trusted relationships with families. “Since using digital care plans, we have had a reduction in malicious anonymous complaints referring to fluid charts and turning charts. This is traditionally an area you could find fault with any care home when using a paper system.

“Another way in which Mobile Care Monitoring is far superior to paper is with photographic evidence of wound care.” adds Adrian. “Staff can take photos whenever they treat a resident’s wound on the Care App that feeds into the body map. This photographic timeline of evidence of care is effective to show tissue viability nurses how a wound is healing.

“Photographic evidence means we can deflect any safeguarding enquiries when a resident has been in someone else’s care. Using digital care plans, we can show that we have provided the best quality of care.”

Gives peace of mind for compliance

Person Centred Software supports care homes to have uniform data across the group. The software provider supplies care homes with best practice toolkits, like oral care tools, and GDPR compliance. It also incorporates best practice guidelines from NICE and Scottish Government recommendations for care.

“The best practice toolkits give us peace of mind, especially concerning GDPR,” says Adrian. “As all our managers are using exactly the same system, they can support each other to achieve the best from the system.”

“We are leading the way in what is an inevitable step in the social care industry.”

In 2019, Person Centred Software launched a new ‘Who I Am’ feature. Tracy Gallacher, Manager at Carrondale Nursing Home in Falkirk, says it supports residents’ wellbeing. The ‘Who I Am’ feature contains a lot of in-depth information about residents’ care needs and how best to support them.

Tracy says, “The Care Inspectorate love the one-page profiles in residents’ rooms, which staff read before assisting residents.

“With the new digital feature, staff can access detailed information about the resident, no matter where they are providing care. This saves staff time updating records. It also supports them to provide more personalised care to our residents and achieve positive outcomes for residents.”

Adrian concludes, “I know Mobile Care Monitoring has had a positive effect on our reputation. We are one of the leading care home operators to use digital care plans. We are leading the way in what is an inevitable step in the social care industry.”

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