Downing Care’s The Chestnuts in Surrey Celebrating 5 Years of Digital Care Monitoring

Previously, the home had been using a paper-based system, which saw carers spending up to an hour per day documenting care. Since switching to Mobile Care Monitoring, staff have been able to free themselves of burdensome admin, allowing them instead to focus on residents.  

Going Digital 

Speaking of their switch to digital care monitoring, Beata Czapla, Home Manager at The Chestnuts says: “It was 2015 when we started using Person Centred Software’s Mobile Care Monitoring at The Chestnuts. Our staff were very happy to use new technology, and I’m always happy to use more technology – it’s something I’m trying to bring more of into The Chestnuts, for example with digital care monitoring and medication management.” 

The Benefits of Mobile Care Monitoring 

The home’s main motivation behind adopting the technology, Beata says, was to enable carers to spend more time with their residents. 

“Prior to using Person Centred Software, our staff had to record all interactions on paper in their individual diaries, which was very time consuming. Now, by using a mobile device and documenting care as and when tasks are complete, up to an hour per day is being saved.  

This hour can be spent interacting with our residents instead, and we’ll often use the extra time for activities such as baking and arts and crafts, which are much more beneficial to the residents.” 

As a Home Manager, Beata has also felt the benefits of being able to access detailed care records from anywhere, at any time – particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Beata says: “There are so many advantages to going digital. Not only are you saving time, but as a Manager you have all of the information that you could possibly need in one place and it’s easily accessible. I can track exactly what is going on within the home, even without being physically present, and it’s really helpful for team leaders and shift leaders to monitor details such as the fluid intake, bowel movements and activities of our residents. 

This is particularly helpful because if a family member was to ask what a relative was doing on a particular day and at a particular time, we can easily and quickly find that out without having to go through extensive paperwork. Information can also be printed and shared with the family, which has helped to strengthen relationships with relatives.” 

Implementing Mobile Care Monitoring 

With Person Centred Software on hand to support teams in their transition to Mobile Care Monitoring, Beata says “it makes sense to go digital. We had training from Person Centred Software and the staff were able to start using the software very quickly, and the feedback was very positive. There were no issues navigating the software.” 

“The feedback from our staff since we started using the software has been really positive.”