Helps to focus care on the needs of the individual 

The system supports a more person-centred approach to care with its 'Who I am' feature, which contains extensive information about each resident, including their likes and dislikes, dietary preferences, favourite activities, and preferred conversation topics. This wealth of information allows carers to provide personalised care to each resident based on their unique preferences and needs. 

Plan Care Day is another of my favourite features because it helps add structure to each resident's day and allows each resident's regular care requirements to be set up.

 For example, if a resident likes to have a couple of fried eggs on toast at 08:15 am, it flags up a notification on the device for the carer. If the carer does not document that event, it will keep notifying them until they get those eggs to the resident. Great feature! 

The eRedBag feature is particularly valuable as it encompasses a wide range of information, including details about the residents' GP, complete medical history, and contact information for their next of kin. It also includes any symptoms, concerns or actions noted by the care home staff. It provides details about the residents' current medication, core observations (vital signs), and other essential details such as existing pressure sores, mobility status, and DNACPR status and can be printed quickly, avoiding the need for time-consuming photocopying. 

This feature helps ensure that residents receive safer and more integrated care in the event of an emergency hospital visit by making it much easier to send someone to the hospital, as it provides essential information for paramedics, doctors, and other healthcare professionals. 

Helps to future-proof our care home 

The DSCR system is easy to use and gives care staff a good understanding of the person who requires the care. From an audit point of view, it's excellent. It has the facility to look at various aspects of care, which helps with regulators, inspections and the CQC.  

One of the things I like most about the system is that it future-proofs our care organisation and equips it to handle the demands of tomorrow. The system is adaptable and helps with preventative care, which allows us to identify behavioural or health changes and respond before they become expensive and time-consuming emergencies. It's also a sustainable solution for our organisation, and with continuous enhancements, the system can meet and exceed our evolving needs for years to come. 

Making use of the Connected Care Platform  

We also use the Nursecall Messaging Service (NMS), another of Person Centred Software's Connected Care offerings. One of the great benefits of NMS is its integration with the DSCR system. For example, if a resident presses for a nurse call alert, it triggers a notification on the carer's devices to inform all staff that the resident requires help. This ensures prompt assistance, which is helpful for the resident's ability to alert staff quickly. 

What I like about the NMS is that it rings, and then there's a pause before it rings again, unlike our previous NMS. This change has significantly improved the atmosphere and noise levels throughout the home.  

The system's ability to enhance resident safety within the home is incredibly valuable and essential for peace of mind. For example, some residents have seat alarms, and others have alarm mats at their bedside or by the side of their chairs. When the device displays "out of bed" or "out of chair," this level of detail signifies a heightened risk of potential falls and enables carers to respond quickly to that individual. 

The option to decline the call is helpful for staff if they are already assisting another resident. The walkie-talkie feature also contributes to the safety and security of our care home staff, so they can also get help in an emergency situation.  

Additionally, I like how the system provides evidence of whether our care staff answered the calls. So, if a resident claims they weren't helped for half an hour, we can easily check the system to confirm whether that's true. It gives the home valuable data and insights into call volumes and response times. It also helps with regulatory compliance because we can look at the data around how long people take to answer call bells and other things like that.  

We have recently commenced use of ATLAS eMAR, another of Person Centred Software's Connected Care offerings. It's worth noting that Person Centred Software has expanded its Connected Care Platform by introducing a range of innovative digital solutions.

This has prompted us to evaluate these new offerings and determine how they can further support our operations.

Overall, I'm highly satisfied with Person Centred Software and eager to witness the continued advancements and developments that the company will bring in conjunction with clinical care home staff.