Case study
Why LifeCare switched to a care planning system built for its full care journey
LifeCare switched to PCS after reviewing around 15 care planning providers and finding that other systems did not meet the full needs of its growing care model. With PCS Care and access to PCS’s wider connected care services, LifeCare now has clearer records, more consistent reporting and a digital foundation that supports residents across retirement villages and nursing homes.
LifeCare is a family-owned, independent care group with roots in New Zealand and more than 30 years of experience supporting residents across retirement villages and nursing homes.
In the UK, LifeCare operates three retirement villages and two nursing homes. Its model is built around a full continuum of care, so residents can be supported across different stages of later life with the right mix of independence, nursing support, wellbeing and clinical care.
That care model needed the right digital foundation. LifeCare did not want a system that only solved one part of the problem or created more work for staff. It needed care planning software that could support high standards across different services, bring information together and grow with the group.
After reviewing around 15 possible providers, LifeCare chose PCS.
The challenge
When Jonathon Leet, Director of Operations at LifeCare, began looking at systems for the group’s first UK site, the team reviewed around 15 possible providers. Some systems were too clinical and weighed down by admin, while others felt too much like a box-ticking exercise and did not help staff record detailed, useful care notes.
Most systems met part of the brief, but not enough of it. LifeCare needed something that worked for care teams, nursing teams, managers and residents, with information that could be captured clearly and used properly across the resident journey.
The issue became clearer at Somerleigh Court, one of LifeCare’s other sites, which had chosen a different digital care planning system. The system was not as user-friendly as LifeCare needed, and staff found it harder to navigate, capture information and analyse data.
The solution
PCS Care (formerly mCare) gives LifeCare a care planning system that matches the way its teams want to work. The system helps staff record care in real time, capture richer care notes and follow a more logical resident journey from assessments to care plans and reviews. It also gives managers better access to the information they need, without making daily care more complicated for staff.
After seeing PCS Care work well at Battersea Place and Grove Place, LifeCare decided to increase its partnership with PCS and bring Somerleigh Court onto the same system. That gave the group one clearer way to manage care planning, reporting and oversight across its sites.
A system staff could actually use
Ease of use was one of the biggest reasons LifeCare chose PCS Care. Jonathon described PCS Care as clinically sound, with a resident journey that flows in a way care and nursing teams can understand. Risk assessments, care plans and reviews sit together logically, which helps staff move through the system without feeling like they are fighting the process.
The icon-driven interface was another important factor. Care staff could record notes quickly and accurately, while still capturing a greater amount of evidence around resident interaction. That helped staff who were less confident writing long notes, including team members whose first language was not English.
LifeCare also saw a practical benefit at Grove Place, where the size of the site sometimes caused connectivity issues. PCS Care could work offline and then sync when internet access returned, which meant care information could keep flowing into the system throughout the day.
A partner LifeCare can grow with
LifeCare was not only choosing a care planning system. The group wanted a digital partner that could support its wider vision for connected care.
PCS Care was the main reason for the switch, but LifeCare also valued having access to PCS’s wider services, including PCS eMAR(formerly ATLAS eMAR) and PCS Wellbeing (formerly Oomph!). That mattered because LifeCare’s care model stretches across retirement living, nursing care, wellbeing and future growth, so its digital tools need to support more than one part of the operation.
Bringing consistency across LifeCare sites
After the success of PCS Care at Battersea Place and Grove Place, LifeCare wanted Somerleigh Court to work in the same way. Moving Somerleigh Court onto PCS Care helped the group standardise risk assessments, clinical assessments, reporting and oversight across its different operations. That gave managers a clearer view of care quality and helped teams work from the same structure, rather than managing different systems across different sites.
The implementation was also well received by staff. LifeCare heard positive feedback about PCS trainers, with staff describing sessions as engaging and pitched at the right level for the audience.
With Person Centred Software’s mCare, we found an all-encompassing system that actually achieves its goals and does everything you want it to do as a care management system.
Supporting LifeCare’s full care journey
PCS Care helped LifeCare create a more consistent care planning approach across its UK sites. The result was a care planning system that better matched its full care journey, from retirement village living through to nursing support and future growth. Overall, the switch to PCS meant choosing a partner that could support high-quality care today and grow with the group as its services continue to develop.