Making every care interaction count at Australian Nursing Home Foundation

Published: 6 December 2022
Updated: 7 February 2025

A care system that needed to work for every carer

Australian Nursing Home Foundation (ANHF) has been providing culturally appropriate aged care since 1980, supporting older Australians to live according to their individual preferences, choices and cultural traditions.

With staff from a wide range of cultural and language backgrounds, ANHF needed care technology that everyone could use confidently. Its previous system was cumbersome, lacked the mobility staff needed and made everyday recording more difficult than necessary. The organisation wanted care workers to capture information as they supported residents, regardless of their confidence with technology or English language proficiency. Managers also needed reliable access to care information, assessments and clinical trends to maintain quality and demonstrate compliance with aged care standards.

ANHF was looking for a system that could support both its frontline workforce and the wider organisation's commitment to culturally responsive, person-centred care.

Making care easier to record, share and review

ANHF introduced PCS Care in 2018, becoming one of the first ten organisations to adopt the system. The platform gave care workers a simpler way to record support at the point of delivery, while bringing together the information managers needed to review care quality, monitor resident wellbeing and prepare compliance evidence.

PCS Care: Making daily recording accessible to more staff

The icon-driven Care Delivery App has been particularly valuable for ANHF's diverse workforce. Staff can record progress notes on handheld devices throughout the day, using icons that make the process easier for people with limited English proficiency, lower digital confidence or dyslexia.

Care workers can also record information without an internet connection. Once their devices reconnect, the notes automatically synchronise, allowing staff to capture information while the detail is still fresh. The change has made a measurable difference. ANHF reported recording more than 8,000 progress notes each day, equivalent to approximately 50 notes per resident.

Staff can capture a more complete picture of daily care without spending lengthy periods completing documentation away from residents.

Turning daily care records into useful clinical insight

More detailed care information has also given ANHF's management team greater visibility of resident wellbeing. Care plans and assessments can be updated more easily, while charts and reports are generated from the information staff record throughout the day. Managers can review interactions, monitor care delivery and identify patterns in areas such as falls, urinary tract infections and changes in body mass index (BMI).

The system also highlights whether important care activities have taken place, including fluid monitoring, helping managers identify where additional attention may be needed.

Keeping important information available during care transitions

ANHF also uses PCS Care to share relevant resident information with allied health professionals and emergency services. When a resident needs hospital treatment, the team can compile current care records for ambulance or hospital staff, helping them understand the person's needs and recent care.

Having information readily available supports clearer communication between professionals, particularly when someone is moving between different care settings.

Planning for greater resident choice

Alongside its clinical care improvements, ANHF also outlined plans to introduce Operations Management, powered by Centrim Life, at its Gordon aged care facility. The organisation selected Lifestyle Management, Maintenance Management and Dining and Ordering as part of its plans to give residents more control over everyday services.

The plans reflected the foundation's wider focus on supporting personal choice and independence within residential aged care.

Keeping people and culture at the heart of care

ANHF's commitment to culturally appropriate care is built on understanding the individual, including the languages they speak, the traditions they value and the choices that shape their daily lives.

By making care information more accessible to staff and leaders, PCS Care supports that commitment across the organisation. Care workers can contribute confidently, managers have a clearer understanding of resident wellbeing, and the details that make care personal are better represented in each resident's record.