Embracia introduced Person Centred Software’s Mobile Care Monitoring system in 2019 to replace their previous digital clinical documentation system.
Before this, everything was documented separately, with individual charts and lists needing to be updated. Now, everything is integrated into one system, making it easier to keep track of their records and keep records up-to-date. They’ve also changed their medication management system and are now enjoying a fully integrated solution.
Embracia has two sites, one with 120 residents and the other with 75 residents. Both are residential homes based on the Eden and Montessori models of care, meaning they favour and adopt a person-centred care approach.
This approach has strengthened since using Mobile Care Monitoring as it has increased the level of activity from caregivers on the floor. Carers have reduced their time away from residents completing documentation, as they can now access notes on the go. This has enabled the residents to be more involved in the evidencing of their care too.
Here, Executive Manager, Sue, talks to us about the use of Mobile Care Monitoring in their aged care home and how it’s transformed the care she and her team are able to provide:
How Has Person Centred Software Transformed Aged Care for Embracia?
Person Centred Software’s Mobile Care Monitoring system has enabled Embracia to document their day on the floor as they go, eliminating the risk of mistakes or elements being forgotten. Our caregivers can record everything from fluid intake to activities in real-time. This has proven particularly popular with some of the residents who are now able to see their documentation as they go.
Being able to take notes and record everything at the point of contact helps carers evidence their resident’s day more effectively. The same goes for medication. It’s now integrated so the nurses can update their records during their rounds.
“It makes a difference having Mobile Care Monitoring on portable devices. The time our staff would have spent previously updating records at the end of their shift is now time spent on the floor with our residents. The handover between shifts is much more efficient, which benefits our residents greatly.”
Relatives Gateway
“Relatives Gateway has been very important. It isn’t just that they do access it, it’s that they can. It’s about offering transparency around what’s happening with their loved one, and I think that transparency builds trust.”
When a person comes into care, it is often an overwhelming time for them and their families. Many residents deteriorate quite quickly or come straight from a hospital setting. Therefore, the transition to aged care is often a matter of urgency rather than a planned situation. Because of this, the families have usually been in touch with various medical professionals, social workers, finance and government workers, and clinicians. They will have been given lots of information in a short space of time. The job of the aged care home is not only to settle the resident in as quickly and seamlessly as possible. It is also to simplify the process and offer reassurance to the family.
Using Person Centred Software’s Relatives Gateway helps Embracia build a relationship with the families and create a level of trust. The families are entrusting their loved one to the caregivers, so there needs to be open lines of communication. At Embracia, the door is always open for family members to speak with staff at any time. However, implementing the Residents Gateway has helped enhance relationships with the families by allowing them to be even more transparent.
“Relatives can access the portal at any time. Some dip in and out occasionally to keep an eye on their loved ones. However, some check it more regularly. They can see how much their loved one has had to eat and drink, what they’ve been doing with their day and when they’ve washed. It can be reassuring for them to see this. It also means they can phone us if they have any concerns or questions.”
The Importance of Photos and Videos
“We don’t wait for birthdays to celebrate life and to take photos and videos. We believe every day should be fun for our residents. They should laugh every day, and there should be joy and music every day.
Some residents living with dementia, for example, , may not have the cognitive capacity to understand or remember why they are laughing. However, the same endorphins are still released nevertheless. So, even though they might not understand their reasons for laughing, they will still feel good.”
Particularly in lockdown when families were unable to see their loved ones as much, receiving pictures and videos of them laughing and dancing was an extremely important and effective method of communication made easier by the Relatives Gateway.
Person Centred Software Statistics
Since implementing Mobile Care Monitoring into their aged care homes, Embracia now documents an incredible 11,520 care notes per day for their 199 residents. This means there are on average 58 detailed care notes per resident, per day, to evidence the quality of care provided.
