How Oaklands Rest Home Benefits from the Relatives Gateway

Oaklands Rest Home in Southampton cares for 29 residents and uses person-centred, up-to-date technology in many aspects of the operation of the care home.

Relatives Gateway is part of Mobile Care Monitoring, provided by Person Centred Software. Oaklands began using Mobile Care Monitoring in 2015 and director, Samir Patel, believes that it “has changed our world and how we deliver care.”

“Mobile Care Monitoring and the Relatives Gateway have changed our world and how we deliver care.”

At Oaklands Rest Home, the Relatives Gateway has revolutionised how care is shared with families. Residents’ care and activities are quickly and easily evidenced on a handheld device by staff, which is then automatically shared through a portal that relatives can access from their computer or tablet.

In the Relatives Gateway, relatives can read and sign the resident’s care plan remotely. It also engages relatives in what is going on at Oaklands, provides them with accurate information at all times, and, most importantly, gives them peace of mind knowing their loved one is content.

Benefits of using the Relatives Gateway family portal

The handheld devices used by care staff quickly and easily provide accurate evidence of the care they deliver. It has been embraced by all staff, even older apprehensive carers, who have felt so confident using the devices that they have bought themselves smartphones for use in their personal lives for the first time. The handheld devices have dramatically reduced staff time spent on paperwork and money spent on paper.

Deputy manager, Lisa Wallace, says that due to reduced paperwork, “Staff have been able to spend more time with residents and activities have increased exponentially.”

The live care feed that runs in the office enables staff to know exactly what is going on in the home and provides a source of constant monitoring to know every resident is well cared for. Lisa finds the system fluid and easy to use for monitoring care: “I can find everything I need in one place, there’s no more running up and down the stairs to fetch files for paramedics!”

“Mobile Care Monitoring is the way forward; not only does the system pay for itself in savings on ink, paper and increased occupancy, but it gives so much more back.”