TECH TALK: Using technology for business sustainability

Published in Care Home Professional

Jonathan Papworth, co-founder and director of Person Centred Software, explores how technology can help combat some of the impacts of COVID-19 and help gear your care business up for the future.

At precisely the time we need our sector to thrive – reduced occupancy levels and increased barriers to the outside world are threatening the very existence of many care homes across the country.

Hindering response in all areas during this terrible pandemic is our sector’s overreliance on paper. Indeed with roughly 70% of providers operating paper processes, building a real-time picture of what’s been happening in care homes has been difficult.

COVID-19 has highlighted how woefully inadequate paper processes are for a sector as vital to society and as overstretched as social care. Evidencing care digitally at the point of care is not only safer and better for your residents’ wellbeing, it will help in the areas of immediate concern for providers – occupancy, response and future business viability.

With occupancy levels falling across the sector, digital care evidencing tools help drive up care standards, and will be important in attracting future residents when this crisis is over.

Among users of our Mobile Care Monitoring system, 94% are rated either Good or Outstanding by the CQC. This important measure that is valued by families makes homes more attractive and positively impacts occupancy.

Looking ahead, when this crisis passes, efficiencies will come back into sharp focus. Not only do tools such as our Mobile Care Monitoring app save carers up to an hour a day that can be invested straight back into frontline care, they also give staff the tools and information they need to do their job. They provide reliable reminders, highlight concerns, and enable them to monitor personal wellbeing.

Digital care evidencing tools not only enable you to get the response right now, they will give your business the foundations it needs for a stronger, more viable future.