As care professionals, we all want to improve care standards for clients. From organising staff rosters to keeping care plans up to scratch, the admin often gets in the way.
Luckily, technology now allows forward-thinking care agencies to do away with many pieces of paperwork.
By using home care software, agencies not only have all the information they need for their next CQC inspection easily to hand, but can also free up more time to actually spend with clients.
So let’s take a look at the options, and dig a little deeper into what home care software is and how it can help.
The exact features of domiciliary care software may vary from company to company, but here are some of the inbuilt capabilities you can expect:
Carer mobile appThere’s no longer any need for complicated, expensive equipment, as platforms can be accessed on any modern smartphone, with many systems working equally well on Android phones or iPhones.
Login from any locationPassword-protected, encrypted logins allow staff to sign into applications and update care notes at a client’s house or on the go, even when there’s no reception.
Record keeping and incident reportingSocial care requires excellent documentation, from training reports, risk assessments and care plans. Alerts must also be recorded and messages from friends or family stored safely.
Voice-to-text dictation softwareProvided voice recording technology not only improves the speed and accuracy of documentation but also makes it easier for support workers who are more comfortable speaking than writing.
Geolocated electronic call monitoring (ECM)When care workers attend an appointment, systems record their exact location, in addition to arrival and departure times, making for a seamless service.
Family and friend updatesKeeping loved ones in the loop is essential in the modern care environment, with nominated individuals receiving real-time alerts of each visit.
Rota planningVisual, drag and drop builders now provide office staff with intuitive, easy-to-amend schedules whenever the day takes an unexpected turn.
Travel informationAgencies can now accurately gauge travel time between visits, decide on individual mileage rates and apply specific exclusions for lunchtimes and breaks.
Invoicing and payrollInvoicing private clients and the local authority is easy, while automatic payroll features calculate monthly staff costs.
Third party integrationsMany systems include integrations with other digital platforms. For example, your care management software may integrate with your payroll provider or accounting tools.
eMARsElectronic medication records (eMARs) are systems that enable the office staff to input the correct medication per client into the system.
Data analysisIf you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Collecting important information on your care workers and clients helps improve organisational decision making.
Staff management systemDigital platforms cater for a range of HR-related needs, including employee applications, staff training and appraisals, holidays, sickness and DBS expiries.