technology
Software solutions
The case for using digital technology in aged care homes .
By Tammy Sherwood
As we start to come out of lockdown the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 virus continues . We can only hope then , that this time the situation will not be as detrimental to the health and social care sector as we have seen in previous months which , unfortunately , brought many aged care homes to their knees .
Providers relying heavily on paper to evidence care have been hit particularly hard , mainly due to mounting time pressures around administering and evidencing medication , as well as stringent COVID-19 protocols . With time already invaluable in the fight against coronavirus , particularly in paper-dependent care environments , aged care facilities have been impacted further with regular staff shortages and self-isolation . As a result , medical records are constantly changing hands , increasing the likelihood of becoming lost , misplaced or unnecessarily duplicated .
In these precarious times , such errors can vastly increase the time it takes to record the care of residents , which naturally increases the risk of severe consequences and unnecessary travesties . There is , however , a solution to simplifying administration , freeing up time and increasing communication through the innovative utilisation of technology .
There is , after all , widely adopted technology available that allows care providers to digitally plan , record and
monitor the care of residents at the point of delivery . Reducing the time it takes to evidence care by removing paper from the process , carers can instead focus on delivering the best possible care to their residents . Icon-driven technology has the added benefit of reducing the need for written language , eliminating language barriers between staff of different nationalities and reducing the risk of misinterpretation .
There is also software available that enables staff to evidence care through a simple click of a button and while on the go , which is instantaneously saved into a secure online portal accessible to all those in the organisation who have been granted access . At a time where room for error is so marginal , carers now have the resources to save time , reduce workloads , minimise errors , and enhance collaboration . Therefore , technology often misconceived as too complex to operate and integrate with aged care facilities , has proven to be the opposite .
Since the onset of COVID-19 , the value of technology has been highlighted even further . We have introduced eight new coronavirus-specific features developed to help protect the elderly and vulnerable . These included coronavirus reporting , staff coronavirus auditing , track and trace reporting , and Relatives Gateway video link , which allows residents and families to communicate in real-time . In addition , our
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Providers relying heavily on paper to evidence care have been hit particularly hard .
system includes many infection control features such as an infections register , barrier nursing alerts sent to the handheld devices , and infection symptom tracking .
Carers using our software have reported saving three days per month in administrative tasks , which is crucial when staff absence and agency usage is on the increase .
The Australian Government recently announced plans to invest $ 60 million to extend support for COVID-19 response measures in aged care homes until 30 June 2022 . This extension means the second tranche of COVID-19 Aged Care Support Program grants will be available from this week to support providers with costs incurred from 28 May
2021 to 31 March 2022 .
In response to the current situation across the country , significant efforts are being made to protect senior Australians in aged care , including more resources being made available should they be needed .
With the grant allocation being available to be put towards the cost of digital care systems to help control and manage infection , we believe now is such a pivotal time to take control and use the initiative in the fight against coronavirus , by eliminating the unnecessary burden of paper-based dependency in aged care facilities for more effective and multifunctional technology . ■
Tammy Sherwood is the CEO of Person Centred Software Australia .
28 agedcareinsite . com . au