Working in the care profession for many years, first as a carer and then as the service manager for a thriving home care company, Care & Carers, has shown me that technology can make working in care less stressful and more effective. Having witnessed the drive to go digital by many care providers I am sharing my experience on what makes the best care management software.
There has been a surge of growth in the care management platform market with remote working in the past two years. Here are 5 of the most important features that a care management software must have if it is going create efficiency, save time and money, and reduce the stress associated with managing a care company:
- Carer and client interface: By allowing carers and clients/families the ability to log into the system and see all the relevant information they need, you will see a huge reduction in administration time for the back-office team. There will be less calls coming through asking for clarification and information on care visits, medications, care plans, risk assessments and so on. Carers should also be able to access their applications, contracts and all their personal details. When all this important information is easily accessible, it means there is more time spent on providing a quality service. It also provides reassurance for families and clients knowing exactly what is planned and actioned.
- User Friendly: A system that is intuitive and easy to navigate leaves next to no room for error. Something that can be picked up and used by all ages with a variety of knowledge is key! We all know care is an extremely diverse sector and people could be using the system with a range of experience in IT, so being easy to use is essential.
- Compliance and Matrix’s: Being able to view everything in one place is a huge time saver. Having to flip through many tabs when auditing takes twice as long than viewing everything in one place! The ability to download and generate a variety of reports on clients and carers is brilliant! Everything is at my fingertips, I barely have to move to find this information and action it if needed.
- Rostering: Using a system with a fully comprehensive rostering system is non-negotiable. Being able to see all the carers availability, working schedules and usual rounds/clients can save so much time. Situations are ever changing in community care so the ability to make small changes fast and efficiently is such a benefit for the care team. Once making the switch to a comprehensive rostering system you will never go back, trust me!
- Care Planning: We all know how fast clients’ conditions can change. It is so important to be using a system that allows you to make small and large changes quickly and efficiently, without disrupting carers with the refresh of new information. How the care plan is viewed by carers and admins needs to be simple, so all information is easily accessible. Also ensuring there is an audit trail of the updates and old versions alongside the review dates helping to keep the team proactive on these items.
Care Management platforms are here to make things easier for you! If you only take one thing away today, let it be to make sure your in love with the software your using and it makes your tasks easier.
