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Electronic care planning and the benefits to home-based care
At Unique IQ we firmly believe in the positive role that technology can play in the delivery of care. Offering solutions to drive efficiency, ease reliance on manual processes and reduce costs – ultimately freeing up more time for agencies to focus on caring.
But it’s not just about converting physical processes to digital ones. It’s about the holistic approach in leveraging technology to take away the ‘heavy-lifting’ of care planning and delivering great quality care, to drive real benefits that can improve things like person-centred care, quality of life and even job satisfaction.
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This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how our care management software will support your home care organisation in meeting the CQC’s five key questions, along with an in-depth analysis of the newly announced quality statements.
What is care planning?
While a care plan is a physical blueprint that details the service and support given to an individual, care planning is all of the processes, tasks and resources that go into developing, delivering and re-evaluating ongoing care.
What does care planning involve?
- Gathering information. Identifying wishes, feelings and goals
- Exploring options. Assessing risk and benefits
- Agreeing on the plan, what will be provided and by whom
- Delivering care and support plan in line with the person’s wishes
- Monitoring and reviewing. Seeking and listening to feedback
(Care planning, involvement and person-centred care – Social Care Institute of Excellence)
What is electronic care planning in home care?
While there isn’t a definitive approach or definition to describe digital care planning, generally, it describes the process of integrating digital processes and technology into the planning and delivery of home-based care. This can include the use of digital care management software, wearable tech, sensors and home monitors, telephony systems and smartphone apps.
What does electronic care planning involve?
In our world, electronic care planning begins with comprehensive care management software like IQ:careplanner and IQ:timecard – which provides complete care planning and workforce management solutions for domiciliary care agencies.
With our care management software (IQ:careplanner), home care agencies can schedule and roster visits, create care plans and set daily tasks, and manage payroll and HR functions – automating processes, increasing efficiency and reducing reliance on paper notes.
And with IQ:timecard, homecare agencies can take care of the remote management of workers – digitising aspects of care delivery such as monitoring service delivery in real-time, maintaining care records remotely and eMAR.
What is the difference between traditional care planning and electronic care planning?
Care management systems offer countless features that can assist in planning and delivering care. Here we look at some of the most innovative features of a digital care planning system:
Records management – carer and client records can be added and updated through digital care records. For care support workers, record qualifications and training information, and for service users, record medical history, and upload important documents related to their care.
Client/family portal – Share information and receive feedback directly from clients and family. Allows them to log in to see their full care plan and any records associated with their care.
Scheduling & rostering – Electronically plan and assign care visits to carers – set tasks and match carers and clients based on care worker’s experience, skills and qualifications, as well as preferences expressed by the service user and their continuity of care.
HR and payroll – Manage recruitment and onboarding processes as well as managing timesheets, calculating accurate payroll and processing invoices quickly and efficiently from the same system.
Mobile app – As well as automating the clocking in and out of visits, recording the administration of medications and check off required tasks, mobile apps allow carers to review changes to electronic care plans instantly, as well as give them the vehicle to provide direct feedback to their supervisors via digital notes.
Electronic care plans – Digital care planning in one click – to automatically generate personalised care plans based on the information already available in existing records.
eMAR – medication administration can be fully managed electronically, reducing the risk of errors and improving efficiency.
Benefits of electronic care planning software
- All data is backed up securely to a secure cloud-based system, and can easily be pulled from existing records to populate new forms
- Care records are easier to find and can be accessed anywhere at any time by the people that need to see them.
- Electronic care planning systems enable easier handovers between shifts as information can instantly be shared and reviewed on smart devices.
- Care managers get instant visibility to management reports and overviews – which means they can respond to problems more quickly and interrogate data to stop trends.
- Good digital record-keeping means it’s easier to match the right care workers to the right clients – using the most up-to-date information to closely meet preferences or care needs.
- Involving families and clients and better meeting cultural and personal needs – improves person-centred care.
- Efficient digital processes reduce time spent on repetitive administration tasks.
- Digitising payroll, training plans and personal development opportunities can lead to better employee satisfaction.
Want to know more about technology and the CQC? Read our comprehensive blog series.