4th December 2020 is Homecare Day – a campaign day organised by UKHCA and Scottish Care to celebrate and raise awareness of home care across the UK, vital support which keeps people independent in their own homes for as long as possible.

As a technology company, Unique IQ is proud to support home care organisations, and to help them innovate to meet the changing needs of the people they care for. It’s in our ethos and values to try to make a genuine difference.

Here are five ways in which technology like ours is helping home care providers deliver better home care to people that need it.

1. Better intelligence

At the core of our technology sits the ability to help home care organisations move from paper-based to electronic procedures.

By switching to software instead of paper forms and documents, critical information relating to people receiving care is available instantly to carers as they need it. Going digital also means that things like notes are stored centrally, meaning they can be reviewed and acted on quickly.

Having a digital care management system gives home care organisations the ability to detect changes in the people they care for early on and adjust their care accordingly. Better intelligence equals better care.

2. Real-time monitoring

One of the other benefits of having up to the minute information in a digital care management system, is that home care organisations can monitor the care they’re delivering in real time.

We’ve supported home care organisations in introducing mobile apps for their carers, which they can use to clock in and out of appointments, view vital information about the person they’re caring for, and log the care they’ve given.

This relays information back to the care manager almost instantly; using software, care managers can make sure visits happen on time and the right care is delivered. Technology is making sure people get the care they need, when they need it.

3. Improved safety

The real-time monitoring capabilities of our home care software extend to keeping people safe in relation to medications. Our mobile app (called IQ:timecard) prevents carers from clocking-out of a visit if they haven’t administered required medicine. It can also make it mandatory to leave detailed notes about a person’s current state of health and wellbeing, or some other factor which requires close monitoring. The in-built fail-safes that come with the use of technology help to raise safety as well as standards. 

Find out more in our guide ‘Outstanding Home Care’

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4. Person-centred care

By reducing paperwork and speeding-up processes, technology is able to make care more person-centred. For example, home carers that use a mobile app like ours during care visits have more time to spend with the person they’re caring for. Carers can quickly tick off the tasks they have completed, and record notes via speaking into their phone. Technology frees-up carers to focus on the care they’re giving, through reducing the burden of paperwork.

5. Information sharing

Keeping information relating to a person’s care within a centralised software system makes sharing that information safely much easier. We’ve created a client and family portal which gives the person receiving care, along with nominated members of their family, access to all of the information relating to their care package. Family members can view notes from each care visit, add memories and important dates, and make contact with the care provider. Technology like this helps family members who may be living some distance away to stay involved with care for their loved ones, and be reassured that they are receiving the support they need.

Why not get involved this Homecare Day, and share your good news stories, examples of great care, innovations, resources and views on the future of the sector using the hashtag #homecareday.