By Valerie Ann Carter, Staff Nurse/Trainer at Madison Court Care Home, a valued customer of Person Centred Software
With an increasingly ageing demographic, a significant public health challenge is the incidence of falls. Falls in the social care sector, after all, remain a major concern, with care home residents three times more likely to fall than their community-dwelling peers and 10 times more likely to sustain a significant injury, as a result (1).
Until recently, practically all fall prevention strategies throughout the social care sector relied heavily on human intervention; watching and assisting the vulnerable when they need to be mobile. Whether it’s a resident going to the toilet, entering the lounge, or going outside for some fresh air, caregivers had to persistently remain vigilant and on guard at all times, which can be difficult in large facilities and on a 24/7 schedule.
Essentially, with the array of technology currently at our disposal, we want to reduce the stigma that has persisted around fall cases in UK care homes for far too long. With that in mind, it’s clear to see that the adoption of technology is a necessary step to achieve such a utopia.
At Madison Court, though the shift to a digital care management system was implemented only recently, the transformation was effortless. As we are a dementia home, the amount of work that came with keeping up with care records was nothing shy of overwhelming. However, in a short space of time, our staff have become extremely well equipped with the technology and have seamlessly implemented it into their work routine.
Ultimately, what Mobile Care Monitoring gives you is a better standard of care. Instead of just getting our residents ready and changed for the day, we’ve suddenly got time to do their nails, talk and engage with them more, give them more TLC, as well as the opportunity to provide each resident with their own sense of belonging.
In addition, by utilising software to document residents’ intake of fluid in real-time, caregivers can immediately see which people haven’t had sufficient fluids and take the appropriate action required. The fluid offered to residents, and the amount drunk in millilitres can be easily evidenced at the point of delivery on mobile devices. Reminders to offer drinks can also be set up as part of a planned care routine.
Mobile Care Monitoring simplifies the process even further by using a traffic light system to alert staff when a care task is due or when a resident is falling below the recommended fluid threshold for the rolling 24-hour period and flagging the need for intervention.
By implementing innovative software to help prevent dehydration amongst residents, care homes can ensure resident hydration levels are kept replenished and, therefore, hospital admissions are less likely to be made. Also, with good hydration being a factor in preventing UTIs, low blood pressure and even more serious medical episodes such as seizures, the benefits of more efficient hydration management are vast. So, by providing caregivers with valuable fluid data, the chances of adverse incidents can be considerably reduced.
Furthermore, technology can offer caregivers the ability to meticulously analyse any incidents, trace what actions led up to them and prevent further incidents from occurring. For example, at Maddison Court, we’re now able to spot patterns and adjust our practices to support residents better.
It’s clear to see that the collection of data can be of great assistance to caregivers and empowers staff to make responsive decisions that benefit everyone involved.
Ultimately, it’s the implementation of digital technology that helps to support care providers and improve the overall quality of care received by residents in an ever-expanding sector.
References
1 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314200272_Reducing_falls_in_a_care_home
