As part of the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan, digital social care records play an essential part in building a health service fit for the future. Where most care providers previously relied on pen and paper for care plans and notes, four in five now use digital systems.
If you’re delaying your transition to digital due to concerns, we understand. Care home management software has been designed to improve your care service and operations, but challenges can still arise. Here are some obstacles you may encounter and how you can overcome them.
Common issues with digital care notes systems
Poor user adoption and digital confidence
It’s in our human nature to be wary of change, so switching from paper-based records to digital can be quite daunting for care staff. This may be true to such an extent that there may be some resistance to using it at all, which causes the issue of user adoption. Other reasons carers may resist using digital care notes systems could be lack of confidence or training which can result in lower team morale.
One of the main ways you can overcome this is by making sure your entire team feels as prepared as possible for the switch. Keep them updated regularly and provide comprehensive training on how to use the software, so they can better understand how it works and how it’s going to benefit them. As well as this, choose a software that has an intuitive interface so onboarding is a smooth process and training is a breeze.
Our care home management software is easy-to-use and our team are always on-hand to listen to your feedback and offer support whenever you need it.
Productivity and efficiency declines
Switching to a new digital system – or from a paper-based process to digital – might cause productivity declines from the offset. As well as the points made above, if there isn’t a strong enough process in place for transitioning or enough support, it can be quite confusing and inefficient. Wasting time trying to navigate the new system can lead to putting the ROI of the new software at risk and adding stress onto your staff.
Choosing a care home management system with technical support and training can help prevent this. Our 24/7 live chat typically responds to messages under 5 minutes and we have a comprehensive support hub that provides advice and answers from our expert team. Every user can easily get in touch with us or find the solution on our website, so you’re not on your own.
Using paper processes alongside digital care notes
During the transition process, it’s understandable that paper processes will still be used alongside it. However, the longer this continues, the more time you won’t be reaping the benefits of the digital systems. Using both methods together will cause confusion, duplication and carers will become reliant on each other rather than one centralised system to ensure care notes are up to date and relevant.
Our platform is designed to reduce paperwork and streamline documentation, so your team has faster access to information, real-time updates, clear accountability and no more admin burden. As mentioned above, if you plan beforehand how your paper processes will be digitised, staff will understand how the new system will work before it’s implemented and feel more comfortable using it moving forward.
Generic templates and recording
The ease of automation provided by digital care notes systems may raise concerns over person-centred recording. Every supported individual is different and requires a unique delivery of care. With features such as generic templates, charts, checklists and plans, users may worry that this reduces the nuance needed in learning disability care.
Log my Care supports customisable templates to empower care staff to tailor services to individual preferences. From PBS plans to goal tracking, Subjective Quality of Life Tools to risk assessments, our software holds numerous resources which can be used and adapted to ensure person-centred care is maintained. As well as this, time is saved when using these tools as a base point and consistency and clarity is assured across staff shifts.
Issues with exporting essential data
Care homes often require exports of data to share with internal/external stakeholders, however a common problem with digital systems is the limitations with this. Only being able to export some data sets, unable to combine different information into one spreadsheet and difficulty modifying the export setup are just some issues that may be encountered. This can waste significant amounts of times and create obstacles when it comes to presenting this essential data.
Luckily, with Log my Care, our software is designed to be fully exportable. You can easily download data from across all areas of care delivery, from care notes and planning to incident management and eMAR. Our exports are in CSV format so they work seamlessly with other systems and, with custom control, you can modify the setup to present the data you want.
Insufficient reporting and analytics
One of the biggest advantages of switching to digital systems is the ability to view all logged data and care notes in one place, so you can have an overview of business-based performance and care delivery. Reports and analytics can usually be generated to showcase this information in an easy-to-read way to help identify trends, targets and operational improvements. However, this isn’t always the case.
Some care home management software doesn’t have reporting as a built-in feature or, if they do, you are unable to create or customise them, so the essential details aren’t included. Our reporting feature is available across several areas of the platform including incidents, eMAR, rotas, goals, occupancy and stock management. In incident management specifically, providers can track trends over time, analyse incident types and severity, monitor action completion, and review case completeness. All of this helps teams move towards more proactive, preventative care.
Integrations with other systems unavailable or not working
Integrations in care home systems are crucial for passing information from one system to another. Although not every system you use needs to be integrated with one software, it does save time and money having all the data you need in one centralised hub. Lack of integration with some digital care notes systems can cause issues such as poor decision making or delivering care without the right information.
It’s important to check when choosing care home management software that it integrates with the systems you require. Log my Care offer a range of integrations including Quik AI, PainChek, London Care Record, GP Connect and SSO. We also support Power BI for advanced reporting. Whilst we don’t integrate directly with payroll and HR tools, the data exported from our rota and care delivery modules is ready to be used in your systems with minimal manipulation.
Overcome these common problems with Log my Care
At Log my Care, we’re here to support you with your switch to a digital care notes system in your learning disability care home. Our team can help with onboarding so your team feels prepared and comfortable and are easily accessible when you need us.
Our care home management software is designed to make your care notes and other processes efficient, simplified and consistent, so you continue to deliver high quality, person-centred care to your residents. See how our platform can benefit your operations by booking a demo today.
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