Technology helps provide better senior care

Times Reporter   

 

Meadowlark Care Home has always strived to stay on top of new technology and ideas that can make senior care better. 

That’s why owner/operator Debbie Wakelam was intrigued when she heard about Senior Care Software.

“My commitment as the owner/operator is to achieve excellence in a world of compromising. How do we strive for this? By looking ahead to see how we can better meet the needs of our residents and our staff,” said Wakelam. 

Senior Care Software is essentially a database, where seniors’ facilities and care homes can input and compile data on their clients. The system most commonly used has been communication books and charts where staff would keep track of each client – when they bathed, what they ate, did they get their hair done, or get any exercise. 

The Senior Care Software system allows all of the data to be inputted into the computer, meaning it will always be there and can’t be lost, but it also frees up a lot of time for care staff. 

Jeff Christie, chief executive officer of Senior Care Software said they have approximately 7,000 seniors in their system, and they support over 3,000 care staff every day.  

Part of the reason for creating the system is to allow staff to provide better care, and to allow the senior to transition as comfortably as possible into their new home. One example Christie listed is the 80-year-old woman who has always washed her hair with cool water and a certain kind of shampoo. Then she moved into this home because she needed assistance and suddenly the staff are using different water temperatures or products … none of it consistent. 

“It really, really throws them off, they stop enjoying the home, they stop enjoying life and it degrades their quality of life, and shortens their lifespan all because of ridiculous things like what type of soap, and it can be traced back like that,” said Christie. 

“We find that giving each person a schedule, using the software to create the schedule for the nursing staff, it allows them to try and keep the senior as independent as possible and keep their life the same as they always had it as much as possible.” 

It allows for consistency, and is an easy method for new staff to be able to figure out each client’s routine because it will be right there on the database, not tucked away in the pages of a communication book. 

The program can also be customized to meet the needs of each care facility. For example, Wakelam has added a section that requires her staff to state why a task was not completed.

“If it is not done on Monday morning, they have to state a reason or it keeps coming up as an undone task,” said Wakelam.

Once it is done it can be checked off and will move to the bottom of the list as a completed.

Wakelam has also added blood pressure and weight checks into her system. Now when staff click to the client’s profile to do a report they can see a list of how the client’s blood pressure has been each week, or their weight, and it allows them to track inconsistencies, which in turn means better care for the clients. 

The system overall works on a couple of different mentalities: one is the number of tasks, and the next is the number of minutes you’re spending with each person. 

It will separate those into planned and unplanned care- so for example, you predicted the bath, but what you didn’t plan was the care you had for whatever else might have happened. With many facilities it allows you to see over time what’s happening and then be able to sit with the resident and say, you know we have had X amount of unplanned activities, how can we work together to figure that out and get back on track. 

Meadowlark does not designate how long a bath or shower or whatever should be, they only require that tasks be completed and have not imposed time limits on them. 

Entering all of the backdated data into the system was time consuming for Wakelam, but well worth it. 

“The program is huge, it’s been really, really good for us. The girls love it, it’s easy to use. It’s a progressive use of innovation in a health system which is so bogged down with paper work, and it frees the staff to do what they do best, give care,” said Wakelam. 

The system also allows Meadowlark to go green, and means even more accountability for the staff. 

Senior Care Software is a secure system, and the company has passed privacy legislation. All of the information stays in Canada, and Christie said they own all of their own equipment. They provide 24/7 tech support for their clients. All of the information is kept on their servers, which are in Vancouver and Toronto.