Care Home of the Future campaign helps care homes adopt digital services

Four technology providers are partnering to help care home-owners and staff adopt digital services and to raise awareness of the benefits of using technology within care homes in a post-COVID environment.

Ascom UK, Person Centred Software, ATLAS eMAR and PainChek are launching a major initiative, called The Care Home of the Future campaign, to help the care home sector effectively provide care by using digital services to improve their businesses.

This campaign is backed by executive director of the National Care Forum, Vic Rayner, and chief executive of Care England, Martin Green, who will be part of the webinar launch event on 24 June.

WHY IT MATTERS

With 70% of care homes still reliant on paper systems, the campaign organisers have stressed the importance of integrated technology being central to their operation in order to deliver better outcomes and reduce the burden on staff.

In the past, adoption of digital services and technology has shown to increase the cost-effectiveness of care, to improve outcomes, and to help with staff performance and retention.

The campaign has identified three stages to becoming a ‘care home of the future.’ These include the initial digitisation process by implementing a digital system; joining up care by integrating with best-in-field specialists to enable continuity of care; and transforming care through data accessibility, incisive analysis and the ability to provide predictive and preventative care.

THE LARGER TREND

The campaign launches at a challenging time for the sector, brought on by increased barriers to the outside world. Care homes have had to contend with high PPE cost, reduced occupancy levels and an increased burden on staff.

The uptake of digital care is clearly a fundamental endeavour in the time of COVID-19, particularly in the area of care home provisions. This campaign will help the sector move towards a more robust future post-COVID19 and will help care homes adopt effective digital infrastructures and tools, such as remote monitoring, consulting and other related support.

ON THE RECORD

Rayner told Healthcare IT News: “COVID-19 has shown us that good digital infrastructure and tools are essential. Where they were already in place, the transition to remote monitoring, consultation and support was swift and in many cases very effective. The digital divide has been laid bare, and we need to ensure that our future focus and vision for care homes – for people, providers and government – is to rapidly build bridges and support that enable all care homes to have in place the core architecture enabling a state of digital readiness for whatever happens next.”