Care Act reforms drive uptake of innovative technology by care home operators
Advanced advises care providers to ensure IT systems support compliance with new legislation
Advanced Health & Care is advising care providers to ensure they have the right technology to support compliance with new legislation following changes to The Care Act.
From this month care providers will be required to deliver personalised and integrated services and be transparent about the cost of providing care.
The revised Care Act, described by the Minister for Care as ‘the most-significant reform of care and support in 60 years’, requires every person entering the care system to have an assessment of their needs and a personalised plan for integrated care. This will be tailored to the individual’s requirements and budget and will include care from any services required, such as chiropodists, carers and therapists. It will also allow the service user to have more control over what level of care they receive and from which services.
The role of technology in supporting care providers to deliver the standard of personalised service prescribed under the revised Care Act should not be underestimated
Currently there are no strict specified outcomes that measure if a person is eligible for care and the level at which someone is deemed suitable for financial help can differ between local authorities. Now there will be one needs and one financial stability assessment for all local authorities to complete for anyone entering the care system. The results of this will allow them to produce a bespoke care plan for each person.
But it is vital that the right technology is in place to enable care providers to deliver these personalised plans and help to give service users more control over their care.
For example, care management software enables care workers to record a service user’s preferences, so if another staff member should need to visit them they can access that data and continue delivering care that is specific to that person’s likes and dislikes. Mobile apps also allow workers the flexibility to update care records at the point of care, making the process more efficient and easier.
Mobile solutions also enable progress to be tracked easily, allowing care plans to be modified to a person’s changing needs. A service user might have a goal, such as to be able to shower by themselves and online care solutions can monitor their improvement. Care plans can be updated with their progress at every visit, so at the next visit the care worker can deliver the appropriate level of care.
Online care portals can also give both service users and care workers a calendar of scheduled visits, a list of tasks to be completed during visits,and access to invoices, giving the service user more insight into their care provision.
Solutions and mobile technology created specifically for the care industry can help care workers to create bespoke plans that can be easily updated and offer more transparency for the service user
Jim Chase, managing director at Advanced Health & Care, said: “The role of technology in supporting care providers to deliver the standard of personalised service prescribed under the revised Care Act should not be underestimated.
“Solutions and mobile technology created specifically for the care industry can help care workers to create bespoke plans that can be easily updated and offer more transparency for the service user.
“With solutions like these in their toolkit, care providers can feel confident that they are not only meeting their legal obligations under the Care Act , but also delivering truly-individualised care.”
