07 Aug It’s time to go: 10 signs you invested in the wrong home care management software solution
You took the first step in digital transformation and finally invested in a home care management software solution.
‘Problems solved!’ you thought. Or at least hoped.
But, several months (or possibly years) on, you’ve started to wonder if the solution you chose is in fact making life easier at all.
Or – even worse – if it’s actually making life harder, especially as you grow.
Here are ten signs you invested in the wrong solution – and it’s time to find a new one.
1. You’re spending too much time on reporting
Does your current software give you more grief than good come reporting time? Do you spend hours trying to figure out how to generate reports – and then hours more on checking that the reports are accurate?
Excel spreadsheets are great – when they work. But care coordinators need to be doing what they are best at: arranging the right care for clients. Not agonising over formulae and “broken” Excel cells just to get the correct information needed.
Your home care software solution should make data analysis and reporting easy and breezy – without Excel. Far from being confusing, the right software should automatically generate audit-quality reports for you. At the click of a button. So you know your business metrics in real-time.
2. Your client statements are all over the place
Is it hard to make sense of your client service statements? Are they confusing with errors or unreconciled accounts?
Your client service statements should be clear and easy to understand for you and your clients. And your home care software solution should allow you to quickly account for service costs – and import everything into your invoicing software. No double entries into care and accounting files.
Every dollar spent, including contracted work like cleaning and gardening, should be clearly presented in a statement that meets governance standards.
3. You can’t track client updates and risks
Are you jumping hurdles – and wading through folders – just to view a client’s medical notes to understand their exact needs, including any risks and how best to plan support?
And are you constantly wondering if the information you do find is up-to-date and accurate?
With the right home care management software solution, interpreting critical client information should be quick and easy. And it should always be reliably accurate, current and in one place. Ready for those who need it most.
4. Your care workers are still inundated by admin
For your business to provide the best possible care, client notes must be accurate, specific and up-to-date at all times.
But do your care workers find writing those notes tedious and laborious?
If so, this simple but critical task could be adding to their fatigue. And, ironically, your home care management software solution could be to blame.
But with a truly intuitive solution, writing progress notes becomes a much more manageable task. With icons and tick boxes matched to the right text, reporting is a breeze – even for staff who don’t speak English as their first language.
5. You can’t access incident reports
Are your incident reports out of sight – and sometimes, out of mind? Do you struggle to analyse trends and collaborate with other providers when incidents reoccur?
Your software should keep all incident reports on the client file. Not on a separate server. So you can easily view all incident reports and history, decide which needs reporting under the Serious Incident Response Scheme (SIRS) – and plan how to reduce future risk.
6. You don’t know who your vulnerable clients are
Did you know that client neglect is one of the key reasons home care providers fail their audits?
If you can’t view all your vulnerable clients – and their specific needs – quickly, easily and clearly, you could be at risk too. To ensure compliance, your staff must care for and assist your vulnerable clients exactly as their care plans advise. Without exception.
That’s why it’s crucial that your software makes it easy to flag your vulnerable clients, ensuring they remain front of mind. Always.
7. You’re not sure what your contractors are up to
Meal delivery, cab charge vouchers, cleaning, gardening and physiotherapy sessions – that’s a lot of contractors you need to link to clients prior to paying their invoices.
Plus, under the new governance rules, you need to know exactly which contractor attended the home, when – and what was done. Also, whether the contractor has the skills, qualifications and checks to be sure they are right for the job.
Your software solution should help you manage contractors and their invoices, staying up to date with the HR side. And preventing double manual entry of invoice details to your client and accounting systems.
8. You’re noticing communication gaps
Do your care workers ever miss crucial notes – because they’re not easily visible to the next person on shift? Are your care workers and contractors aware of each client’s individual risks so they can manage them?
The best home care management software makes it easy to confidentially share and access client notes, securely stored in one place.
And that means seamless communication – and the best possible care with reduced risk.
9. Your HR documents are scattered
Are your HR documents – such as qualifications and pre-employment screening and checks – all over the place? Do you know whose documents need to be updated and when?
And it’s not just for your staff. Because under the new rules, your contractors are now your responsibility, too. If their documents are not properly stored, you’re not meeting your organisational governance obligations.
A software solution that’s designed around the new compliance requirements will allow you to keep everything your admin team needs in one spot. So it’s easy to access, refer to, and update.
10. Your clients and families can’t share feedback easily
No news isn’t always good news.
If you’re not making it easy for your clients and their families to give feedback, you may only find out about issues when it’s too late.
Feedback and complaints, though unpleasant to hear, are essential for improvement – and for meeting audit requirements.
That’s why welcoming feedback and regularly sending validated surveys must be a part of your organisation’s DNA. And your software should provide the right tools and an intuitive process for your clients and families to send their responses straight to you. So you can act.
Find yourself nodding to most of the signs above?
Then get in touch to learn more about VIPS Care today.