Improved access to shift schedules can reduce turnover among home care workers
Cristian Grossmann, CEO and Co-Founder of Beekeeper – a digital workforce management platform – on retaining home care workers through better access to shift schedules… It’s no secret that the UK care and nursing home industry typically has a higher rate of staff vacancies compared to others. A recent report showed that the vacancy rate in the adult social care sector was 6.6%, higher than the national average of 2.6%. Just as worrying, staff turnover in the adult care sector has climbed to 27.8% and has been steadily increasing since 2012. Stem the flow of high turnover among your care workers The industry must stem the flow of high turnover by investing in improving morale amongst employees and increasing retention rates of adult social care workers. One way to do this is to provide workers with earlier access to shift schedules to help them improve their work/life balance. Early access to work schedules changes lives This recent study highlighted how a fluctuating work schedule combined with last-minute shift changes can negatively impact workers. Unpredictable shift patterns create an inability to plan for needed childcare, medical appointments or socialising, as workers simply don’t have enough time to anticipate these needs. This causes employees to feel dissatisfied and stressed and less likely to stay with their job. The study also found that offering employees access to shift schedules just two weeks in advance made a huge difference in the quality of life for workers. There’s an app for that Technology can address the problem of high turnover with an internal communications platform that employees can access via an app or desktop, in which shift schedules are migrated from paper or email into an easy-to-access digital hub. The result of digitising schedules is that workers have improved access to their shifts, which prevents communication delays typical with the traditional approach to scheduling. Additionally, internal communication platforms offer home care shift workers the ability to instantly request schedule changes to management, enabling faster response times to requests and improving management’s ability to quickly find cover. This allows employees to have more control over their work schedules, which can dramatically improve overall job satisfaction. In addition to operational tools such as shift schedules, an internal communications platform like Beekeeper also offers instant access to one-on-one and group messaging, information sharing, surveys, training guides and health and safety information — all of which employees find extremely beneficial. In our experience, staff retention improves very quickly when employees have a platform that offers easy shift scheduling, access to information, and an immediate way to connect with management. It’s important to remember that your staff are your best asset and by investing in technology that makes their working life more harmonious, you will retain more talent, and build a happier, more productive workforce. For more information on improving shift pattern access for care workers, see Beekeeper
How phone applications are revolutionising the healthcare industry
Phone apps and the internet are some of our best and most favourite tools for figuring out which medical ailment affects us, says health writer Ella Hendrix. Sadly, the information we read is only as reliable as the person writing it, so be advised to take what you read online with a pinch of salt. Yet, more and more men are living longer because they are checking their symptoms online instead of ignoring their symptoms completely. The internet and mobile apps are affecting the healthcare industry in far more ways than most people realise and, in some cases, apps are saving lives. Staying in touch with the right people You may remember the first websites that offered free SMS texts if you didn’t mind giving your phone numbers up to spammers. Then, along came things like Skype and What’s App, and suddenly we have free communication that is lightning fast and more readily accessible than emails, and more disability friendly than phone calls. Such apps are nice for family members who want to stay in touch, and they are revolutionary for people who need intermittent care, from people with dementia who are having off-periods, to people with schizophrenia who need somebody to help walk them safely through an episode. Some of the best ideas are the simplest Apps that tell people when to take their pills are saving lives. These are not sophisticated apps like the ones that are used to check the oxygen content of your blood, they are organiser apps with alarms, but such apps are brilliant because they take the thought, concern, and worry out of taking pills correctly and on time. For example, for women on the pill apps are a convenience tool, for people with HIV they are saving lives. The frustration of forgetting One of the most upsetting sides of dementia that sufferers experience is the frustration it causes because they have to account for the fact they cannot trust themselves. Mobile apps are helping dementia patients ease their frustration with repetitive organising apps where reminders pop up until they are deactivated, so a sufferer of dementia is forced to undertake a task. Dementia carers at Helping Hands state that it’s “a time of utilising mobile technology for daily tasks” and their clients have found that a correctly chosen organiser app can help with various daily prompts, and enables them to regain a little independence and dignity. Do brain training and memory apps work? There are no studies that conclusively prove that such apps work, since people who invest their time in any activity are likely to get better at it – in other words, just because a person can remember a list of different shapes on an app, it doesn’t mean they will remember which items they put on their grocery list. However, there are several tactile apps that are helping people regain hand-eye coordination. There are apps that teach children how to write by having them trace letters, and similarly themed apps are proving very useful for people trying to regain full use of their hands and fingers after a stroke. Plus, many tailor-made apps will chart a sufferer’s progress so that doctors may spend less time performing manual one-on-one tests. Saving money in the healthcare industry Having a programmer create a set of customised apps is easier than ever these days, and it is helping to save money in some areas of healthcare. The combination of stock databases and the easy dissemination of information through apps has helped streamline the supply chain in the pharmaceutical industry, and it has made legally-required due-diligence check-ups far easier (e.g. missing items are more quickly identified). There are also apps that test a patients timing, reflexes, auditory, visual and presumptive responses, which means doctors, specialists and nurses do not have to invest as much one-on-one time with patients in order to check their progress. Conclusion – is technology a mixed bag? There are downsides to new technology, such as the mess the Canadian’s socialised healthcare program has suffered because technology was ineptly integrated (both eHealth and its predecessor Smart Systems), yet in the UK there is an NHS system that embraces the Internet, intranets, and apps, and the NHS is doing just fine, (though the UK is 41x smaller Canada, which probably makes a difference). The business world has also proved that a reliance on apps can somebody be foolish. For example, a number of businesses have commissioned their own apps to help run every aspect of their business, and then failed because staff members simply didn’t commit to using the apps, or staff members cheated and enter whatever data makes them look good. Simple ideas and simple apps are literally saving lives thanks to people taking their pills on time and patients being able to access carers quickly and around the clock, yet we should always temper our enthusiasm with the knowledge that time-tested methods lasted such a long time for good reason (i.e. new isn’t always better).
Web-based portal Lifepsychol monitors patients’ quality of life
Chroma, the UK’s leading national provider of arts therapy services, is to pilot Lifepsychol, an innovative new patient-driven system that could ultimately help up to 14 million people in the UK living with long-term or life-threatening conditions who wish to optimise their quality of life. Giving users back control of their care, the easy-to-use web-based portal monitors real-time patient-self-reported quality of life indicators. Measuring 12 essential areas that have the biggest impact on how patients view their rehabilitation and recovery, Lifepsychol helps clinicians and next of kin track their loved one’s levels of: Developed by Innervate Ltd, Chroma will trial the system with clients coming through their new Chroma Case Management (CCM) service. CCM is a brain injury case management service which uses bespoke therapy programmes and digital healthcare innovations to enable patients return to normal life and work following a brain injury. Lifepsychol enables users to record how their quality of life is changing whilst living with a long-term, chronic condition. The system also enables clinicians and case managers to review progress between consultations, so giving a fuller picture of the impact of the treatment users receive. Daniel Thomas, joint Managing Director of Chroma, said: “Having tested Lifepsychol internally over the last few months, we’ve seen the huge potential the system can offer patients, therapists and our case managers.” “Lifepsychol places the individual at the heart of quality of life assessment and encourages healthcare professionals to focus on the impact of the symptoms on a person’s life, rather than just focus on the symptoms.” Used daily, Lifepsychol is a quick and visual approach that shows how actions taken, either by the user or professional, can change a person’s quality of life. Users are more involved and therefore more encouraged to become a partner in the management of their long-term condition. Additionally, it means a more holistic approach to treatment.” Dr Neil Bindemann of Innervate Ltd, who developed Lifepsychol, added: “The Government has recognised that improving the quality of life of people with long-term conditions is a key outcome for an effective healthcare service. However, our own extensive research identified that existing quality of life measures do not properly assess the impact of a condition on issues that patients often wish to discuss. “Evidence from over 600 people, which help develop the 12 issues monitored, also provided further evidence that quality of life assessment needed to take a more personalised approach. Our system helps health professionals to engage in a more meaningful way, making health care more responsive to the quality of life needs and wishes of patients as well as encourages better, communication between healthcare professionals and patients.” Lifepsychol provides a simple way for a service to assess whether it is improving the quality of life of people with long-term conditions, on an individual and population basis. It is presently a web-based system, but a mobile version with the ability to set up alerts will soon be launched. For more information on Lifepsychol, see the website.
Understanding the Customer Needs. The Key to Fastroi’s Success.
Fastroi are a Finnish company developing Care Management Software for the residential & domiciliary sectors. As market leaders in Finland they have led the digital transformation of social care in Finland for over 15 years. Fastroi developed ‘Real-Time Care’ (RTC) in cooperation with industry professionals and are now introducing it to the UK market with much interest. Data Analysis Gives a Deeper Insight Over the last year Fastroi have been examining the data collected by the CQC. It has given an understanding of the issues that many care organisations face. The results were clear. Many services are not using any kind of Care Management Software. They may achieve improvements and deliver high quality care for a short time, but they will always be susceptible to external factors. If changes creep in slowly, things may be difficult to control and may only be spotted at the next inspection. If they occur quickly, then the results can be catastrophic. Let the Process Take the Stress Not the Staff Real-Time Care from Fastroi is effective because the tool now controls the process, not the person. This is significant since most of the issues we have identified from the data could not happen if processes were properly controlled. It should be easy for a manager to use RTC to present all of the information about staffing levels or bed availability to service owners, making the service less susceptible to external influence or pressure. Staffing becomes more stable, staff feel more comfortable in their positions which in turn leads to higher retention levels and less agency staff being needed. This leads to lower costs, higher profits and a much less stressful environment. The result – Higher Quality of Care. Integrations Improve the Experience This vision sees integration to wider systems as key to the future of digital transformation in healthcare. In Finland, Fastroi work closely to integrate with the the Government Kanta systemto provide a more seamless system for people accessing their medical information. One of the advantages of Real-Time Care is it’s stability and reliability which has been a key factor of our domestic growth. Fastroi understand that when it comes to health and social care software, there is no room for mistakes. Improving the quality of care is at the forefront of everything that Fastroi do and this leads to outstanding results.
Using technology to connect
Alive has been using touchscreen technology to enrich the lives of older people in care settings for almost a decade since its inception. We use touchscreen devices during our meaningful activity sessions in a multitude of ways, allowing us to respond in the moment to the needs, interests and wishes of individuals. Touchscreen devices can place the whole world at our fingertips. We use them to explore people’s life stories – finding pictures, films or facts that can transport people back to their happiest memories. We create music together by using the latest sensory music apps such as ‘Bloom’ or ‘Midnight’ as stimulation for people living with dementia. Spontaneous internet searches allow us to explore, discover and share music from any decade or country. Touchscreen devices can also be connected to a TV or projector, for an interactive group experience. There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that using technology can bring many benefits for older people, including those living with dementia, such as increased cognitive and physical activity, social interaction and learning new skills. Alive met one man who said he was going to buy his own games console so he could play against his grandchildren when they came to visit! It’s easy to set up technology in most care settings. The majority already have large TVs in communal areas, so they are generally equipped with a good space to use. It’s simple to plug a touchscreen device into a TV using an adaptor and HDMI cable and the TV is a familiar focal point to captivate a group. Alive has many amazing examples of how technology can be used to open up life again for older people. A particular favourite comes from a reminiscence session where we were discussing love and marriage. One resident was originally from South Africa and we were able to find a picture looking down the aisle of the church in Durban where she was married almost 60 years previously. At that moment she was transported back to the happiest day of her life and it was a privilege for everyone in the room to share the memory with her. So, how can you get started using technology with older people? Buy a new or refurbished touchscreen tablet and explore! You can also book onto the Alive ‘iPads and older people’ training course and we will empower you with all the knowledge you need to you enrich the lives of the people you care for. For more information about Alive and to book training please visit www.aliveactivities.org/ Info@aliveactiviities.org Follow Alive on Facebook and Twitter @Aliveactivities
Bluebird Care launches ground-breaking app for their care teams
Award winning home care provider Bluebird Care has created a ground-breaking staff guide mobile app for their care teams. To celebrate the launch of this new innovative tool, Bluebird Care have released a promotional video, highlighting the key benefits of this new tool providing further support to their care teams. Bluebird Care employs 19,000 care assistants across the UK, delivering over 28,000 care visits every day. This innovative mobile app enhances the availability of critical information to care teams providing front line care and support in customers’ homes. The staff guide app has been created by Bluebird Care’s experts, after drawing upon feedback from care teams through workshops across the UK. This new tool is available on any smart device, providing care teams with instant access to information and guidance and content clearly displayed with easy navigation, making it perfect for our care teams. After gathering feedback in a number of workshops from care teams across the UK, Tracey Davis-Jones one of Bluebird Care’s quality managers commented: “What we found was something very different to what we thought staff wanted. In the past staff have always had staff handbooks in paper format and what staff were really telling us in that session was that they wanted something that was a lot more accessible. People were saying were why can’t this be on our phone and much more accessible to us and having information there at hand.” Discussing the potential of this innovative tool, lead developer Rebecca Goodright commented: “Helping care assistants in their challenging role using technology that they are already familiar with, such as their mobile phones, will continue to ensure that we can support our care assistants anywhere with tools that they already know how to use”. By combining home care expertise with mobile app capability, Bluebird Care continue to empower their care teams to deliver excellence in care. With nearly 4000 registered users across nearly 200 offices, the staff guide app is supporting Bluebird Care’s care teams across the UK.
