For many years, we have advocated for a more integrated health and social care service to improve residents’ quality of care. So, we were delighted to have identified a system that showcased clear examples of helping inform clinical decision-making to provide meaningful experiences for residents.
I began working at Hunters Lodge Care Home in 2010 as a carer and progressed to senior team leader before becoming Head of Care last year. With more than a decade’s experience in the social care sector, my experiences have helped articulate where our focus needed to be on achieving our goals.
Indeed, recent events have accelerated the need for information to be accessed quickly, securely and efficiently by those who need it, ensuring a smooth transition for people in-between services.
However, as with today’s professions and daily necessities, care planning software has completely transformed the process when supporting people, alleviating pressures, and improving time management while adding a layer of protection to resident health, safety and well-being.
With the vast array of technology at our disposal, we wanted to ensure that we remained as accountable as possible to ensure that the transformation to a digital care management system was effortless and equally enjoyable for our staff and residents.
Hunters Lodge Care Home eMAR System
We started using ATLAS eMAR in 2016, as the system’s accountability and traceability were unparalleled, providing complete visibility throughout our operations and regulatory measures from when medications are dispensed to being administered. On top of this, there’s even barcode technology and unique features to ensure safe medicines administration.
In addition, by utilising software to document residents’ quality of care, it feels impossible to envisage a world where we’d go back to paper-based systems. However, maintaining accurate and legible medication records with paper-based MAR (medication administration record) charts can be a complex process, especially when carers are left to jot down notes; their handwriting can sometimes be illegible. On top of this, paper MAR charts are very time-consuming and error-prone, which can lead to incorrect or missed medication. For example, when medication such as paracetamol is given, there can be cases where carers might not log the time it was administered, which is a huge safeguarding issue. Whereas if you’re scanning a barcode using ATLAS eMAR, the device tells you whether the medicine can be administered or not.
Since the implementation began, our Atlas eMAR training sessions have been extremely helpful. The system was straightforward to implement, and my colleagues found the software easy to use. You can’t go wrong with it if you use the eMAR system correctly and undertake training in managing and administering medicines. Furthermore, it improves accuracy and simplifies the medication management process. Since implementing ATLAS eMAR, the medication round is much quicker, and everything is backed up too. Social care providers must maintain secure, accurate, and up-to-date medical records for each person receiving medicines support; it’s essential to meet safety regulations for CQC inspections. You can do all this and more with ATLAS eMAR at your disposal.
Moreover, we also recently started utilising Person Centred Software’s Digital Care System. We had previously adopted paper-based care plans for many years. However, the Digital Care System is much quicker than sitting down and writing notes, which was a no-brainer from a clinical manager’s perspective. It’s clear to see that the collection of data can be of great assistance to caregivers and empowers our staff to make responsible decisions that benefit everyone involved. I like how I can click into the system and get a quick overview of what’s been happening in the care home directly from my desk – there is so much information at hand, such as bowl charts, fluid charts, and the resident’s care history. You name it; the system has it. You could ask me anything about a resident, and I could log in to the system and get that information within seconds. Thanks to Person Centred Software, I can monitor the effectiveness of care and improve care delivery management quickly and effectively.
Ultimately, Person Centred software has, without a doubt, helped our home deliver outstanding care; it also gives us more time to spend with residents. There’s no doubt in my mind that I absolutely would recommend ATLAS eMAR and the Digital Care System to other groups and care homes; it helps to provide a higher standard of care.
Hunters Lodge Care Home, located in Fareham, Hampshire, is a 45 bedded residential care home specialising in looking after older people with varying degrees of dementia, behavioural problems, memory loss and Alzheimer’s.
About the author
Jackie Farmer is Head of Care at Hunters Lodge Care Home and a user of Person Centred Software’s eMAR (electronic medication administration record) and Digital Care System.
