Cura Kin App…connecting family and friends during the holidays

Cura Kin, Mobile Care App

It’s that time of the year! Christmas is the season of giving, sharing the love and reaching out to those who have touched our lives.

Celebrating Christmas in a care home is all about making the residents feel special and enjoy a lovely atmosphere of the festive season. Residents will reminisce about past Christmases, and a communication channel like Cura Kin Care App will be able to connect friends and family members in other parts of the world to reach out to their loved ones in the home.

Our mobile care monitoring app, Cura Kin, gives authorised family members and friends secure access to information about your daily well-being, meals, participation in activities and much more. Cura Kin also allows family members to keep residents informed of their news with messages and photos.

If you are unable to visit your resident during the holidays or special occasions there is reassurance that the agreed care package is being delivered.

Mobile Care Monitoring App

Our technology relays certain information about the resident including:

  • Daily Report
  • Calendar
  • Contacts
  • Discussion
  • Unbelievably user-friendly interface
  • Reflect discussion

Let’s complete your Christmas wish list. For more information about Cura Kin please email us at info@cura.systems for a FREE Demo!

Above all, from everyone at Cura Systems, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Leadership is Crucial to Delivering Outstanding Care

Cura Care Planning Systems, Electronic Care PlanWhat makes an outstanding care home?

The Care Quality Commission (CQC), five key questions when it monitors services to help focus on the things that matter to people. The fifth question is extremely important: Is the home well-led?

Is your service well-led? CQC defines “well led” as the leadership, management and governance of the organisation to ensure it provides high-quality care based around the individual’s needs, that it encourages learning and innovation, and promotes an open and fair culture.

KLOE Well-Led

Achieving an outstanding rating for well-led means care home owners and registered care home managers can effectively monitor and improve the quality of care in the home. Caregivers are now expected to have the right attitude and latest information to hand to deliver sustainable care.

Service Users have changing care needs and there should be in place a strong framework of accountability to monitor performance and risk, leading to the delivery of demonstrable quality improvements to the service. This is where technology comes into the fore.

The use of technology is no longer an option.  The best care homes are going digital and clearly pushing the boundary towards better care and Cura Systems is proud to be at the forefront of this change.

Cura leads the way into achieving a well-led rating with features that alert and track critical actions.  Evidence of training, improving communication through our discussion module, better rota scheduling, audit trail and other features greatly improve leadership capability and service delivery.

We work closely with care home owners and managers to deliver a full digital care planning system at a low cost.  Cura helps to save caregiver time (from tedious paperwork) and makes more time available for care. We think Cura do this better than any other care home software.

When it comes to caring for you and your team, our support staff are on standby, ready to help with any early adoption issues and show you how to get the most from Cura. Cura means care, and we are committed to supporting your delivery of outstanding care and to meet and exceed CQC standards. Our comprehensive electronic care plans delivers real benefits to everyone connected to the home.

We hope you enjoyed this article. Look out for further articles here on what makes an outstanding care home as recognised by the CQC.

Find out what you’re missing, contact us on 020 3621 9111 to see the most feature rich care home software in the market today.

Cura Supports CQC’s State of Care Annual Report

CQC Report, Electronic Care Plans

The Care Quality Commission's (CQC) annual assessment of the state of health and social care in England shows how providers are working together more effectively – often using technology to help – to ensure that people get the care they need when they need it.

CQC is clearly supporting the use of technology and innovation to improve the delivery of quality care.  Cura shares this belief and wholeheartedly supports CQC’s leadership in encouraging care providers to use of digital systems to enhance their care services.  Read the full report here: https://www.cqc.org.uk/publications/major-report/state-care

Care Quality Commission, Electronic Care Systems

Cura’s view on CQC’s five key barriers to adoption of technology

1. A lack of funding to invest in technology

Investment in technology pays for itself in the long run.  The cost of handling paper will continue to rise.  Going digital also saves caregiver’s time (up to 2 hours per day) that can be better deployed.

2. A low level of knowledge and awareness among providers and staff – adoption of technology tends to rely on confident individuals

Technology can be daunting. A step-by-step adoption works well.  Cura’s user friendly, intuitive care management systems and a friendly helpdesk with lots of hand-holding will ease the process in every step of your digital journey.

3. Fear that technology could replace personal support

Technology will never replace the human touch! Technology makes quality care easier.  To survive in the digital age, care providers must embrace technology to improve outcomes.

4. The perception that people who use adult social care are not interested or will respond badly to technology

Lack of IT knowledge using digital care systems may lead to wrong perceptions of its potential as a tool to transform care – life changing for both the caregivers and service users. Our customers have seen positive results of how they have delivered effective individualized care by simply using our electronic care plans.

5. Concerns about ethical or data protection implications in adopting technology that uses personal information

Cura’s Cloud servers are hosted with the industry’s most respected organisations and we are vigilant about security and constantly upgrade our systems to avoid the growing number of threats.  Under no circumstances will we share any customer data held in our servers with anyone and all data control vests with the care home.

The CQC has continually urged health and care services to embrace innovative digital technologies. We have the right tools and support to improve CQC ratings. If you do not yet use technology within your care setting. It’s time to go paperless and reap significant benefits. Find out what you’re missing, contact us on 020 3621 9111 to see the most feature rich care home software in the market today.

Achieve Outstanding Care by Switching to Electronic Care Planning System

Electronic Care Planning System

Technology in care has become increasingly important, transforming the way care is delivered. We have heard positive feedbacks from different care homes how they have improved their ratings by simply using digital care systems, resulting in many people experiencing better and safer care.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has continually encourage health and social care providers to embrace innovative digital technologies to improve care delivery.

Kate Terroni, chief inspector of adult social care for the CQC has highlighted in her recent blog that more and more care providers have been using electronic care plans to deliver safe, effective, person-centred care at the touch of a button. Read the full article here: https://medium.com/@CareQualityComm/kate-terronis-blog-565c01e99817

Digital Systems, CQC Chief Inspector

Digitally-enabled care can offer significant benefits to service users. We provide care homes with our comprehensive care management software solution and secure tools and support to achieve and evidence your CQC compliance and delivery of best breed of care.

Here are just some of the benefits from using digital care systems:

1. More control over health, safety and well-being of service users

2. Better visibility of care operations

3. Reduce paperwork resulting to more time to care

4. Improve communication, administration cost and care outcomes

5. Empower care teams make better decisions

Speak to our customers to fully understand the Cura Systems way of going digital. Please quote “Cura means Care” whilst booking your Cura demonstration to get your free ‘Go Green Bag’.

Cura Leads the Way to Going Digital

Cura Systems, Care Planning DevicesLike it or not, technology has crept into our daily lives.  And now, it has a rapidly growing role in the long term care sector and the ageing population.  Tech-savvy care homes now use powerful tablets and other mobile devices at the point of care delivery to ensure the appropriate care is delivered and on a timely basis.

Care providers have been slow to embrace technology with typical fear of technology and change. The lack of IT knowledge is just one of the reasons why care providers avoid going digital.  The change required in processes and procedures is all too often overlooked or under-played.  The reliance on “good-old paper” that cannot be accidentally deleted is a real factor and change management has to recognise the degree of change many older care workers have to go through before they are comfortable with an alien way of doing things.

John Rowley, Senior Sales Manager from Cura Systems has been a long term proponent of the use of technology in the care sector and has observedThe care home industry is way behind in terms of adopting technology. We at Cura will continually bring care to the next level by working towards more innovative ways in the advancement of technology

Cura understands the significance of such issues.  Cura technology and processes are designed to make the transition as painless as possible and gain the buy-in from care givers so that the adoption of technology is seen to benefit the caregivers and lead to durable improved performance

Given the plethora of care management systems now available, it has become a mind boggling exercise to weed out the offerings that are good at a specific aspect of the provision of care.  Cura have taken a different approach, the system has adopted a comprehensive approach with the widest functionality in the market.  Its Tablet version, designed from the ground up for caregivers is largely intuitive and requires hardly any training.  But it’s not just about adopting technology.  It is about managing the transformation to a new opportunity for the care providers to improve the way care is delivered; admission process, medication management, documentation of residents’ records, and sharing of vital information in the care ecosystem.

Electronic Evidence-based Care Systems

In recent statements, CQC (Care Quality Commission) has also urged health and care service providers to embrace innovative digital technologies to improve care delivery. Technological innovations such as care apps and tablets that can help to take more control over care. Find out CQC's strategic priority here: CQC-Driving improvement through technology

With the inevitable onward march of care systems and compliance with CQC’s vision 2021, care homes need to be implementing or at least preparing to go digital.

Cura Means Care, Care SystemCura is at the forefront of technology innovation and transforms caregiving. We support care homes of all types and sizes, whether that be a family run, single care home, a larger care provider, or those providing specialised care to service users with complex care needs.

Cura Systems ensure that you get the most out of our care management system and be handheld through the going digital process. Bring genuine person-centred care a step closer and give your care home a competitive advantage.

Speak to our customers to fully understand the Cura Systems way of going digital. Please quote “Cura means Care” whilst booking your Cura demonstration to get your free ‘Go Green Bag’.

Putting care back into care homes

Cura Systems, Care Planning System for Carers

  • An outstanding care home must be caring, one of the CQC’s five key lines of enquiry. In the third of our new series, we look at how care home owners and key decision makers can ensure they meet the CQC’s criteria.

In the best care homes, all staff involve and treat their residents with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. It should not need saying but these qualities must be at the centre of all care and in all residential and nursing homes.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the body responsible for ensuring the highest standards of care, asks five key questions when it monitors services to help focus on the things that matter to people. The fourth question is absolutely critical: are staff caring?

All homes set out to do the best for residents and to create a caring environment. Sometimes, in a busy environment, maintaining the highest standards all the time can be a challenge. Understanding the CQC’s line of enquiry can help to ensure that these standards are maintained or exceeded.

KLOE CARING

The CQC expects staff to treat people with kindness and compassion in their day-to-day care and support. Evidencing of care is critical. The CQC will look for evidence that people, and those close to them, feel they matter. This means that staff listen to them and talk to them appropriately, in a way they can understand. To do this, staff need to know the people they are caring for, including their preferences and personal histories. In a good home, staff show concern for people’s wellbeing in a caring and meaningful way, and respond to their needs promptly.  Compassionate, respectful and empathetic behaviour is understood and promoted within the staff team.

The service should support residents to express their views and be actively involved in making decisions about their care, support and treatment as far as possible. Staff recognise when residents need and want support from their carers, advocates or representatives to help them understand and be involved in their care, treatment and support.  Staff give information to residents, their families and other carers about external bodies, community organisations and advocacy services that can provide independent support and advice, answer questions about their care, treatment and support, and, where necessary, advocate for them.  Relatives and friends should feel welcome and able to visit without being unnecessarily restricted.

Respecting and promoting people’s privacy, dignity and independence is essential, including during physical and intimate care. Staff should respond in a compassionate and timely way when residents experience physical pain, discomfort or emotional distress. Information about them should be treated confidentially in a way that complies with the Data Protection Act.

The service must make sure that young adults have choice and flexibility about their privacy and the amount of parental involvement in managing their care and support after moving into adult services.

Cura means care, and we are committed to supporting owners and managers to deliver outstanding care. We help care homes with the most demanding needs to deliver better quality outcomes by automating more daily tasks for management and caregivers than any other care home software. When it comes to caring, our care home management systems support staff with the information they need about residents and help managers foster a positive, caring environment.

Our electronic care planning record and mobile care apps support care home managers to meet and exceed CQC standards. Our comprehensive care home systems deliver real benefits to everyone connected to the home.

  • We hope you enjoyed this article. Look out for further articles here on what makes an outstanding care home as recognised by the CQC.

Effective care gives care home residents and their loved ones peace of mind…and that’s official!

Cura Systems, CQC KLOE Effective

  • An outstanding care home must be effective, one of the CQC’s five key lines of enquiry. In the second of our new series, we look at how care home owners and key decision makers can ensure they meet the CQC’s criteria.
  • CQC’s defines effective to mean that people’s care, treatment and support achieves good outcomes, promotes a good quality of life and based on the best available evidence

Finding out what a good care home looks like helps families make choices about the care of their loved ones. It can also help them understand what they should expect from a service provider.

Putting safety at the centre of all decisions about the care of your loved ones

Cura Systems, KLOE SafetyWhat makes an outstanding care home? Safety is at the heart of CQC’s five key lines of enquiry. In the first of a new series we look at the importance of the first standard: safety

When the time comes for a loved one to move to a care home it is only natural that the first and overriding concern will be for their safety. Entrusting a mum, dad, husband or wife to the care of strangers pushes against natural instincts to do all that we can to protect and provide for them ourselves.

Choosing the right care home is one of the biggest and most difficult decisions to be made and safety will figure very prominently in the selection of a care home. Care homes need to have appropriate tools to demonstrate to relatives of prospective service users their ability to monitor safety.

Also, recognising these concerns, the first question asked by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is always about safety. CQC also expects care homes to be effective, caring, responsive and well-led. But its first key line of enquiry concerns safety.

Cura Means Care: 5 eggcellent ways to celebrate Easter in your care home

Celebrating Easter in care home

Easter Sunday falls on 21st April 2019 this year. The holiday is a well-celebrated tradition especially in Christian countries around the world. Easter is about spending time with family and a great way to visit your loved ones in a home.

Traditions associated with Easter have evolved considerably over time. You can offer a variety of activities for your residents and their families.

Here are just some of the ways to celebrate Easter in your care home:

1. Painting and dyeing Easter eggs – this is a fun activity your residents will enjoy together with their family and grandchildren. Transform eggs and let the residents give them their own personality by adding sparkly glitters, colorful dyes, paper mache, and markers.

Cura Means Care, Easter Egg Painting

Millions don’t raise their concerns over care. Let’s put this right.

Cura Systems, CQC's Declare Your Care CampaignFew people like to complain, especially when there is a risk of conflict. The same applies if it involves issues of a personal nature. That’s why it is so difficult for most of use to raise concerns about care, whether it involves us personally or a loved one. We often feel that carers are doing their best under difficult circumstances and we don’t want to add to their burden.

Improving the quality of care is everyone’s business, whether it is in a care home, a hospital or a medical centre. This is more likely to happen if we have an open and honest public conversation about the care we experience, whether it is good or poor. We need to raise concerns about poor care, so that it may be put right. But we also need to highlight good and best practice, so that others may learn from this positive experience.