KLOE Effective, CQC Compliance 13May, 2019
Effective care gives care home residents and their loved ones peace of mind…and that’s official!

Delivering Effective Care: A Top CQC Priority

  • 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.

CQC KLOE EFFECTIVE

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the body responsible making sure that residential care homes meet the highest standards of care. One of the questions the CQC asks is how effective a home is. What does this mean in practice?

A critical concern is that staff must have the right knowledge, qualifications and skills to carry out their roles, enabling residents to have a good quality of life. They should always ask for a resident’s permission to give care, treatment and support in a way that is easy to understand. Family and friends should also be involved in decisions about care, where appropriate.

Staff should know about each resident’s health needs and personal preferences, and give them as much choice and control as possible. Staff should also work with health and social care professionals, such as GPs, and take the right action at the right time to maintain good health.

The CQC gives the highest priority to nutritional needs, and one crucial measure of an effective care home is that staff make sure residents get the right food and drink they need.

Residents should also expect to be asked for their likes and needs when the home is adapted or decorated. Any changes to the home should be made to help residents to be as independent as possible.

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.

CQC also looks at how technology is used to make the service more effective and our suite of applications supports care staff by giving them the information they need to ensure that they meet CQC’s criteria for the effective running of their care home. Electronic records for care homes and mobile care apps support care home managers to meet and exceed CQC standards. Our intuitive home care system deliver real benefits to everyone connected to the home.

We hope you enjoyed this article. For more insights on what makes an outstanding care home as recognised by the CQC, be sure to visit the KLOE Caring blog. Stay tuned for more informative articles!

Cura Systems, KLOE Safety 17Apr, 2019
Putting safety at the centre of all decisions about the care of your loved ones

What Makes a “Safe” 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.

CQC KLOE SAFE

‘Safe’, in this instance, means taking every possible step to ensure that residents are protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Abuse can be physical, sexual, mental or psychological, financial, neglect, institutional or discriminatory abuse.

Avoidable harm will consider everything from medicines management to safe use of facilities and equipment. CQC scrutiny is robust to ensure that all these conditions are met. CQC inspection reports give families and loved ones the information they need regarding a home’s ability to meet these conditions consistently.

Electronic care plans for care homes and mobile care monitoring can play a significant role in supporting care home managers to meet and exceed CQC standards.

Cura also recognises the critical importance of safety in care. Our comprehensive care management systems deliver real benefits to everyone connected to the home. Cura’s suite of applications supports care staff by giving them the information they need to ensure that they meet CQC’s criteria, including the safe delivery of care.

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

Care Home Easter 16Apr, 2019
Cura Means Care: 5 eggcellent ways to celebrate Easter in your care home

Celebrating Easter in a care home

Easter Sunday falls on 21stApril 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:

  • 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.
  • Easter themed Bingo– this activity is a modified version of Bingo that uses images and a perfect activity for any Easter gathering in a care home.
  • Easter Egg treasure hunt– get the residents to hide Easter eggs then you can invite their families or children from nearby to hunt and collect the eggs for them.
  • Baking easter cupcake – your lovely residents will surely enjoy baking and decorating their own cupcakes with icing, chocolates, colorful sprinkles or edible toppers.
  • Decorate Easter hats– gather the residents and let them decorate and accessorize their own Easter hats and have a mini Easter parade with their families and your care home staff

Remember we do not need to throw a big party to celebrate the tradition but making it a fun-filled memorable experience for our residents.

Cura Systems would like to greet you all a happy and joyful Easter! May your home be filled with love, peace, and happiness. Share us your Easter photos with your residents by using the hashtag #CuraCelebratesEaster.

Cura Systems, CQC Declare Your Care 14Mar, 2019
Millions don’t raise their concerns over care.

Few 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.

Care Quality Commission’s #DeclareYourCare Campaign

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.

That’s why CURA is supporting #DeclareYourCare, a new campaign by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC is the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England. Its year-long campaign encourages people to share their experiences of care. Not just poor care, but good care too.

The campaign builds on research by the CQC, which shows people regret not raising concerns about their care, while those who do raise concerns see improvements. According to the CQC, almost seven million people with concerns about their care in the past five years did not make a complaint. The research also found that 58 percent of these people regretted not raising their concerns. Of those who did raise a concern or complaint, 66 percent found the issue was quickly resolved, it helped the service to improve and they were happy with the outcome.

The CQC research also reveals the reasons why people said they didn’t raise their concerns:

  • The feeling that nothing would change as a result (37 percent).
  • Not knowing who to raise their concerns with (33 percent).
  • Not wanting to be seen as a troublemaker (33 percent).
  • Worrying about not being taken seriously (28 percent).
  • Not knowing how to raise their complaint (20 percent).

With one in three people admitting that they did not know how to raise a concern or make a complaint, the CQC is reminding all providers of the importance of making sure that service users and their loved ones are aware that processes are in place to respond to their concerns.

Speak to the care home or agency care manager to give them a chance to investigate, explain and put things right. Tell them what you want them to do. Don’t be worried about raising issues. If you don’t speak up, then improvements can’t be made or problems resolved. A manager may not be aware there is an issue until you raise it. Most problems can be easily resolved at this stage; however, you may wish to agree a time frame for a resolution.

Keep accurate records of your complaint and any communication.

 Put everything in writing so there’s a record of correspondence, keep notes of telephone calls and meetings, and keep a diary of issues relating to your complaint.

Cura’s priority is the high-quality, safe care of residents. 

Our Care Home Management Solutions are focused on ensuring that residents feel reassured, more involved and have confidence in their care home.

When carers use Cura’s electronic care agency software to deliver your care they are ensuring a more personalised and reliable service. The care planning system also monitors the safety of your environment so that you can feel more content.

Cura also gives reassurance to your loved ones. 

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.

The most important thing is that you should not feel afraid to speak up. If you don’t raise concerns, nothing can be done about them. Raising awareness of problems could help to make things better, as well as raising awareness for other people being cared for by the same provider.

Fulford Nursing Valentines, Nursing Home System 27Feb, 2019
Cupid visits Fulford Nursing Home on Valentine’s Day

Love is in the care! Cura spreads the message of love by surprising the residents of Fulford Nursing Home on 14th February 2019.

Experience the Difference with Cura's Nursing Home System

“We work with hundreds of providers and suppliers all the time but Cura make a difference, not every company goes above and beyond, and Cura always do.” - Ms Elizabeth Hancock, Managing Director

“Cura's nursing home system has helped us capture special moments and share the moments with their families as well,” - Alison Wimbles, Nurse

“It really is a very good surprise. Uplifting, I’m pleased.” - Muriel, resident

Cura Means Care

Our tagline “Cura means Care” says it all. Our team will hold your hand through every step of your journey and ensure you and your entire team get the most from the use of technology in a care environment. Together we can go further to safeguard your residents and care workers.

For more information on Cura Systems and our groundbreaking products and services, please email us on info@cura.systems or call us today on 020 3621 9111.

Christmas Campaign, Caregiving Software 25Dec, 2018
12 days of Christmas

Include Cura’s Caregiving Software  to your Christmas Wish List

On the 1st day of Christmas, Cura gave to me: A wonderful way to save so much time on paperwork

On the 2nd day of Christmas, Cura gave to me: Easy mobile care monitoring apps that help me to spend more quality time with my residents

On the 3rd day of Christmas, Cura gave to me: forms that are filled in by speaking to them

On the 4th day of Christmas, Cura gave to me: A way to keep my residents healthy and safe with individualized checklists

On the 5th day of Christmas, Cura gave to me: A way to manage medication so that there are fewer mistakes

On the 6th day of Christmas, Cura gave to me: voice and video communication with my resident’s family

On the 7th day of Christmas, Cura gave to me: my very own “angel“ that keeps me in the picture at all times, even when away from the home

On the 8th day of Christmas, Cura gave to me: A meal-planner to ensure my residents eat well

On the 9th day of Christmas, Cura gave to me: A care planning system that will help us improve care and make residents happier

On the 10th day of Christmas, Cura gave to me: the ability to record daily events on the go

On the 11th day of Christmas, Cura gave to me: A staff planner to better plan our shifts & people

On the 12th day of Christmas, Cura gave to me: reminders of things that I may have forgotten

Please fill out this form to book your FREE Demo for your care home and to get your FREE Tote Bag.

Terms and conditions apply
* The offer period is from 25th December 2019 to 31st January 2020
* This offer is only applicable to all care homes, residential and nursing homes
* Our team will contact you within two weeks to schedule your free demo and how to claim your free tote bag

Care at Home, Digital Care Planning System 30Nov, 2018
Why digital systems are vital for smaller care homes

It’s not just the large homes that benefit from going digital. Taking away wasted time on paperwork will make your care time so much more productive, a digital care planning system can introduce greater efficiency, along with the freedom to spend more time delivering excellent services.

Digital Care Planning System for Care Homes

Care homes that introduce a digital system quickly benefit from results such as boosted productivity, improved communications, and better outcomes for residents. A digital platform can eliminate a large amount of time-consuming paperwork while making compliance with care standards easier and providing tools to measure performance. With a digital system it’s easy to demonstrate qualityof care and improve CQC ratings.

Cura’s Competitive Edge

Maintaining a competitive advantage is critical for the smaller care home. An intelligently modern digital care management system creates a platform that enables a care facility to be nimble and adaptive when compared with bigger, slower rivals. An intricate array of complex tasks underpin a successful care home, and a versatile digital system allows integration of every aspect, evolving and developing with changing demands while streamlining services.

Some care home staff have reservations about using digital technology, but a well designed, intuitive care system can make their job easier. Supported by the kind of training that sensitively imparts the skills required, many care workers may be surprised by how simple it is to go digital. Rapid reporting, effortless data trails and easy mobile care monitoring of administration and electronic care planning are just some of the other benefits of a digital care home system.

Modern and Intuitive Care Software

Digital care planning system for care homes can also analyse information and provide alerts along with easy transfer of data at the end of a shift. An effective care system is one that is tailored to the specific needs of the care facility, and flexible modules can be customised not just to the individual character of smaller care homes, but to individual residents themselves. When the right system is implemented, the flow of information is enhanced, saving time and energy. Digital systems for social care provide instant overviews of progress across markers ranging from medication to maintenance, and enhance every sector of resident care.

An innovator and leader in care home management software, Cura Systems delivers an integrated web platform that is a central control point for better management, better decisions and ultimately better quality of care.

Residents and their families expect service of consistent excellence, and Cura Systems can help smaller care homes to provide it.

care home solutions, medication app 19Nov, 2018
Laying the foundations

Serial entrepreneur Abu Omar developed his latest business Cura Systems after witnessing at first hand how hard it can be to help elderly people keep on top of their medications. “I’m one of four brothers, and my mother hops from country to country to spend time with us, and trying to keep track of her medication and visits to doctors – which country, which doctor, what medication does she need to make it consistent – is a nightmare, he says.

Empowering Carers with Innovative Cura’s Innovative Care Home Solution

The product is a comprehensive care system designed to help homes manage the needs of their service users and their own planning, including care plans, daily reports, to-do lists, medication management, staff schedules and time and attendance.

The business was originally devised in Singapore, but Abu realised there were many more care homes in the UK, which were generally not making use of technology, and decided to move to London in 2014. “We’re really looking to raise the bar,” he says.

“The care home industry is way behind in terms of adopting technology and has been the poor relation for far too long.”

But starting over again in an entirely new country was a challenge, even for an experienced entrepreneur, and when Abu came across London & Partners he was keen to take advantage of the free support that was available.

Abu signed up to the Business Growth Programme and attended a number of seminars, including courses on marketing, selling and finances. It also introduced the fledgling firm to lawyers, bankers and accountants. “They put us in touch with advisory people as well, who could tell us how to go about doing things in the UK,” says Abu. “So in the early days it was very useful and meant we didn’t have to go and hire very expensive lawyers or accountants, and they guided us through that process once we had the company set up.” 

One of the main priorities for the business at this point was to attract investment, and the programme took Abu through how to pitch for finance. “We were at the point of not being a pure start-up but not being a mature business either; we were right in between and looking for funding,” he says. “The programme looked at how to pitch the business and put the best look forward. I must admit that an old sceptic like me thought they couldn’t teach me anything, but they did.” London & Partners also put the business in front of a number of venture capitalists, although it eventually chose to accept finance from high-net worth individuals instead.

As well as this, London & Partners ran its own pitching competition, where companies which had been through the programme could compete for funding. “They choose around 25 candidate companies which they thought might be ready for investment and then they put us through the mill,” he says. “We attended various sessions where we had to pitch and show the best face of our company and product. That was the last one we went on, and we came second in that.”

As well as the practical support, Abu credits London & Partners with helping him plan the overall strategy of the business; something which was important as he sought to get it established. “We have more than 70 homes on our books now,” he says. “It took us eight months to get our first customer, and another six to get the second. I’m not sure to what extent it’s directly related to London & Partners, but there was certainly a growth spurt after we completed the programme. We have more than doubled our customers in the last year alone.”

Now, Abu is starting to think about expanding internationally. It is already selling in its initial market of Singapore, and has ambitions to launch in the US in 2019. “The business is growing exactly as we want it to,” he adds.

Give your care home a competitive advantage. Contact the Cura Systems team today on 020 3621 9111.  We are confident that Cura will take your service to a new level.

Cura Systems, Electronic Care Home System 10Oct, 2018
Cura makes technology work for the caregivers

Striving to achieve outstanding resident care and improve outcomes is a constant challenge, and the initial task of adopting technology can be daunting. Cura understands this and our technology and processes are designed to make the transformation as painless as possible, and the improved performance durable.

Enhance Care Operations with Cura’s Electronic Care Home System

You will be amazed how our graduated, tailored for the needs of caregivers, coupled with intuitive, simple-to-use technology leaves both caregivers and service users’ families assured about handling some of the daily challenges associated with providing quality care.

Here are just some of the ways in which Cura’s electronic care home system makes technology work for the caregiver:

  • Assessing & planning health needs and medical conditions
  • Monitoring prescribed medications
  • Accessibility of information at the point of care delivery
  • Improvement in communication between different caregivers, management and next of kin
  • Planning of daily resident’s activities such as meals, showering and events
  • Substantially eliminate redundant data entry and medication error
  • Improvement in resource planning and handover between shifts

See how Cura Systems is using technology to support care initiatives. For enquiries, please contact us on 020 3621 9111 or email us at info@cura.systems.