Cura Care Planning Systems, Electronic Care Plan 15Aug, 2019
Cura Leads the Way to Going Digital

Like 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.

Evidence-based Digital Care Systems

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 observed “The 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.

Embracing Technology in Caregiving

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 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’.

Cura Systems, Tablet-based Care Home Software 17Jun, 2019
Putting care back into care homes

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.

Key Lines of Enquiry: 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.