The Power of Assisted Living Software for Your Facility

There’s no shortage of praise for o. Whether this information is new to you or not, you probably can’t help but wonder what it’s all about. Is it really a panacea to all the ills plaguing the senior living industry? And even if it isn’t, even if its effects are limited or marginal at best, is it worth investing in? Indeed, these are but some of the questions doubters tend to ask.

Well, is it? Many senior care facility owners who have implemented assisted living software in their respective communities will say yes. Is there any secret as to why they back these solutions wholeheartedly? Nothing really — they just took the time to know what software fits their communities to a T.

Different kinds of assisted living software may seem like two sides of the same coin. But that’s far from the case, especially if you’re going to be mindful of what exactly each software brings to the table. Some have standout qualities that simply make them stand high above the competition, and they should be the ones you should consider if you want the best results.

Make Sure It Is Industry-Specific

Going for software that is industry-specific only makes sure that it will actively address the challenges that your eldercare facility has via its plethora of clear-cut features. In short, you have to verify that the software is actually designed specifically for senior care living.

Many facilities make the mistake of not confirming this and just end up with a nursing home-themed one or a property management software. What do they end up with? Features that either fall short or tools that they won’t really find much use in.

This can be tricky because online searches often make resident management software synonymous with the latter. This is why it’s best to contact the prospective company you are considering and make sure that what they are offering is actually assisted living software for seniors.

It Should Lessen Your Workload as Well as Your Staff’s

The best assisted living software optimizes every facet and process in your senior care community — to the point that everyone’s work burden will be significantly lessened. You can’t settle for anything less than that because you’ll only end up wrestling with the thought that you ended up with the shorter end of the stick.

Think of getting features like the automated and accurate assessment of the level of care needed by residents, automated notifications regarding communication and scheduling, quick and easy shift adjustments, and equally convenient ways to let caregivers know about them.

These are but some of the perks of ALS that allow it to impart the much-needed reductions in workload both you and your staff need.

Consider Customizability and Flexibility

A good assisted living software anticipates the specific needs and requirements of any facility. It understands that not all senior care homes are built the same and have uniform processes and frameworks. It should always leave room for customizations, especially when creating vital reports and when tracking the individual conditions of each patient.

Is It Affordable and Cost-Effective?

An excellent assisted living software does not have to break the bank; nor should it fall short of what it promises to give to your facility.

• How does the software charge for its services?
• Is it a monthly subscription fee?
• What are these charges based on?
• Does it consider the number of residents and units it will be implemented in?

You should, more or less, get concrete answers to these questions before deciding. Admittedly, the cost-effectivity of each software hinges a lot on the number of pertinent advantages that you will be able to gain from it. So it won’t hurt to take the time to know every feature offered.

Don’t Overlook Ease of Use

No, you don’t have to be techy just to be able to make the most out of outstanding assisted living software. You also don’t have to hire an IT team and keep them on standby to teach you how to use each feature properly.

Good developers anticipate this and take the initiative to make all the necessary adjustments — without sacrificing the quality and quantity of helpful features. Of course, it also considers caregivers that will be using the software regularly.

Does It Engage the Entire Community?

Senior care software should go beyond just handing caregivers and managers the tools they need to get their jobs done easier. Rather, it should also contribute to the entire community’s satisfaction as both a result of its comprehensive features as well as the functionalities that directly add to the said engagement.

For instance, a few assisted living software also comes with digital signages. These open up plenty of opportunities to inform residents about what’s happening in the community. Others have features that encourage residents to actively take part in their treatments or in any day-to-day activities held inside the facility.

Can It Actively Respond to Emergencies?

From the propensity of falls to other more wide-scale emergencies, the software should be equipped with all the necessary tools to actively respond to these scenarios. For this, you can often rely on emergency notification systems integrated into ALS. These allow you to send messages to everyone in seconds to maintain order and coordination.

It would also be for the benefit of everyone to have an incident log so as to keep a steady, accurate record of any notable crisis-related event happening within the community.

Does It Improve Internal Communication?

You’re probably already aware of the sheer importance of internal communication in an assisted living setting. It’s the glue that keeps everyone together every day and also in times of crisis. With proper internal communication, you can mitigate miscommunication that results in staff dissatisfaction, establish a reliable chain of command, and keep everyone’s morale high.

Assisted living software should always provide free and accessible avenues for you and your staff to strengthen this vital aspect.

Its Features Should Also Extend Help to Physicians

One factor that proves whether your prospective software is industry-specific or not is if it also integrates features that help doctors efficiently attend to residents. Many seniors often have to undergo close tracking of their health, after all. And if a software doesn’t have helpful features like vitals tracking, automated care assessment, or doesn’t let physicians track residents’ progress remotely, then you’ll be missing out a lot.

Does It Involve the Families of Residents?

Residents missing their loved ones is already a widespread phenomenon. It’s often the root cause of loneliness and depression, which leads to reduced occupancy rates.

A top-notch assisted living software wouldn’t just settle on providing mediums of communication for residents to stay in touch with their families. It knows the importance of keeping the family connection going, so it goes all the way in providing features that does just that.

For example, you will encounter platforms that let family members log in to a secure network where they can keep track of their loved ones’ activities and their overall progress.

Conclusion

Assisted living software is by no means a magic bullet for a senior care community. But we also can’t deny the glaring fact that no other solution can deliver such in-depth and wide-ranging benefits. With the knowledge that there’s a great option for you, would you still willingly miss out on these powerful advantages?