Technology continues to transform our daily lives. That’s true even at Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs). Older residents may not necessarily be rushing to adopt the latest gadget, but facility owners and managers can leverage tech to create a safer, healthier, better experience for residents.
Here are just a few ways that innovative technologies can help you enhance safety and efficiency at your facility.
Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and Associated Alerts
Paper recordkeeping comes with a myriad of risks, from a fire affecting your file storage to someone simply misplacing a piece of paper. Plus, paper records require you to either physically pass them to relevant parties — like a resident’s doctor — or to scan them and transmit them digitally.
It’s no surprise, then, that the vast majority of medical care providers have adopted electronic health records, or EHRs, for short. A recent study found that 96% of hospitals and 78% of physicians have already made this transition.
Making this change at your own facility streamlines communication with your residents’ medical providers, making it easier and more accurate. Plus, digital record-keeping keeps everything your staff may need — from care plans to medical histories — right at their fingertips, assuming they have access to a connected device.
Beyond that, you can feed EHRs to other tools your RCFE uses. Many facilities have adopted medication management systems, for example. These might ping staff members when it’s time to distribute doses of medication or flag possible contraindications when a doctor prescribes something new. Ultimately, these kinds of solutions can help facilities build consistency and safety into their medication management.
Tech-Supported Monitoring
Fall detection and other remote health monitoring systems enable your facility to respond quickly when your residents need you most. Many residents deeply value their privacy and independence. With the right technology, you can keep tabs on them without infringing on their space or autonomy.
This allows you to keep residents safer while also boosting their quality of life. A fall detection alert, for example, can notify your team so they can get to that resident right away. Helping them up and caring for any injuries they’ve sustained improves the outcome from that fall. It eliminates the risk that they’ll injure themselves trying to get up on their own, for example.
Telemedicine
Transportation is often a big challenge for residents, particularly those living with mobility challenges. Fortunately, they no longer need to leave your facility to connect with a medical professional. Telemedicine appointments make it easier for them to see their primary care provider more frequently, and to have consultations with any specialists they need.
Plus, you can connect your remote health monitoring tools to the systems your residents’ medical providers use. This way, they can get key information — like vital signs — without the resident needing to travel to their office.
Clearly, innovative technologies can do a lot to help RCFEs keep residents safe while improving the efficiency of their operations. And with more safety built in, you might even be able to save on your insurance coverage.
To explore potential savings as you implement new tools at your facility, contact our team of experts at InsureMyRCFE. Call us at (805) 413-5668.
