One of the unsung heroes (or heroines!) of a care home is the maintenance team. Without them the home would potentially become unsafe very quickly, be cold, there would be leaks – and who would put up the shelves, install the new TV, and perform the myriad of other tasks which keep a home safe, cosy and comfortable for its residents?
Much of the discussion regarding the use of technology in care focuses on the provision of care itself, and some would say rightly so! Providing better care and therefore better outcomes for residents will always be the number one aim of any care provider and, as we have highlighted numerous times, advances in care management software will help them to achieve this.
The reality is that although maintenance is so intricately interlinked with the safe operations of a care setting, it has more than often been placed secondary to other digital tools that are currently available, like care planning and rostering. Maintenance is directly linked with the Key Lines of Enquiry (KLOEs) and plays a big part in the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC’s) findings on ‘Safe’, ‘Responsive’, and ‘Well Led’. Unlocking the possibilities of a care management software system beyond care planning, administration, and staffing is just what the care sector requires. So what if a system could also encompass maintenance too?
There are many advantages to applying technology to the maintenance function of a care home:
Having more rich and tangible data would facilitate true analytics, which would empower a care provider with the right insights to make better decisions.
Immediate notification - If a member of staff notices a fault (for example, a light bulb needs changing, or a radiator not working in a resident’s room), they can automatically log it on a handheld device which sends a message to the maintenance team. No more handwritten notes which are lost on a desk, scribbled on sticky notes, or tasks which are forgotten about by the end of the carer’s rounds!
Preventing small jobs from becoming big jobs – If a maintenance fault is left unresolved, over time it will become a bigger issue. Adding the job to an electronic task list means that it is remembered, and the maintenance team are accountable for rectifying it.
All data in one place enables better evidencing of maintenance checks.
Highlighting patterns of faults – if there are repeated issues in one area of the home these will become obvious, and the management team can investigate further.
Identifying regular breakdowns – maintenance and senior management teams can identify if any particular piece of machinery requires regular work, and may therefore need to be replaced.
Planned maintenance - by creating a planned maintenance schedule, the risk of equipment breaking down is reduced. It also means that booking a specialist for anything requiring statutory inspection (such as a boiler) can be arranged well in advance, minimising the risk of an expensive emergency call-out.
Reducing energy costs – it is common knowledge that regularly maintained equipment runs more efficiently, and if there are no draughts from faulty windows the heat cannot escape!
When considered together, it is clear that digitalising the maintenance function and care planning within a care home could not only save money, but also predict and prevent issues which could be costly and affect the wellbeing of the home’s staff and residents.
Digitalisation of a care home is something which we have discussed many times (see our Insights). As we have noted, the CQC wrote in 2018 that the innovative use of technology can help answer their five KLOEs. Although its focus in mainly on the provision of care, it is simple to see how a digital maintenance system could also help to meet KLOEs as part of a holistic care management software solution. For example, by giving clear evidence of a regular maintenance schedule and checks, the care provider can demonstrate that their home is ‘Safe’, and by showing how issues have been identified and assigned to the maintenance team for investigation and repair it can also show that the home is ‘Responsive to people’s needs’. In addition, in a recent guidance document CQC identified what ‘good digital records looked like’ and amongst those identified was, ‘help to support other important health and care functions, such as service management.’
PredicAire’s care management software system is the first of its kind to offer a holistic solution for care providers. Its maintenance module will provide real-time fault notifications and accountability, as well as ensuring that planned preventative maintenance is effectively carried out. This feature is part of its revolutionary product, powered by Artificial Intelligence (Ai), which will offer the following benefits:
Staff will spend less time on administration, and more with residents;
Safer, holistic record-keeping;
Diagnostic data to predict and prevent unnecessary outcomes;
Better communication with families and friends;
Future proofing successful inspections – Better Evidence | Better Outcomes;
In the future, better communication and connectivity with health professionals across the NHS and Social Care (coming soon) and;
Effective medication management (coming soon).
Technology used responsibly in social care can revolutionise the sector, from the nursing staff to the individual who fixes the broken radiator. Will you be amongst the first to explore the possibilities? Contact us for a demo.
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