7 steps for selecting an aged care software that is best for your specific requirements

Moving from traditional paper-based methods to an Aged Care management system can be a daunting task, one that many thinks is too hard to undertake. But the benefits of moving your system into an aged care specific software platform far outweigh the stresses.

VCare software is cost-effective, comprehensive, and built to meet the demands of the growing retirement village and aged care industry.  It will help you meet all your care planning, support planning and resident/service user recording requirements practically and in line with best practice. But before you take our word for it, make sure you follow the 7 steps for selecting the best aged care software for your specific requirements.

1. Identify areas you want to improve in your facility

Do you know what areas of your facility have room to improve? While your current methods may get the job done, there are many areas that may need improvement to help your staff succeed and keep your residents healthy and happy. Talk to your staff to see where they think they could be saving time, or where they find issues in their day-to-day activities. Effectively implementing an Aged Care software will increase productivity and streamline your internal processes to give your staff and residents a better around experience.

2. Investigate the current software in the market

There are many different Aged Care software providers on the market, get a comprehensive list to begin with so you can narrow them down as you go. When identifying different software, take note of where they are based. Location and proximity to your facilities is an important point to consider as there are many overseas based companies that won’t be able to offer the hands on support a local company can. Choosing local also ensures the software is designed for the country you’re in, in New Zealand, with the high level of competency required for facilities it’s sensible to choose a software designed exactly for the NZ market.

3. Decide what type of functionality and benefits are most important to your facility

Its important to know what functionality you are wanting. Are you after a all-in-one solution that offers care, support and administration functionality to benefit all areas of your facility, or do you just need a simple system that will help with one or two specific tasks? Understanding your own functionality needs is important in identifying the right software for you. VCare offers comprehensive functionality, providing care and village management solutions along with many other key solutions that allow all aspects of your facility to work seamlessly together.

4. Find out what integrations the software has

Many facilities already have some form of software in use, with many using medication management, call bell and financial systems. When choosing an aged care software its important it integrates with your current systems. Using multiple applications or software that doesn’t integrate or talk with each other can be a nightmare for you and your staff. It not only puts additional pressure on staff to input data into various locations, but it increases inefficient data management and the likelihood of human error and double handling. VCare integrates with a range of market leaders in the sector to ensure your staff are working on tasks that matter and your data is secure, accurate and available in real-time.

5. Find out how much support you will receive

Making sure you will have ongoing support is crucial when implementing a new software, this not only makes sure you know exactly how to use it but gives your staff confidence in their own abilities. When choosing a software its important to note how much initial training you will get as well as ongoing training for new staff and when new updates or developments occur. You also want to be confident in your relationship with the software company that you can go to them with an issue and it will be resolved quickly. VCare offers 24/7 support and runs in-depth training days when a client signs up as well as being available for more training on request.

6. Research current clients

There is no better way to find out if a software is worth it or not than having a look at their current clients. In some cases, you may be able to contact these clients directly, but in other cases you may find case studies and testimonials on their websites. Case studies give you a good insight into why that facility may have gone with the software, the benefits, and their overall experience with the company. On vcaresoftware.com we have a range of case studies highlighting different types of facilities and what they were focused on overcoming with the use of VCare. We also have a wide range of other case studies not featured on the website that can be accessed on request.

7. Make a decision is best for your facility

Each facility is unique, only you will know exactly what you need to make the lives of your staff easier and give your residents a better experience.  Once you have been through these 7 steps you should be able to narrow down your choices and find the software that suits your specific requirements.

If you are thinking about moving to an Aged Care management system, get in contact with VCare today and we can see what we can do for your facility.