Five ways to help encourage the use of a new aged care software in your facility
Implementing an electronic solution in the aged care sector can transform the way your facility operates, increasing productivity and streamlining internal processes. Software implementation can be a costly and lengthy process, so steps need to be taken to ensure the project is a success. The implementation of an electronic system needs to be well planned to ensure a favourable outcome, this can be achieved by limiting disruption and encouraging onboarding by all staff.
Here are the top five ways to encourage the use of a new aged care software:
- Customised solution to suit workflows, processes and procedures and revisit current processes
- Provide extensive training
- Listen to employee suggestions
- Appoint a VCare champion
- Communicate with transparency
Customised solution to suit workflows, processes and procedures and revisit current processes
Implementing new software within your facility gives you a unique opportunity to review your current processes and determine whether they are as effective as they could be. VCare has a range of experts and extensive experience in the industry to ensure you are getting the most out of your VCare system.
All of your current paper-based records can be also be replicated in VCare, this ensures staff are familiar with all forms resulting in limited disruption and better onboarding for staff.
“In terms of streamlining timing, especially with pre populating assessments, it makes it a lot easier, with the assessments we have prepopulated so when they go to do a report assessment, they only have to change a few bits rather than having to do a whole new assessment every time”
Jo Sime,
Presbyterian Support South Canterbury
Provide extensive training
The most significant success factor of any new system in any organisation but especially an electronic system are the people. Change management, staff acceptance and staff willingness to adopt a new solution will be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful project.
Training is one of the most essential elements of the implementation process. If staff are not comfortable with a new system, familiar with how it works and how to use it for their daily tasks, then staff adoption will be an ongoing and expensive challenge which you will face frequently.
Training needs to be heavily invested in, not only before and during implementation but also after. This will ensure staff fully utilising all the benefits that an electronic aged care software has to offer.
“We did lots of training with Kim before, for example we would start the training on a Monday, and depending on the size of the home we would say finish on the Wednesday, so training would be done Wednesday and we would go live with VCare on the Thursday. People would have the training and straight into using it so they didn’t forget anything.”
Jo Sime
Presbyterian Support South Canterbury
Listen to employee suggestions
In any organisation your people are your biggest asset, so used them. Your team are on the ground floor, so they understand what works and doesn’t work.
The feedback your team have to offer is essential in improving the overall processes of your business, so take their suggestions on board. This process should be a continuous effort as your systems will be continuously improved and updated.
This will also work in your favour as staff will become invested in the solution and know that their points of view matters resulting in staff feeling more valued.
VCare champion
Assign a VCare champion, this individual will be the “go-to”person within the organisation for everything VCare. This person will be an expert on everything VCare and gives less confident staff a platform to ask questions and become more confident using the system
Communicate with transparency
By communicating the benefits of the software, staff are encouraged to become more invested in using the system and will encourage other staff members to use it as well. This results in staff being heavily invested in the implementation process, supporting its success rather than feeling like they have no say.
