As an important provider of aged care, your software system is a serious investment to your continued success. Since a couple of years ago, aged care organisations are utilising advanced technologies to improve their hospitality for their residents and visitors. Aged care providers have understood the fact that technology-based solutions offer remarkable advantages in terms of quality, time management and service provision.
Today, the aged care industry is rapidly evolving to incorporate technology in its daily functions. With the changing health outlook globally, it is not surprising aged care facilities are constantly on their toes.
While the aged care sector is facing challenges, an ideal software system can render assistance in terms of helping aged care providers remain more efficient, upgrade their staff, save on running costs and streamline various processes. This all can help provide the best service to their residents and guests.
Australia’s aged care industry has already started implementing various electronic systems. But with so many software systems in the market, how do you know which one is most critical to your establishment?
In this article, we will run through various aged care software solutions, and guide you towards the one aged care software system you need.
Types of aged care software system
In the world of aged care technology, there are many different softwares meant to make managing your facility easier. Here are the two broadest categories of an aged care software system.
Residential management system
A residential management system includes medical, HR, finance and a catering management system.
A residential catering system is oftentimes essential to running your facility. Residential management systems are designed specifically to manage residents, while supporting the daily operations of a residential aged care facility. These residential management systems store all relevant resident information in one central location for easy access.
The residential management systems have different functions that each contribute to the success of your facility. For example, the medical management system can help your staff better facilitate the medication process and needs of your residents. This can help reduce the likelihood of any medication errors.
Similarly, an HR management system can help your organisation with staff scheduling, payroll management, and storing employee records. This can help ensure all the needs of your staff are met; which allows them to then provide stellar care to your residents.
Next, a finance management system can ensure you stay on top of your finances; especially in managing assets, income and operating expenditure. This can guarantee you reduce accounting errors, maintain an audit trail and comply with relevant accounting standards.
Lastly, a catering management system. A catering management system can help you keep up with the complex yet important task of providing sufficient and nutritious meals for your residents.
A residential software system for your aged care facility is indeed a crucial piece of the ideal successful aged care facility puzzle.
Visitor management system
Another key player in the aged care software systems field is the visitor management system. Most residential aged care facilities constantly have visitors streaming in and out. Even within this pandemic, it is important your aged care facilities still allow for visitors. Visiting senior loved ones is especially important as it is integral to their mental wellbeing.
Visitors will need to be tracked upon both entry and exit to ensure safe visiting. Apart from that, they also have to be fully vaccinated and provide proof. They also need to ensure they are in the pink of health and are not running a fever or displaying any respiratory symptoms.
Visitor management systems have complex functions that allow your facility to effectively manage visitor entry through pre-booking links and integrated temperature scanning function and visitor detail management. Zipline also guarantees 100% government compliance and ensures residents and visitors are happy and safe.
The one aged care software system everyone needs
Now, you must be wondering which aged care software system you should invest in. In a general view, a visitor management system is absolutely one you should invest in. By right, your aged care system should already have some form of residential management system; whether in the form of HR software that tracks employees’ attendance, or medical software which helps your doctors and nurses manage the medication.
On the other hand, visitor management systems are a newcomer to the industry. Most residential aged care facilities are just investing in a visitor management system. However, visitor management systems are especially critical in ensuring your residents and staff can work and reside comfortably and safely.
Here are some reasons why a visitor management system is the aged care software system you need.
Compliance
The Australian government has extremely strict guidelines regarding visiting aged care facilities. Of course, this is for good reason. Seniors are especially vulnerable to respiratory diseases and have a weakened immune system. It is in everyone’s best interests to restrict visits to aged care centres at this time.
As an aged care provider, you have to ensure you stay compliant with all the rules as there is not much leeway. So how can you ensure you are staying compliant with the ever-changing restrictions? Here is where visitor management software comes in.
An advanced visitor management system will have an auto-updating sign-in process that aligns with the current restrictions. Providers of visitor management systems will have a dedicated compliance team that are constantly researching the restrictions; such that the software will only include real-time regulations.
This can help to ensure you are not flouting any rules that can potentially cause you to be fined. Being fined means large revenue losses as well as a diminished reputation.
Whether you are using a visitor management system to alert you if any visitors are unwell or if you need it to trace back to a guest, the system is essential for staying compliant with government restrictions.
Proactivity
Security and surveillance teams have often dealt with incidents in reactive ways. Only when an undesirable person enters the facility and causes an incident, only will the surveillance team check the entry logbook and ban that person. However, is it not better to prevent than to cure?
With visitor management software, your security team will know who is entering the facility before they even have time to cause an uproar. A visitor management system integrates data analytics in its functions and allows you to spot trends. Why is this visitor coming in everyday at 4pm? Who are they visiting? Where are they going, and what are the risks associated with this person?
Visitor trend analysis from this aged care software system can help your team gain insight and take proactive measures, which boost the security of your site.
Reduced costs
While you might be quick to assume a manual visitor management system will save you money, it is in fact untrue. In the long run, a manual visitor management system will drain your profits. Your facility is left vulnerable to compliance risks if you lack an effective and working visitor management system.
The costs of managing these risks are exorbitant. Especially in Australia, where non-compliance will result in a hefty fine. Violations in processes of security, surveillance and safety can cause staff members to go to jail as well. This is why it is especially important to know who entered your facility, and whether they are authorised to do so.
A pen-and-paper visitor management system will not be able to track all visitors accurately and reliably. During peak hours, how is your front desk receptionist going to handle the large volume of visitors, while ensuring they are all signed-in?
This is where a visitor management system comes into play. A visitor management system has the ability to track suspicious patterns, ensure compliance, and prevent incidents.
A good visitor management system will have a data analysis function to view your visitor trends. An established visitor management system will also boast the function to customise your entry procedure and who to allow in, while automatically updating to reflect the latest aged care restrictions.
By reducing the frequency of incidents, compliance risks and dangers, you can significantly boost your profits.
Streamlined sign-in process
Last but not least, a visitor management system allows you to streamline your visitor sign-in process. Before COVID-19, it was normal to see long snaking lines at aged care centres. But with everyone being health conscious and wary, that is now a thing of the past.
Aged care providers had to come up with a way to let visitors enter their premises in a safe and socially distanced manner— fast. Enter: visitor management systems, the one aged care software solution you need.
Most visitor management systems allow you to let your visitors pre-book a timeslot online before coming down to the facility. This ensures there will not be overcrowding at your reception area. With the health restrictions currently, being able to book and sign-in online can also lessen the amount of time visitors spend at the reception.
As the aged care industry progresses towards a new normal, a visitor management system will be a mark of your organisation’s commitment to safe practices. By integrating new technology, your residents will be able to stay safe and happy.
In conclusion
Perhaps your organisation has yet to experience any negative effects of not investing in a visitor management system. Regardless, a visitor management system is the one aged care software system you need. It is a safety and compliance requirement for any security team.
As such, an investment in a visitor management system will help you protect your business more effectively.
Zipline’s expert visitor management system is the one you need. With a dedicated compliance team and diverse functions of our sign-in software, let us help you keep your residents safe, and your visitors happy.
About the author
Besides school and work, Venus spends her free time dancing (she has been a dancer for more than 10 years). She also enjoys spending time just chilling at home and hanging out with her friends.
