Learn about the benefits of choosing a home health care agency that uses home care technology
For families with aging parents, it can be hard to live far from loved ones and not be able to visit often.
And when the pandemic hit last year, even families who live close by were faced with extra restrictions, making visiting and caregiving an even bigger challenge. As a result, many families have turned to home health care agencies to provide their aging parents with a caregiver who could be there to help when they can’t.
At a time when technology is a huge driving force in keeping us connected, home care technology is no exception. Keep reading to learn how home health care agencies are using home care technology to bring peace of mind by allowing families to stay informed about their loved one’s care.
How can home care technology help your loved one?
Trusting a new person to care for your family member can be challenging, especially when you don’t have time to constantly check in on the caregiver.
That’s why, if you’re considering hiring a home health care agency, it’s essential to choose one that uses home care technology—such as an online care portal.
Why? With a dedicated online portal, you have the reassurance that your loved one is in safe hands, taking their medications, and eating well without having to constantly call and check in. You can also view many aspects of your loved one’s care in one convenient place that can be accessed from anytime, anywhere and on any device.
How home care technology can bring peace of mind:
- View your loved one’s plan of care and daily schedule
One of the most effective ways to ease anxiety in any situation is to know what’s happening. With home care technology, you can know exactly what your aging parent and their caregiver are doing for the day by viewing their plan of care and schedule.
On most online portals, you can view (and even add) important events, appointments, and activities to the calendar, so that everyone with access can know what’s going on.
- Create tasks for your loved one’s caregiver
When your loved one lives far away, it can often be frustrating to not be able to help them with things that they want or need done.
That’s why many home care technologies feature to-do lists where you can add task reminders for the caregiver to help ensure your loved one’s day is just how they want it. The caregiver can then view and check off tasks as they are completed, so that everyone stays informed.
- Keep track of medications
Oftentimes, one of the most important tasks seniors need to complete each day is taking their medications. Home care technology often allows you to keep track of medications, so that you and the caregiver both know what your loved one needs.
Many platforms provide detailed specifications for medicines including dosage, the reason for taking it, the time it needs to be taken, and if it needs to be taken with or without food.
- Ensure the caregiver has passed COVID-19 screening protocols
Home care technology is extremely helpful when looking for ways to minimize the risk of coronavirus transmission between caregivers and those they care for.
Many home care technologies feature a COVID-19 screening protocol section which includes a series of health screening questions to assess any potential symptoms in both the caregiver and senior. This increases the safety of home health care during the pandemic in addition to the regular testing that many agencies have utilized.
Learn more:
Home care during COVID-19: How we’re keeping seniors safe and well
- Read a daily report of caregiver notes
After a shift, most home care technologies include a section where caregiver notes are posted and available for everyone on the platform to view. These notes can include anything about your loved one’s day, as well as anything important that needs to be shared with the family.
- Pay the home health care bills
Making payments for home health care services is an aspect of the process that most families are concerned about, especially when they’re interested in splitting the bill.
With home care technology, family members can pay or even split a portion of the bill completely online. You can usually view and keep track of past invoices as well.
While the advantages of home care technology are clear to see, unfortunately not every home health agency uses it. In fact, 30% of home-based care providers aren’t using technology tools and of those who are, only 53% are using online portals. [1]
That’s why it’s all the more important to choose a caregiver agency who uses home care technology to provide your family with the highest standard of care possible.
How does Flourish in Place use home care technology?
At Flourish in Place, we’re proud to utilize the industry-leading ClearCare app which includes Family Room—a secure online portal that connects the caregiver, family, and home health care agency in one convenient place.
The ClearCare app allows family members to read care logs, provide tasks for caregivers, manage scheduling and billing, and so much more. It also allows the Flourish in Place team to ensure that our caregivers have the tools they need to provide the best quality care to clients, including answering COVID-19 screening questions before each shift.
Visit the Family Room page on our website to watch an informative video about how our home care technology portal works.
To learn more, please request your Free Consultation today.
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Sources:
1: Home Health Care News | 2020 Home-Based Care Technology Survey Report
