Across Australia, industries of all shapes and sizes have embraced flexible operating models and taken up remote ways of working or delivering services - aged care included.
With remote care on the rise, the pressure is on for aged care providers to improve processes and deliver a better, more efficient in-home experience. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. Here, we’ll explore the aged care sector as it exists today, and the digital solutions organisations can implement to take remote care services to the next level.
Understanding the challenges of at-home aged care
When most people think of aged care, they might imagine residential facilities where the elderly live on a regular basis. In reality, residential care makes up a fraction of Australia’s aged care population.
The majority of aged care is provided to people in a home and/or community setting. As of 2020, around 840,000 people used the Commonwealth Home Support Programme, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. This number has likely increased due to COVID-19’s isolation mandates, as more recent estimates claim that many Australians are receiving remote care services.
What’s for certain is that remote-based aged care is on the rise. In fact, the number of people using in-home services has tripled since 2010. Comparatively, it’s far and away the fastest-growing portion of the aged care sector, which services millions of Australians.
Despite the rapid growth of at-home care, there is still a long road ahead, according to the Royal Commission on Aged Care Quality and Safety. The Royal Commission recently published a multi-year report that revealed a pressing need to reform the sector — in-home services included. According to the research, the sector as a whole has not embraced digitisation and consequently struggled to provide an appropriate standard of care.
Looking ahead, legislative changes and new regulations are likely to emphasise the need to digitise and improve the sector, especially for organisations providing remote care services. We’re already seeing stricter incident reporting and prevention mandates targeted specifically at home care providers.
Now, with the Australian government planning a large-scale program to reform in-home aged care by July 2024, organisations should expect these regulations to emphasise digital transformation. In fact, per the government’s discussion paper on its new reform program, a key focus will include incentivising providers to ‘innovate and invest in service delivery improvements.’ This includes the use of digital tools and technologies that enable a more flexible care delivery system.
Remote-based aged care is on the rise and the number of people using in-home
services has tripled since 2010How to streamline and improve remote care
The good news is that there are many tangible solutions that aged care providers can easily implement to kick-start their digital transformation. Remote care providers, in particular, stand to benefit from deploying technologies at both ends of the delivery spectrum: their own offices and their patients’ homes.
Let’s take a closer look at three areas where remote care organisations can improve workflows and deliver a greater standard of care to their in-home patients:
Labelling
Labelling tools, such as Brother’s PT-P900W printer, are an ideal solution for in-home labelling applications. With a battery base attachment, allied health professionals can take the PT-P900W on the go and leverage its high-speed efficiency at the point of care.
From medication labels to emergency phone numbers and essential contact information, the rotating team of remote care staff can complete all their essential labelling duties all with one simple device. Wireless connectivity allows the user to access cloud-based information and instantly print it on the spot.
Crucially, the PT-P900W prints on durable TZe tape, which is resistant to chemicals, temperature, light and abrasions. Longer-lasting, perfectly legible labels reduce the risk of human error and prevent potential incidents, such as medications taken by mistake.
Mobile document printing
Access to essential information is paramount to effective service delivery, especially in the field. Fortunately, portable printers like the PJ-883 offer a complete A4 mobile thermal printing solution.
Without any ink or toner, practitioners can easily print important medical documents, instructions and paperwork in a patient’s home. This helps ensure patients have the information they need to safely consume medicine and/or operate equipment.
Likewise, health professionals can leave updated care plans and notes to their fellow team members as they come and go in the field. Plus, staff can connect their phones to portable devices, allowing them to quickly and seamlessly access cloud-based records and print them in a hurry.
Scanning tools like Brother’s multi-function centres, help doctors digitise
important information and access records at the point of careScanning devices
Scanning tools, such as one of Brother’s Multi-Function Centres (MFCs), can help doctors digitise important information from their office and store it into cloud-based EHR systems. This enables them to access records at the point of care and print a copy for their patient from their laptop or mobile device.
Better yet, portable scanners allow physicians to capture data in the home and instantly file it away for recordkeeping. According to a 2020 report by the Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council (ACIITC), this process produces several benefits:
“Digital record keeping at the point of care, in real time, is not only resource-efficient (especially if recording leads to automatic uploading of information to consumer records) but avoids data duplication, supports richer data collection, reduces administrative burden and errors.”
However, ACIITC’s research revealed an alarming truth: Only 60% of organisations can access digital records at the point of care and in real time, and only 58% automatically upload information. Even more surprising, just 13% of aged care providers use mobile printing technology.
Enable remote care efficiency with Brother
When it comes to digital transformation, it’s clear that the aged care sector has a journey ahead. Luckily, Brother is ready to help organisations every step of the way. From durable labelling tools and mobile printers to high-speed MFCs and portable scanners, our solutions are exactly what you need to navigate your changing industry.
Contact us today to learn more about how Brother can help optimise your workflows within the aged care industry.
