Digital tools are increasingly vital to support social care providers, improve care and help people to live fulfilled lives.   

The government has extended their target of 80% of CQC registered providers using digital social care records from their Assured Suppliers List (ASL) to March 2025. At Nourish Care, we’re at the forefront of this movement, spearheading partnership working to transform the way social care technology companies collaborate.   

The first step was replacing paper records. The government extended both the time frame for care providers to utilise the available digitisation funding, and the standards software suppliers have to meet to become members of their ASL. There are many more innovative tools available to help you deliver person-centred care. Many providers already use technology that prevents falls, supports pain management or simplifies medication records, alongside their digital social care records. 

But this can lead to multiple sign-ins for your team which complicates rather than simplifies your processes. If you’re using different systems, it’s important that they can communicate with each other and share data. It means your team always has the most accurate and up-to-date information about the people you support.   

This is where digital integration comes in. At Nourish, we’re accelerating the digital transformation journey by working together with other experts to push the boundaries of what’s possible with health and social care technology.   

Integrated technology simply means the different tools you’re using are joined up and coordinated. This avoids duplication of effort from having to input data into other systems. It also centralises information, preventing the siloing of information about the people who draw upon your support.

Integrating technologies together can revolutionise the way you deliver care. By connecting different systems and sharing information automatically, you can capture data easily on the go. This improves the quality of care, saves time and allows you to tailor care to each person’s life and needs. 

Using Nourish alongside other platforms means that data must only be entered into one system as it automatically feeds into others. This syncing of information minimises the risk of errors, reduces administrative burden and allows care teams to spend more time on face-to-face care.    

At Nourish, we believe in the power of integration and collaboration. That’s why we’ve partnered with the NHS, care authorities, change management solutions, and other leaders in the care sector to shape both our product and the future of digitally enabled healthcare.  

Our Nourish Partner Programme can help with: 

“Our family of partners really understand the health and care sector and are carefully selected. Depending on the specific needs of your organisation, we can support you to choose the partners most suited to your individual needs. We’re working tirelessly together to strive for better automation that becomes part of everyday care.” 

Denise Tack, Director of Partner and Business Engagement at Nourish Care 

Nourish integrates with established NHS systems, like GP Connect, which gives care teams insight into a person’s GP records and medical notes in real time. This empowers care teams to make better, more informed decisions and provide safer and more effective care.   

When using digital tools together, it can provide crucial information about where improvements can be made. For example, if you’re looking to implement falls management technology, integrations can link valuable information with Nourish to give care professionals access to someone’s history of falls. This means you can develop care plans and strategies to avoid falls in the future.    

Let Nourish be your guide as you navigate the digital possibilities in your organisation. Together, we’re creating a more connected, efficient and compassionate experience for everyone. Find out more about how Nourish can enhance the care you provide by booking a personalised demo with our team.   

The festive season is a special time to spread joy, warmth, and cheer. For care services, creating a festive atmosphere and engaging the people you support in Christmas activities is an invaluable way to foster a sense of community and happiness.  

Organise crafting sessions to create handmade decorations, ornaments, and personalised Christmas cards. Engaging the people you support in creative endeavours promotes a sense of accomplishment and provides an opportunity to reminisce about past holidays. 

Music is a universal language that resonates with everyone. Arrange musical sessions or invite local performers for a festive sing-along, allowing the people you support to enjoy the music of the holiday season. 

Hosting baking sessions where people can participate in making cookies, gingerbread houses, or decorating cupcakes adds a delightful touch to the season. The scents of freshly baked goods evoke nostalgia and create a warm, homely ambiance. 

Encourage holiday-themed storytelling or reading sessions. Engaging the people you support in classic Christmas tales or sharing personal stories of holiday memories is a wonderful way to invoke the spirit of the season. 

Host movie nights showcasing classic Christmas films. Create a cosy atmosphere complete with popcorn and blankets, providing the people you support with a chance to enjoy the classic tales of the season. 

Involve the people you support in decorating the care home with festive decorations. This activity not only uplifts spirits but also encourages a sense of ownership and pride in the communal space. There are creative ways to work around the varying abilities of the people you support, such as asking those who spend a lot of time in their bedroom to choose a decoration or using aids such as wheelchairs to enable the people you support to get involved. You can also create snowflakes using paper or paint decorations that can by hung on the tree. 

Arrange visits from local school children, choirs, or theatre groups. These interactions bring the community closer together and encourage a connection between the community and the people you support. 

Facilitate a gift exchange or Secret Santa activity, allowing the people you support to share presents and partake in the joy of giving during this special time of the year. Gifts don’t have to cost anything; they can be homemade or photographs.  

Organise a festive photoshoot for the people you support. Using props, hats or just the person, create a special memory for the people you support and their loved ones.  

Incorporating these Christmas activities into care services creates an environment filled with joy and togetherness. It not only celebrates the holiday season but also ensures that the people you support feel cherished, engaged, and connected with the festive spirit. This thoughtful curation of activities aims to make this Christmas a heart-warming and memorable experience for all in the care community. 

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a beautiful and meaningful holiday that is celebrated by Jewish communities around the world. For care homes, it’s an opportunity to create a warm and inclusive environment where the people you support can participate in Hanukkah-themed activities, learn about traditions, and enjoy the festive spirit. Here are some creative activity ideas to make Hanukkah special. 

The centrepiece of Hanukkah is the lighting of the menorah, a nine-branched candelabrum. The people you support can gather to light the menorah’s candles each night, recite blessings, and sing traditional songs. This symbolic ritual fosters a sense of community and tradition. 

Organise a crafting session where the people you support can make their own menorahs or dreidels (spinning tops). Provide art supplies and guidance to create personalised Hanukkah decorations. These crafts can be displayed around the care service to add to the festive atmosphere. 

Arrange storytelling sessions about the history and significance of Hanukkah. Share tales of the Maccabees and the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days. Engaging discussions and storytelling can help connect with the holiday’s cultural and historical roots. 

Hanukkah is known for its delicious foods, such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts). Host a cooking class or bring in a chef to prepare these traditional treats with the people you support. Sharing a meal together can be a lovely way to celebrate. 

Invite musicians or local choirs to perform Hanukkah songs and melodies. Music has the power to evoke memories and emotions, making it a wonderful addition to the festivities. 

Organize Hanukkah-themed games like a dreidel-spinning competition or Hanukkah bingo. These games are not only enjoyable but also an opportunity to educate about Hanukkah traditions and symbols. 

Screen Hanukkah-themed movies or documentaries about Jewish culture. This can be a relaxed and enjoyable way for everyone to learn more about the holiday or celebrate. 

Hanukkah emphasizes the value of giving and helping others. Set up a donation station for the people you support to contribute to charitable causes. This act of tzedakah (charity) aligns with the spirit of Hanukkah. 

Transform your care service into a festive space with Hanukkah-themed decorations. Blue and white colour schemes, menorahs, and Star of David motifs can be used to create a cheerful atmosphere. 

Celebrating Hanukkah in care homes provides an opportunity for the people you support to come together, learn, and embrace the joy of this special holiday. Through a combination of traditional activities, cultural enrichment, and community building, care homes can ensure that the people you support have a memorable and heart-warming Hanukkah celebration. These activities promote a sense of togetherness and the sharing of traditions, creating a meaningful experience for everyone involved. 

We spoke to Stephanie at Haddon House, Glenholme Care about their integration with Camascope (formerly known as VCare).

Glenholme Care Group support many different care types from young people and adults with learning disabilities to mental health to senior care. They have 17 services located in the South East of England and have been a Nourish user since early 2021. Haddon House, one of the services within Glenholme Care Group is a specialist residential care service that supports people with learning disabilities, including those with autism, physical disabilities and complex needs. 

Nourish launched their eMAR integration with Camascope in summer 2022 and Glenholme Care Group switched on the integration with Camascope in June 2022.

The Nourish integration with Camascope removes the need for double entry for medication by sharing information between the platforms, surfacing key medication information alongside daily care records to drive better care outcomes. By integrating the two systems, all medication administered will appear on the daily timeline and within the Care Plan, what’s more the integration provides first response teams with contextual medication information readily available via the Nourish Emergency Information Pack.

Haddon House saved time on recording entries of the medication administered for the people they support. They also found that after switching on the integration that the accuracy of their care notes has increased as the care team only needed to access one platform.

“The integration has helped as we are able to monitor medication administration more efficiently, from a administration point of view, using one system, rather than having to switch between the two.” Stephanie Wagstaff, Haddon House

Having all this information visible in the Nourish app ensures that all medication notes are visible to all staff members on shift. The Seamless Handover feature in Nourish also means important information from previous shifts can also keep up to date with essential information. With access to clear records that show the medication administered and at what time means care teams have a smooth and thorough handover with no information being missed.

“Medication being administered is more accurate and person centred within the daily interactions, rather than staff just recording ‘medication administered’.” Stephanie Wagstaff, Haddon House

Haddon House found the main benefit of using the Nourish and Camascope integration to be the more accurate care records. The more accurate care records gives a deeper understanding of the people supported by Haddon House and the events that surround medication administration. All of this new information enables Haddon House to better evidence the medication administered in their care service.

Though the integration itself requires some technological knowledge, setting up the integration and getting going with it was fairly easy for the Haddon House team. Nourish Support are available 24/7 and are always on hand to assist with queries regarding the Nourish platform.

Care owners understandably want to have peace of mind that everything is under control and running smoothly within their care service. The Compliance & Audits feature within Nourish can be used in a number of different ways to provide great insight into your care service depending on your individual requirements.

If you’re a hands on care owner, you may want to be able to look into detail at exactly how your care service is performing, and the ways in which it is improving people’s lives, or simply see the bottom line to understand how your care service is doing, and what needs to be done to continue to grow and improve. 

Compliance and Audits can do just that, and it can be tailored to suit the needs of your care service. Here’s just a few ways care owners can utilise this feature.

Every care service is run differently, and the flexibility of the Nourish system allows you to run things the way you want. Audits can look into both the running of the care service itself as well as the residents health and wellbeing, to ensure that everything is running smoothly.

You can choose from a bank of audits to understand specific areas, or create bespoke audits based on things that are more specific to your care service. Owners may wish to identify areas such as spending, predict CQC ratings or assess staffing needs.

Care owners can then add bespoke reports that are tailored to their needs which can assess overall quality of care being provided. They may want to report on failed admissions, GP visits or number of completed records by staff, to name just a few. 

These audits allow care owners to spot check certain areas where they may wish to improve or change, and it allows them to gain a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t. 

Care owners are bound to be busy, and the thought of having to sit down and sift through paper reports can be daunting. With Nourish, care owners can utilise Compliance and Audits by automating the reports they need on a regular basis, and this could be as frequent as is necessary for your care service. 

Automated reports take the hassle out of manual reporting, and ensure reporting is consistent for much more accurate data in the long run. This can be incredibly beneficial when it comes to inspections. 

Care owners can then look at data at the touch of a button, in as much or little detail as they like. This is really useful for those times when you may want to simply understand the bottom line, as you can see a top level overview of different areas of your care service. 

This also means that when it comes to a CQC inspection, you can streamline the process and simply produce any reports that they may wish to see. They’ll have all the information ready to look at without the need for trawling through mountains of paperwork. 

As a care owner, having a detailed understanding of every area of your care service is key to figuring out what works well and what may need improvement, and it can be hard to see the bigger picture sometimes without a good auditing system. 

Compliance and Audits within Nourish can help to gain a better understanding of your staff and those you support through the use of the bespoke audits and automated reports. 

With clear and consistent reporting, you will then be able to analyse data at a much deeper level, and at a much faster rate than paper reporting. This feature can also be used in conjunction with Nourish Analytics, to allow you to identify trends and correlation at scale throughout your care service. This is particularly useful for big care groups who may wish to monitor and track the level of service being provided across all sites, to ensure consistency in care. 

The Nourish system is designed to work with all different types of care providers, to be as flexible as possible so that care owners can tailor it to their needs. 

Compliance and Audits is just one element of Nourish that can provide care owners with a clear view and understanding of every area of their care service, so that they can make more informed decisions in order to maintain an outstanding level of care to those they support. 

For more information on how the Nourish system can help your care service, book a demo today!

Electronic care planning isn’t just improving the lives of those in care, it’s improving the lives of those working in care too.

Personalised care plans are the best way to ensure your care team provide the most person-centred support to those they care for. 

Each individual is different, therefore a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t always work, especially when you care for people with very different needs. 

When it comes to working with personalised plans on paper, things can be quite tricky. With care teams looking after many different people at the same time, a lot of carers’ time is spent looking at care plans, writing up notes and analysing information by hand, which can become very time consuming, and ultimately takes away from the time they could be spending with those they support. 

 As personalised plans become far easier to create, manage and analyse online, they can also be shared easily with members of a care team so that everyone can see the information they need at the click of a button. 

This results in people receiving a much more personal and bespoke level of care, and ensures care teams are always working with a person-centred approach. There are many benefits to personalised care plans that are empowering teams to provide a greater level of care. 

Having a team of carers who enjoy their job is so important when striving to deliver outstanding person-centred care. When care teams are happy, this shines through in their delivery of care. Here’s just a few ways personalised plans are empowering care teams working digitally……

The most common way care teams are feeling empowered by personalised plans is through increased efficiency. 

Having each care plan easily accessible at the touch of a button can save carers a huge amount of time looking through stacks of paper and spending lengthy periods writing up notes. It also means there’s no confusion or questioning when shifts change, as you handover to the next carer they have  all of the same information readily available. Knowing what’s been done and what needs to be done allows carers to ensure people are getting everything they need in a timely fashion.

The Nourish system has a handover feature which allows carers to quickly scan through what a previous member of staff has done that day or night, which means that change overs are seamless and consistent care is provided at all times. 

With personal plans for each individual they support accessible at the touch of a button, carers are feeling empowered through that added confidence in their role. 

Personalised plans provide in-depth information about a person and their needs, including everything from their allergies and medication history to their likes and dislikes. Having this information to hand allows carers to get to know the people they support, and in having this deeper understanding of their needs, carers can feel confident they are providing the safest form of care for individuals. 

The Nourish system has the ability to log notes and send direct messages to other members of staff, so if something doesn’t look right or they’re unsure of something, this makes it easy for care teams to communicate with each other and support each other in their daily tasks. 

Those who work in care do so because they want to help and make a difference in people’s lives, but when there’s mountains of paperwork to do at the end of a shift, this can sometimes make carers feel like they could be doing more if it wasn’t for all the admin that comes with the job. 

Personalised plans that are created digitally allow carers to spend less time on admin and paperwork, and more time doing what they do best, which is caring.

“Saved around 30% of the time care teams would have spent writing their notes” and “quite easily saves staff around 20 minutes per shift”. 

Personalised plans empower care teams to work with a person-centred approach, as it gives them the time to spend with those they support in a face to face environment. Spending quality time with those in care is good for both the person receiving and giving the support. 

The majority of carers’ job satisfaction comes from being able to make genuine human connections and really make a difference to those they care for. Admin is often seen as a necessary evil of the job, but a digital way of working can cut down this admin time immensely, which makes a huge difference to the way in which care teams work. 

Autonomy is the key to a smooth running team, and personalised plans can help provide greater clarity on what each individual needs, without any uncertainty. 

With a comprehensive care plan, handover notes and direct messaging available within the Nourish system, carers no longer need to search high and low for specific information about a person. A personal care plan will have all the important details of what that person needs, so that the carer on duty can simply get on with their work efficiently and effectively. 

The Nourish system has a comprehensive care plan and personalised timeline that can give carers an extensive overview of a person’s biography, care needs, medication, emergency information and more. 

Having easy digital access to personalised care plans is empowering care teams in the workplace with a better understanding of what is required of them in their role. Working digitally eliminates a lot of the uncertainty and groups all information together in one central location, which provides greater structure and direction for care teams. 

With a clearer view of the needs of each person under their care, their work becomes easier and they feel more motivated to go above and beyond. With a more streamlined system that everyone has access to, admin time is drastically cut down and teams are empowered to provide more person centred care, there’s no doubt that a digital way of working is going to boost morale in the workplace. 

With the structure and efficiency of a digital personalised plan, teams can put all their effort into providing outstanding care for everyone. 

A smarter way to care. We’ve worked with over 1,000 care services and organisations to deliver truly person-centred care plans that transform the way care teams manage and support those they support.

For more information on how the Nourish system can help your care service begin to empower your care teams, get in touch or book a demo today.

According to the latest report published by Skills for Care, there are currently an estimated 1.49 million people working in adult social care across the UK. Everyday these carers make a significant difference to the lives of those they support. Often delivering so much more than just Health and Social care; developing strong relationships, providing companionship and in general improving the well-being of those they work with.

However, this skilled and unique position doesn’t come without its challenges, particularly in today’s difficult economic climate. It can be physically, mentally and emotionally demanding, so it is important for carers to take time out and focus on their own well-being. This isn’t always easy though, which is why it’s important for us as a society to take a step back and acknowledge the great work that is being delivered, and give something back to those who give so much to others.

On the 4 September, to celebrate the amazing work that carers deliver day in day out, the National Association of Care & Support Workers (NACAS), will be holding its second ‘Professional Care Workers Day’.

The national event, which is free to attend, will be held in London and will focus on the theme of ‘Well-being’. The aim of the day is to make carers feel special and help them to focus on their own physical and mental well-being. The day will offer free consultations and workshops with physiotherapists, psychologists, nutritionists, beauty and massage therapists, money and career advice, along with more ways to help care workers look after themselves and feel better.

According to the oxford dictionary well-being is the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy’. It is no surprise that our well-being can be affected, positively or negatively, by various different factors. Knowing what these factors are means that we can try and do more of the things that increase our positive well-being and less of the things that negatively affect it.

As we are all different our well-being will be effected in different ways, however there are certain things we can try to improve it:

As a carer, looking after your own well-being is just as important as helping to look after the well-being of those you support. Taking some time out to focus on yourself can have a significant impact on your overall physical, mental and emotional health. When we feel good in ourselves it often has a knock-on effect for those we interact with. So, take that time to make yourself a cuppa tea and just focus on yourself, get out for a nice brisk walk or get that early night you’ve been promising yourself.

If you’re carer or a provider who wants to celebrate the great work being delivered and are interested in taking advantage of the free services on offer at the Professional Care Workers Day, you can register here. If not you can still shout about and recognise those who make a difference every day on social media using the #ProfessionalCareWorkersDay hash tag.

Sleep disturbances can come from many different sources but those related to illness need extra care and consideration. No matter the condition, a foundation built on healthy sleep habits can help. Sleep hygiene, the term used to describe any personal habits and behaviours that affect sleep, ranges from the conditions of the sleep environment to food choices. The Sleep Institute have put together a list of healthy sleep habits and how you can use them for you and the person for whom you care.

There are many illnesses and conditions that can interfere with how the brain releases sleep hormones. It’s most noticeable with neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. However, conditions that limit eyesight also experience abnormal sleep cycles due to changes in how the brain receives light signals. Yet other conditions like diabetes and arthritis may face sleep problems due to chronic pain. You’ll have to consider the condition and unique circumstances as you’re deciding how to implement better sleep habits.

The human brain craves predictability as it’s designed to adjust the sleep cycle according to your preferred schedule. Keeping a consistent bedtime helps the brain recognize when to begin the release of sleep hormones. The more predictable you can be the more readily your body responds.

Routine creates familiarity and reduces disorientation. It also helps signal the brain that it’s time to start the sleep cycle. Try to complete any difficult or upsetting tasks earlier in the day so that bedtime can be relaxing for everyone involved.

Some people, especially those who suffer from chronic pain, benefit from relaxation activities like meditation in their bedtime routine. Meditation reduces the anticipation of pain and, consequently, the perception of it as well. It also reduces stress by helping the mind focus on the present moment rather than past or future stress-causing events.

A bedroom that’s familiar with each item in its place can bring the kind of comfort that reduces evening irritability. A supportive sleep environment should also be dark and quiet. Be careful with electronics that may have blinking lights. These devices, like a TV or smartphone, may have a screen that emits a bright blue light that suppresses sleep hormones. In general, they’re best left out of the bedroom. Anything that overstimulates the sense from images and colors to passing cars should also be removed or blocked out.

Illness or medications may cause hallucinations or fitful sleep, making some people prone to falling out of bed. Guardrails are a good option that will protect the person for whom you care and give you peace of mind. Guardrails can also prevent knocking over any necessary nighttime medical equipment.

Natural light regulates the sleep cycle by suppressing sleep hormones during the day. As natural light fades in the evening, those sleep hormones start to trickle out until they’re at full power come bedtime. It’s essential to get enough sunlight so the body functions as designed, which makes a walk outside a good form of exercise and a simple way to improve sleep.

If dimming eyesight or mobility that limits outdoor activity is an issue, exposure to natural light through normal means may not be adequate. Bright light therapy, which uses specially designed light bulbs to simulate sunlight, can be used to increase light exposure and regulate the sleep cycle as well.

Everyone needs and deserves a good night’s rest. As you incorporate healthy sleep habits into your life and the life of the person for whom you care, you’ll both get the rest you need. With better sleep comes the physical, mental, and emotional health that allows you to live a fulfilling life while providing high-quality care.

Care providers far and wide are already making the transition to digital care management; benefiting from higher quality care plans and notes, compliant and accurate audit trails and a greater degree of control across the management process.

These benefits are being felt at every level, from care managers and carers to the people they care for and their families. Here, we talk to three experienced care providers about the individual impact Nourish Care is having across the entire care service.

For carers, Nourish is empowerment at the point of care. By using well designed and easy to use applications on handheld devices, carers can record notes as they go.

Carers are thereby able to focus a lot more on the person they are working with, and encouraged to record the person-centred care notes that inspectors say distinguishes a care service. Recording notes alongside care also promotes greater clarity, adds useful context and ensures all information is recorded as soon as possible – not forgotten over the course of the day. Recording as they go, carers have the opportunity to really demonstrate the great quality of care they are giving.

Simon Francis, IT Project Manager at Silverline Care, commented: “The main thing for our carers is that the recording of notes is a lot easier. What they were doing beforehand was having to provide care and then try and hold all that information until the end of the shift. Care for residents is now much more to the point and accessible. There is better communication between staff and everyone involved in the client’s care can see what care has already been provided by others. This has made handover a lot easier. It also means input from the carers feeds directly into the care plan, meaning it’s updated within minutes of it taking place. Recording in real time means we don’t lose any important information.”

Paul Dennis-Andrews, Operations Manager at Encompass, has been working with the Nourish Care since spring 2016. He added: “The digital care management system has had a highly positive impact on the overall culture of our service – more than we ever would have thought. Staff who might have had difficulties with the written word are enthused by the ability to speak verbally into the devices to record information. It has been a refreshing and efficient change to a longstanding process of handwritten documentation.

“The large collection of paper files has been replaced with discrete modern handsets and tablets that staff can keep on their person, promoting highly person-centred support exactly how the individual would like to receive it. Documentation is recorded live and visible immediately to anyone with permission, and every aspect of the system is customisable and can be evolved to needs.”

Probably one of the biggest benefits for senior carers and care managers is that all information is in one place and accessible at any time. Care notes and assessments feed directly into the care plans and can be accessed by all who need to see them. This develops a culture of knowledge-sharing and allows for more effective care monitoring and visibility of critical information in real-time.

Digital care management also allows for instant reporting, which gives managers back their time to ‘walk the floor’ and interact with their staff and clients.

Megan Read, Care Home Manager of Grassington House emphasises how the digital system has improved her ability to manage: “Because I have a digital overview of real-time information I can easily monitor what is happening within the home. I can set up anything I want to be recorded, schedule things for the carers to be aware of and make sure that nothing is getting missed.

“For when I’m conducting care plan reviews, I can look at the logs that carers input to directly review and evidence any changes made. Beforehand, you would have had to look through endless files and pages, and you simply wouldn’t be able to go through it all. Now, I have no files in the office, everything is on the system; my office can literally move around with me anywhere.”

Simon agreed: “In leadership, the digital system is allowing managers to spot issues more quickly; alerts raised by carers come straight through to the manager, who can then respond quickly and with all the necessary information”.

Paul added: “Monitoring the quality of the support provided is much more efficient and less intrusive; utilising the Cloud to view live records. It is easier to ensure care is being given and support is provided how the individual would like to receive it. Teams are now positively communicating and sharing ideas, and where changes are required, managers can make these instantly, either across the organisation or simply for individual.”

Managers can also easily establish what information they want recorded, and monitor whether this is being followed. Megan states: “As a manager I can literally prompt what information I want recorded from carers and when. The amount of detail I can now see in recorded notes is amazing compared to what it used to be on paper.”

Simon has also experienced improved quality of care information: “During the transfer to digital care management, we’ve been able to see the quality of our care plans. It is an impossible feat to trail through reams of paper plans for every single resident, but with digital we can check care plans easily and demand the quality we want. It’s meant we can really see the overall process and make sure the right care is being delivered in line with the residents wishes.”

As Simon and Paul state, by recording care as you go, you create a more person-centred and accessible quality of care and you have more time available. Carers have the tools and information they need to provide personal and responsive care, and with extra time, can involve the resident directly and sociably in inputting the care notes.

Megan encourages her carers to be sociable and engage the residents when writing notes; this can mean sitting down with the resident, having a cup of tea and a real conversation about how the resident is doing. She has found that residents prefer the digital care management system once they understand it because carers are able to spend more time with them. Megan commented: “Carers can be sociable and engage with residents so they can contribute to their own notes, keeping them much more involved with their care. Beforehand, carers would have to spend time away from the residents at the end of the shift completing paperwork. The digital system is also really useful for bi-annual reviews; I can hold a meeting in the lounge and connect my laptop to the main screen so we can all see the information and have a really good chat about the care plan with the resident – it’s a lot more involved, but also efficient, and residents like to be able to see their care plans so easily.”

Care information recorded electronically is also much easier to share; not only with other medical professionals, but also with close friends and family. Innovative care providers can utilise existing resources and involve these other parties from the very beginning; you can enable a service user to design their own care plan, involve family members in the on-boarding process or allow informal carers to contribute directly to the care notes. Having a digital system opens up vast opportunities to get better connected with the whole circle of care.

By enabling better communication and ensuring information is shared with those who need to know, your care team will be more aware of the individual service user’s needs; and ultimately, informed care leads to better care.

Get in touch today to see how digital care management can work for you.

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More and more we are openly talking about the importance of Mental Health, and this critical change in our culture is having a wide-reaching and positive impact. This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and this year’s focus is all about stress and how we cope with it. Stress, and the resulting physical and psychological factors, can impact significantly on our mental health.

One of the most common causes of stress is work-related; that is, establishing a good work-life balance. In fact, work-related stress, depression and anxiety caused 12.5 million days sickness in 2016/17 alone.

While finding a healthy work-life balance can be difficult in almost any profession, this becomes even more challenging if your work focuses on taking care of others. Care workers, whilst also managing stress that comes from day-to-day work responsibilities, must also navigate the complex, emotional investment that comes from taking care of another person. And whilst caring is a highly rewarding role, it can also be overwhelming at times.

So to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week we wanted to remind care teams that, while you are out taking care of others every single day, it’s so important to take care of yourself too.

Below we’ve put together our five top tips for managing work-related stress:

One of our biggest tips for managing work-related stress is to try and work out exactly what it’s being caused by. Are you spending too much time working? Doing a few too many extra shifts? Are you being asked to do something you don’t feel equipped to do? Is there a specific situation or scenario that is causing you anxiety? It may not be easy to pin point the exact cause, but having an awareness of where the stress is coming from is a great first step to tackling the problem. Then communicate that problem. Talk to your line manager, your mentor or any member of staff that you feel may be able to help. Explain how you are feeling and what support you think you need. The worst thing about stress, and the resulting anxiety, is that it makes you feel isolated from others. Everyone experiences stress, and opening up and talking about the stress you’re feeling can be a great way to find the support that you need and tackle the root of the problem.

We all know we should take care of ourselves. Eat well, drink plenty of water, do exercise; we know the score. The reality is these things really do matter when it comes to tackling stress. Taking care of yourself means living healthily and when you are healthy and energised, you are much more equipped to deal with day-to-day pressures. Eating a balance diet keeps us healthy; doing exercise releases endorphins or ‘happy chemicals’ which reduce our perception of pain and triggers a positive feeling in the body; and it is well documented that good hydration helps balance cortisol (stress hormone) levels. It’s a simple tip, but it’s important. Eat well, drink your water and get yourself moving regularly. If you’re not feeling your healthiest self, managing stress becomes that much more difficult.

This falls under taking care of yourself but we think it’s so important it needs its own section. Sleep is one of the most underrated health habits, which is surprising considering it is an essential function of our daily recovery. Sleep and stress have a two-way relationship; sleep can help to reduce stress levels, whilst high stress levels can make sleeping difficult. It is believed that most adults need 7-8 hours sleep, and without it we are more agitated, have less patience and are less able to deal with pressured and stressful situations. To make the most of the benefits of sleep, you need a good sleep routine. Set a clear bedtime and wake-up time and stick to it; allocate time before going to sleep for winding down and relaxing (keep away from screens where possible!); and avoid caffeine and other stimulants. Establishing a healthy sleep routine takes time to develop but the benefits are definitely worth the investment; just think how about how much better you feel after a good nights sleep.

Stress can make you feel isolated. It gives us the impression that we are dealing with pressures that we must tackle by ourselves; which couldn’t be less true. You know the old adage “a problem shared is a problem halved”? Well research by Age UK really has found this to be true. Above, we suggested talking to people at work about your concerns, but you can also talk your close friends and family. Don’t let stress cut you off from other people, talk to those you trust about what you’re experiencing and you’ll be surprised by how much it helps. Not only that, you just might find they have the solution you’re looking for.

Our final tip is our favourite; make time to do something just for you. This could be once a day or once a week, whichever works. As a carer, you spend most of your time taking care of others and supporting others to do what they want. This is the time when you get to do whatever you want, without interruption. This could be absolutely anything. Maybe you enjoy going to a yoga class, maybe it’s putting on your favourite TV programme or maybe it’s simply going for a walk on your own. What you do is not important. What’s important is that you understand this is purely for you, it’s the time when you get to think only of yourself and recharge your batteries.

Providing care for another person is immensely rewarding, but it does take an emotional toll. Remember that it’s perfectly normal – essential even – to take time to look after yourself. Your mental and physical wellbeing is just as important as the people you support; after all, you can’t pour from an empty cup.

We hope you’re celebrating Mental Health Awareness Week too and we’d love to hear all of the top tips you have for managing work-related stress.