Digital discoveries: Reshaping the future of dementia care

Enhancing resident wellbeing

The Alzheimer's Society, which is the UK's leading dementia charity, reports that there are an estimated 982,000 individuals currently living with dementia in the United Kingdom. This number is expected to climb to 1.4 million by 2040.  

According to surveys carried out by the Alzheimer's Society, around 70% of people residing in care homes live with some form of dementia. Due to this high percentage, care providers are continuously seeking ways to adapt to the expected rise in numbers, ensuring that care workers can continue providing the best possible dementia care. 

One solution helping to drive outstanding dementia care is technology. More and more care homes across the UK are utilising digital care software to help support dementia care and improve the quality of care.  

Person-centred digital solutions, specifically designed to encompass each resident's preferences, wishes for future care, and care plans, among many other things, have demonstrated significant potential as effective tools for staff when providing care for individuals with dementia. These solutions prioritise what is most important to each resident, fostering a more personalised and tailored approach to their care. 

For example, B&M Care, a family-run and family-focused private residential and specialist dementia care provider, uses Person Centred Software's digital social care record system, mCare, to streamline its care services and help its care team deliver better dementia care. 

Helping to deliver better dementia care

Caroline Inch, the director of care and operations and a specialist in dementia care at B&M Care, says:  

‘’In our sector, being progressive and not afraid of technology is important. With the right training, support, and a system like mCare, technology can significantly enhance caregiving services while saving time and safeguarding the home.

I suggest embracing technology and keeping up with the times, as it can transform services and provide adult social care with tremendous opportunities’’. 

Read the full case study here.  

By utilising these agile and innovative technologies, care organisations can empower care workers to provide more responsive and personalised dementia care, ultimately leading to a substantial improvement in the quality of life for residents. 

Digital comfort with Person Centred Software 

Digital social care record systems like mCare are changing how care organisations manage care, making it more responsive, accurate, and connected than ever before. 

mCare, designed with interoperability in mind, efficiently consolidates and organises vast amounts of data, enabling providers to access crucial information for delivering good quality care. 

"What I like about mCare is that the care notes automatically update charts, reports, care plans, and many other features, meaning we have all the information we need.  

Furthermore, we can see the information instantly, speeding up our day-to-day tasks and making the service run more efficiently. This enables us to focus more on those being cared for. Care overall has improved because we can now provide high-quality care based on the information in the system''.  

Amy Cottingham, Training Manager at Quality Reliable Care  

Read the full case study here. 

Care professionals can use mCare's features to transform their care organisations digitally. These innovative features encompass body maps, fluid and nutrition monitoring, oral hygiene, wound care, review cycles, assessment tools, and more.

All are interconnected to deliver detailed and up-to-date care and support plans. mCare then consolidates all this important information for care workers, ensuring they are equipped with the necessary details to provide outstanding person-centred care.  

By equipping care workers with vital information about a person's medical history, past life story, hobbies, fears, and more, they have the necessary resources to address important situations and comfort individuals with dementia.

For instance, if a care home resident experiences heightened anxiety due to dementia, mCare provides specific details such as the person's preferred song, favourite book, or a personalised list of calming activities with its 'Who I Am' feature. Armed with this knowledge, care workers can effectively use this information to soothe the resident and engage in reminiscing activities, a critical therapeutic focus for individuals with dementia. 

mCare's 'Who I Am' feature also gathers other various details about a resident, including any cognitive impairments they may have. This information helps care staff create personalised care plans and pathways. It also informs care staff and others in a social care setting about how to interact, communicate and treat the person living with dementia. With mCare's 'Who I Am' feature, health and care professionals can be truly person-centred and understand people's individual needs as it contains all the information they require: 

• What's important to the individual 
• A care plan summary
• Wishes for future care  

Jasmine McFetters, a carer at Bernhard Baron Cottages, has embraced technology in her approach and said: 

"We have a resident who has mental health issues and suffers from anxiety. There's a prayer that she likes to read when she's anxious. It's really good to have that information available for all staff under the "What makes me feel better if I'm anxious or upset?" section of the "Who I Am" feature.'

It is now possible for carers to interact with residents living with dementia without needing to try and extract information from them. This can be an uncomfortable and daunting experience for the individual if they cannot recognise the face in front of them". 

Person-centred care is key 

Care workers must deepen their understanding of each resident's unique condition and care requirements rather than applying a generic approach to individuals living with dementia.

Tailoring care plans to reflect individual needs and preferences is practical, helpful, and essential. This person-centred approach involves detailed care documents encompassing everything they need to know about a resident. Understanding these key elements is crucial for providing effective and empathetic care that meets each individual's needs, and care providers can do this with mCare's Person-Centred Care Plans.    

Effective care technology is a gateway into an individual's life. It enables care staff to extract relevant information, which allows them to connect with the person on a meaningful level and provide the necessary care. 

Care staff no longer have to spend time searching for information about an individual stored in a physical filing system. The information is easily accessible on mCare, leading to improved quality of care, saved time, and increased productivity. 

Aligning with the regulators  

Creating a comprehensive, person-centred profile for individuals living with dementia allows care workers to gain immediate insight into the most effective ways to provide support. This approach enhances the quality of care and ensures compliance with regulations set by care home regulators in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and Scotland.  

These regulations mandate that individuals receiving care or treatment benefit from personalised services tailored to their unique needs and preferences. This personalised approach supports the overall wellbeing and dignity of those receiving care, helping care providers deliver high-quality, individualised support. 

mCare creates over 10 million care notes per day, and the regulator rates 94% of care homes using mCare as 'good' or 'outstanding'

For example, mCare has helped Ashfields Care Home, a dual-registered care home that provides residential, nursing, dementia, and respite care for adults and older adults, receive 'outstanding' with the Care Quality Commission.  

Read the full case study here.  

Joined up Care  

When health and care professionals collaborate and communicate effectively to provide joined up care, often called integrated or connected care, they can better tailor their services to meet the residents' needs. This approach enhances the overall quality of care by ensuring that individuals receive the right care at the right time and as efficiently and effectively as possible.

It also gives health and care professionals immediate access to the most accurate and up-to-date information, enabling them to treat residents more quickly and make informed decisions about their care. In emergencies, this approach could be lifesaving. This coordinated effort can result in improved health outcomes, better patient experiences, and greater overall satisfaction with the care received. 

For example, mCare's eRedBag (electronic hospital pack) feature, which we helped the NHS design and develop, can instantly share information with hospitals and external professionals.

This quickly gives hospital staff the information they need to make better, more informed decisions about the best way to care for people, ultimately speeding up the care process and resulting in shorter hospital stays.   

''Person Centred Software's eRedBag feature improves the lives of residents and staff at Belmont House. With the electronic transfer of information, the hospital has all the personal information they need to care for the residents in front of them, not just the emergency clinical information.

Doctors and nurses no longer need to call us for more information. This saves a lot of time and means that residents receive smooth transfers to hospital and holistic, person-centred care at every stage of hospitalisation." 

Arthur Tanare, Manager at Belmont House, part of Caring Homes Group  

Click here to view Person Centred Software's joined up care services.  

Connected Care solutions 

Person Centred Software's Connected Care Platform's integrated solutions for care organisations, which include care management, medication management, resident experience, learning and development and care operations, cover the entire digital transformation journey within social care and allow health and care professionals to provide more coordinated care.  

The platform enables providers to use single or multiple solutions that connect using one device. Each solution is tailored to address a specific aspect of care. When used together, these solutions offer a comprehensive approach to driving outstanding care, improving resident outcomes, enhancing the lives of care workers and the delivery of person-centred care, and increasing the overall efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance of care settings. 

 Click here to view Person Centred Software's solutions.