Why Use a Caregiver App?

Switching to a caregiver app helps you modernise your workforce management and streamline your communications. You’ll be able to support caregivers by ensuring they have access to the latest patient information and schedules, no matter where they are. In turn, this can reduce confusion and improve care quality. 

What’s more, caregiving apps give you an infallible digital record that serves for everything from electronic visit verification to accurate payroll and billing. And compared to email or pen-and-paper records, they can save you hours of admin time. 

A caregiver app can also facilitate better communication with patients, support caregiver, family caregivers, and their other family members. By digitising your records, you’ll find it easier to share relevant information — all while continuing to keep protected information private and secure.

7 Essential Features of Caregiving Apps

When selecting a caregiving app, look for these key features.

#1. Availability

Flexibility is a huge plus for most caregivers. You can give your team control over their schedules with an app that allows them to set their availability. Look for caregiving apps that include scheduling software so that you can spend less time building schedules as well as respecting your team’s preferred shift times.

#2. Job Bidding

When your team can bid on new shifts via their mobile caregiving app, it helps them achieve the work-life balance they're looking for. And, it makes it easier for you to fill shifts. You'll be able to replace the back-and-forth emails with one simple push notification.

#3. Schedules

Your team needs to be able to access their schedule no matter where they are, especially if they’re providing home care. By using a caregiving app, you can ensure that your care professionals always have access to the most up-to-date version of the schedule. You'll be able to say goodbye to accidental no-shows caused by staff not receiving the schedule or checking the wrong email.

#4. Shift Planning

Shifts will run more smoothly when your team has access to all the information they need on their cell phone, from medication reminders to patient care preferences. Make sure your caregiver app contains important shift details including the visit location, care plans, and recent clinical data.

#5. Clinical Notes

When your staff can access and update patient notes on the go, it improves record-keeping and communication. This is particularly important for patients with multiple caregivers, whether those are family caregivers or simply other caregivers belonging to your agency. With multiple caregivers working with a patient, detailed clinical notes play a vital role in medication management and, more specifically, avoiding accidental overdoses.

#6. Visit Tracking

With location-verified time tracking, you'll be able to rest assured that your time and attendance records are correct. Your caregivers can clock in and out with the tap of their screen. Make sure the app allows you to auto-approve caregiver time logs based on an acceptable range. This can significantly reduce your admin time, in addition to improving accuracy.

#7. Expenses

When your staff can use the caregiver app to add their expenses directly to the shift record, it will simplify your accounting, billing, and payroll. You won't have to worry about receipts being lost or forgotten about. Your caregivers will be reimbursed without issues, and you'll be able to issue correct invoices.

What Else Should You Look For in Your Caregiver App?

It's not just the caregiver app's functions that matter. Make sure your it also offers:

HIPAA Compliance

Patient privacy is critical. Poorly designed caregiving apps can lead to accidental HIPAA violations. However, HIPAA-compliant apps can support you in ensuring that your team of caregivers can access and update relevant patient information in a secure manner. Features such as cloud storage and password protection will help you avoid compliance issues, even if a caregiver's device is lost or stolen.

Ease of Use

A caregiver app should make your team's work easier, not harder. The ideal app will be easy to use, no matter how tech-savvy or technophobic your workforce is. Look for user-friendly features such as voice-to-text, drag-and-drop, and document templates. Make sure the design is intuitive.

Integration with Other Apps

Ideally, your caregiver app will integrate seamlessly with your other software tools. This includes the programs your back office uses, from scheduling to accounting software. Caregiving apps that come with a portal for patients and their loved ones can also improve the patient experience. This will also ensure that your services complement the support provided by family caregivers and other family members.

Support Your Caregivers with the Right Tools

As a care service provider, there are few assets more important than your team of caregivers. They play a crucial role in helping you fulfill your mission of delivering quality care — but to do so, they need on-the-go access to essential client information.

ShiftCare's home health care software takes care of the admin side of running your business so you can focus on what really matters: providing high-quality, compassionate care. The caregiver mobile app supports your team by ensuring they have everything they need, from shift locations to patients' clinical notes. It makes electronic visit verification simple, is HIPAA compliant, and allows your team to input their preferred shift availability. Plus, ShiftCare also comes with an online portal for family members.

Discover how a caregiver app can empower your team to provide a higher standard of care. Try ShiftCare for free.