Whether you run a nursing home or an assisted living community, effective communication between the facility and families will help you offer empathetic care that best meets residents’ needs.

The Importance of Involving Residents' Families and Loved Ones

Study after study links communication with family members to a better quality of life for nursing home residents.

When family members are regularly in touch, residents have a sense of community and continuity. As one resident says in a 2020 study, “My son never left my side at the beginning; he was always popping in to make sure that I was alright and that I didn't feel lonely here. He still does… I think that he doesn't want me to feel that I am abandoned, and you know what, that really helped me settle.”

Nursing homes and assisted living communities also benefit from greater insights into a resident’s needs when loved ones are involved. Family members and friends can provide essential information on a resident’s medical history, care preferences, and personality. 

As for a resident’s family, regular updates help tackle feelings of anxiety. Plus, they can use these updates to maintain a strong relationship with the resident. Sue Pullar of Sue’s Care Home reports, “We do a lot of work with people who’ve got short-term memory issues, and if you were to ask some of them at the end of the day what they did at the beginning of the day, they can’t remember. [Sharing updates] provides comfort and a lovely talking point for families.”

The Role of Nursing Home Software in Improving Communication

Assisted living communities and nursing homes can use care management software for:

Sharing Updates on Residents’ Progress

Manually updating residents’ family members can be time-consuming, especially when updates turn into long email chains of back-and-forth queries.

Managers of assisted living communities and nursing facilities always have a lengthy to-do list. It can be hard to find time for regular, quality updates.

Nursing home software makes sharing updates easier. You can keep digital records and then select the ones you want to share with residents’ loved ones. You’ll be able to provide detailed updates in seconds.

Providing Schedules and Billing Information

Residents’ approved friends and family members can view bills and scheduled services via the portal for residents’ loved ones. 

Whether they’re responsible for paying the bills or it’s funded by Medicaid, this information helps family members keep track of residents’ care services. It reassures them that their loved ones are receiving the services they need. 

Enabling Requests

Your assisted living community or nursing home looks after residents around the clock, but nobody knows them better than their own family.

A resident’s family has often known them for decades. Friends and family members can share useful information about residents’ medical history, eating patterns, and needs. 

They can also spot when a resident isn’t their usual self and make requests for additional services or support. This can be particularly helpful for new residents, who may not yet have a relationship of confidence with your staff.

Practical Tips for How Nursing Home Software Can Help Improve Communication with Families and Loved Ones of Residents

These tips will help you make the most of your nursing home software.

Choose Software With a Portal for Friends and Family Members

Family members and friends will find viewing updates and making requests easier with a dedicated portal.

Provide Each Approved Family Member with a Different Log-in

Give residents at your assisted living community or nursing home greater privacy and control by allowing them to choose how much information they share with each family member. For example, their partner's login could have access to progress reports and billing information, while their children's logins could only have access to the progress reports.

Encourage Staff to Write Progress Notes with Family Members in Mind

When you can share all updates with a click of a button, it saves you time and helps residents' families see the bigger picture. Ask your team to write their nursing and progress notes so that they're suitable for family members as well as for other staff within the assisted living community. To make this easier for your team, set up progress note templates.

Attach Photos to Updates

If residents are happy to be photographed, encourage your staff to add photos to their progress reports. Family members will appreciate seeing their loved ones enjoying themselves in their assisted living community or nursing home. It adds a personal touch to the updates.

Share Residents' Schedules

When your communication tools and nursing home scheduling software are integrated, it's easier to share a resident's past and scheduled appointments. This helps family members better understand the care the resident is receiving.

Software That Makes Communication Seamless

ShiftCare’s care management software makes it easy to share updates with residents’ approved family members and friends. Loved ones can access the ShiftCare Connect platform to view nursing notes, progress reports, residents’ care plans, billing information, and more. They can make requests and provide further details about residents’ medical history and care preferences. For you and your team of caregivers, sharing information via ShiftCare Connect is as simple as tapping a button.

Plus, ShiftCare comes with essential care management features such as scheduling, time tracking, accounting and payroll integrations, and auto-generated invoices. The app for caregivers makes communicating with your team simple. Your staff can set their availability, view their schedules, and check patient information via the caregiver mobile app.

Discover how much better your care services can be when you, your caregivers, and your residents’ loved ones are all on the same page. Try ShiftCare for free.