Read to discover why senior living communities should use nursing home software and a step-by-step guide to choosing a platform.

5 Benefits of Nursing Home Management Software

There are many reasons nursing homes will benefit from nursing home software, including:

Improved Quality of Nursing 

Nursing home management software will support you and your team through care planning and delivery. In doing so, it will improve care quality and patient outcomes. Client-nurse matching tools will enable you to select the ideal staff member for each client.

The documentation management system built into your software will mean you can create custom care plans, while progress notes can quickly be written, uploaded, and accessed. 

Document templates ensure key information won’t be overlooked. Document expiry notifications will ensure your team never makes nursing decisions based on outdated information. 

With funds and plan management tools, you can help patients make the best decisions for their care based on their health requirements and finances. 

Greater Efficiency

With the right software, nursing homes can save hours of admin time. Scheduling can be done in minutes, with recurring and group schedules making it easier to create regular shifts. You won’t have to spend time confirming availability or chasing up confirmations. Accounting, billing, and payroll integration will also help you free up valuable time each week.

Electronic Health Records

Nursing home software will ensure you always have electronic health records and proof of service delivery required to comply with regulations. Your digital record will help you run an accurate payroll, auto-generate error-free invoices, and bill insurers correctly.

Better Resident Satisfaction

Senior living software will help residents in long-term care facilities express their preferences for their care, from establishing their preferred care team to requesting additional services. And with a dedicated portal for family members, you’ll ensure your patients’ loved ones are kept up to date.

Happier Staff

Staffing challenges can cause problems for nursing homes. However, the right software will help you retain and motivate your nursing staff. 

You’ll be able to schedule around their preferred shifts, giving them the work-life balance they need. In-app and SMS push notifications will allow you to share important updates with your staff or send a personal message to show your appreciation. 

And since your nursing home software will support your team in providing quality care, they’ll get greater fulfillment from their work.

How to Implement Nursing Home Software: Essential Steps

Follow these key steps to successfully implement your nursing home software solution. They’ll help make the process pain-free, so you and your team can reap the benefits of your new tool as quickly as possible.

Know Your Objectives

Clinical software comes with a wide range of features, so it’s important to know exactly what you’re looking for. Start by outlining:

• What you want to achieve, e.g., less time spent on admin work or better compliance with regulations

• The essential functions you need to achieve your objectives, e.g., an intuitive rostering dashboard or HIPAA-compliance management

• What else do you need from your software, e.g., easy-to-use vs. advanced reporting features or affordable vs a high-tech business investment?

Understanding what you need from your software solution will help you select the ideal platform, measure return on investment, and design better processes.

Trial Your Software

Once you’ve found a platform that you like, ask the software company for a free trial. Use this trial to check that the software has the essential features you’re looking for.

During this period, you should invite other team members to try the software and give you feedback. This will help ensure that it meets the needs of your entire company, from your care team through to your back office staff. 

Plus, since your team will be involved in the decision process, getting them on board with the switch will be easier.

Communicate With Your Team

Make sure your team understands the benefits of using this software. Underscore why you’re making the switch, how it better supports your staff, and the ways in which it will improve processes. This will lead to better buy-in from your team members, which will facilitate a smoother implementation process.

Provide Training and Documentation

Before you transition to using your new nursing home software, identify how it will affect your processes. Update your existing documentation as required, and set up training for your staff. The software company may already have guides that you can use for this.

For an even more in-depth guide to choosing a care agency management software, read this guide next: A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing the Right Home Care Agency Management Software.

Intuitive Nursing Management Software that Will Support Your Team

Nursing home software can empower you to operate more efficiently, motivate your staff, and deliver exceptional care.

ShiftCare's care management software is built to meet the needs of nursing homes and home health agencies. It comes with robust scheduling features so you can plan shifts that work for you, your patients, and your staff alike. The document management system enables instant HIPAA-compliant communication. Our accounting integrations, invoicing features, expense tracking, and financial reports make staying on top of your business’ finances easy.

Getting started with ShiftCare is simple. It often takes less than 10 minutes to get set up.

Start your free trial to discover how home nursing software can improve nursing care delivery while reducing workload.

Try ShiftCare for free.