“HCSL has been incredibly easy to navigate since we went live on the system on the 1st of October. Our team have people with varying levels of technology literacy and the ease of this system has meant that staff are more confident to use technology and see how it can help to improve time management by not having to double or triple up on written documentation.”
Manager
Alexander House Rest Home
Receiving emails from our clients who have made the transition from paper-based to digital give us a lot of satisfaction. One provider who had been under DHB monitoring after an audit that didn’t achieve as well as they could have said they saved $100,000 after implementing the HCSL programme. They had been spending a lot of time researching, writing and submitting corrective actions to audit findings for quite some time. This doesn’t happen anymore. They have no findings!
Comments which reflect how very easy they found the process of transition reinforce our concept of where possible we opt for one click instead of two in our design processes. Some client had used other digital packages in the past which they described as cumbersome and clumsy. Those packages didn’t integrate with other packages so to find all the information needed, staff had to use multiple sources of information. This made some reluctant to try something new. Arriving on site at a client one day Gillian was taken to meet two care staff. Both were very excited to tell her how due to them both having dyslexia, neither had been able to write their own notes before. Now with the simplicity combined with spell-check in the digital progress notes, they were able to write their own notes.
The co-design of solutions with our clients maintains the philosophy of simplicity being as easy to use as a basic mobile phone or Facebook.
Early on we identified inequity between the resources available to corporate owned multi-site providers and independently or small group owned aged care services. This inequity, in conjunction with shortages of staff led us to work alongside aged care, retirement village and community services to design a one-stop-shop programme and in 2015 HCSL aged care software went LIVE. It has continued to be developed since then to a fully cloud based solution.
Clients said they’d like everything in one place. Despite there being other options we were continually pressured to create a NZ specific product that supports not only benchmarking, quality and risk but also all aspects of providing care while incorporating compliance throughout each aspect of the programme.
The integration with Medi-map medication administration systems will further streamline access to resident care information for remote assessment and treatment planning. More integrations are underway currently to support as seamless flow of resident information regardless of where those needing information to provide care are situated. Clinical records are now accessible and able to be updated from anywhere with an internet / wi-fi connection.
Having been appointed as the step-in temporary manager at Rosewood Resthome and Hospital during the COVID-19 outbreak, Gillian Robinson was able to implement HCSL cloud-based software for telehealth support. This programme was literally set up overnight and being used by staff with no training as there simply wasn’t time. The great test for the system was to note the staff were able to successfully use the digital online care-planning and progress notes without any training other than to be supplied their login. The uploading of a photograph of a wound for the doctor to review remotely was able to done easily after watching the 5 minute instructional video on ‘how to’.
Community, Disability services and mental health residential services along with retirement villages throughout NZ are now enjoying efficient cloud based records. To find out how you can use this ready to use, NZ specific programme contact us.
Gillian Robinson – Bachelor of Nursing, Registered Nurse, Lead Auditor, Management Consultant, Author
Liz Beaglehole – New Zealand Registered Dietitian, with a Post-graduate Diploma in Dietetics (with distinction), Canterbury Dietitians.
Ben Harris – Medical Laboratory Scientist, Honorary Lecturer for the University of Otago
Day One – Thursday 12th April – 9.00am to 4.30pm
Day two – Friday 13th April (9.00am start, finish approximately 1.00pm)
Attendees will supply their own lunch. Morning and afternoon tea will be provided.
The attendance fee for this content filled education is $155 (plus GST per attendee to cover both days), $85.00 plus GST per attendee to cover either day one or day two.
We will respond with confirmation of registrations. Certificates of attendance will be provided.
When undertaking a change management process in care facilities, I’ve identified 5 distinct phases of reaction from managers and staff. These have often occurred after I’ve been appointed to perform the role of statutory (temporary) manager by a DHB. This is generally after risk to residents has been identified following an audit or a serious complaint.
As a temporary manager, often there is a facility manager in place however for a range of reasons doesn’t have the resources or knowledge to meet the needs of the residents to a standard that satisfies audit outcomes.
Phase 1 is on first arriving and there is relief on the part of the staff and manager (if there is one) on the basis they have the view that I’m there to ‘save the day’, make things right and then they can get on with running things. Comments such as “you should have been called in a long time ago” are common.
Phase 2 is where the staff and in place management start to realise that I’m not going to do all the work for them and my role is that of mentor and coach. Further to that the role includes assistance with obtaining necessary resources to support clinical and operational practices. This is where push-back and resistance starts to show as people resist change and try to hold stead-fast to those practices that have got them to the point they’re at. As pressure increases for change to occur, resistance increases and at times sabotage of the new way of doing things starts to appear. As one provider put it recently “they’re ever so nice to your face and will stab you in the back”. The denial phase plays out and the anger phase starts.
Phase 3 is a time when divisions start between those who want to embrace change knowing it’s intended to improve and make the workplace safer for staff and more so, safer for residents; and those who don’t have insight to recognise the need for change. The need for people to remain in their comfort circle doing what’s known and predictable is incredibly strong for a large number of people. This slows momentum and the temporary manager starts to get the blame for things being wrong. Such comments as ‘it was all fine before the DHB stepped in, they just need to back off and let us get on with it’ are also commonplace in this phase. Sometimes senior staff at the facility will contact their DHB and say the temporary manager is unreasonable, not doing anything and needs to be removed. All as an attempt to get rid of the person they see as pushing them outside their comfort circle and affecting maintaining of the status quot. The bargaining phase can continue for quite some time but this often depends on how direct and steadfast the response is to the bargaining strategies.
Phase 4 occurs when there is the start of the depression phase and realising that solid work, participation by all and a willingness to take on new ideas and learn new ways of doing things needs to occur. The real work has started by the willing few in the early phase and continues and now the collective change can start to be evident.
Phase 5 is acceptance that the temporary management or change management process was necessary. Staff start to commend the new way and embrace new ideas recognising that things are actually better now than they’ve been before. As people always have choice about coming on board with change or leaving, invariably there are some staff and sometimes managers or even members of Governance who continue to resist seeing a new way is needed and those few will leave the organisation or continue to resist.
I’m able to observe which phase an organisation is operating in by the response of those working there and was intrigued to read of exactly this same set of steps in a book titled ‘Expert Secrets’ written by Russell Brunson. Some of you who are familiar with the work of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross will also recognise these phases as reflecting her stages of grief.
Acceptance is hard as people take the need for change as a criticism when in my view, people don’t fail; systems do!!
Upon reading one policy everything fell neatly into place. I found her documentation to be outstanding. It is very reassuring to know that every policy and procedure is the most up to date and designed to meet audit requirements. All her forms are easily accessible and very user friendly. We can instantly benchmark against others. At the click of a button we can analyse falls, infections and adverse events. Creating graphs and other information for Board reports takes minutes rather than hours.
Having come from a background of many years in QA, HSE and Electronic Document Management in the Oil and Gas Industry, when I entered the aged care sector, it was a huge “eye opener”. After sitting through several handovers and meetings and listening to discussions on medications etc I felt as if I was listening to a foreign language. Oh my goodness I thought and then Gillian’s documentation arrived together with a visit from her shortly after.
Gillian’s enthusiasm and commitment for both the aged care sector and her documentation is contagious. I feel I can now discuss, with the knowledge I have acquired in a few short months, aspects of aged care I never knew existed. Gillian is only a phone call or email away and all queries are always answered promptly, no matter how minor.
Thank you very much Gillian.
Lois Lash – Quality Assurance
Tainui Village – October 2017
In residential care, HealthCert (MoH) Certification processes appear solely to promote a goal of verifying compliance with requirements. Looking deeper however, the goal of meeting requirements ensures the protection and support of those in your care. This can then be evidenced in a way that’s reflective of service received as meaningful, safe and appropriate by individual residents.
It’s no longer an expectation that you’ll have a number of partial attainments as a result of an external audit. The expectation is full compliance and showing evidence of continuous improvement, going over and above the base ‘pass-mark’ brings you into line with your high performing peers. I’ve heard managers say “but it’s the Auditors job to find things wrong so we expect to get partial attainments.” That is out-dated thinking and doesn’t fit the current audit and compliance environment or continuous improvement philosophy.
Systems can’t be implemented to show compliance, if staff are not looking at policies and procedures, or using them to guide services and care of residents. If individual staff or managers do what they think best, based on previous experience, without verifying whether that practice is still appropriate or best practice, they do themselves and residents a disservice.
Success leaves clues. It’s apparent when quality systems are implemented, outcomes are checked in a measurable way, recorded, examined, analysed and greater gains identified for future implementation. This is a cycle and if you have the right tools to record your continuous improvement projects on, you too will be in the elite who are out-performing those who continue to have multiple partial attainments (deficits) in audit. Don’t be a provider that looks at others saying it’s ok for them; they have this or that or the other reason for their success but we don’t have those things so we can’t achieve. Don’t make others extraordinary to let yourself off the hook. You can have, and deserve to have, all the recognition for the amazing work you perform just like others who are achieving four years.
The lack of a robust up to date quality system, along with deficits in implementation, will lead you down an expensive compliance track. Expensive in loss of reputation as audits are published and accessed online by the public, expensive in loss of time trying to figure things out yourself, increased risk to residents, loss of financial resources as you end up being audited more often than would have otherwise been necessary. The better you achieve at audit, the longer your period of certification, the less often you are audited and therefore less often you’re paying auditors fees!
A common failing in the care facilities under Temporary Management has been from the lack of a proven quality system and application of that system into service provision. I’ve been contracted into a number of sites as a Temporary Manager over the years and this has consistently been the case.
If you would like a free Continuous Improvement Project template to help you identify and record your success, contact us and we’ll email it to you.
Go here to read testimonials from a few of our clients.
We are a medium sized rest home and hospital. The complexities of the various standards means that without a product such as HCSL we would find it difficult to function. Health Care Compliance Solutions Ltd has ensured we stay up to date and compliant in all areas of our industry.
The recent introduction of the online tool has been a massive invaluable boost, all staff now have access to the latest documents online.
Never before have we been able to compare ourselves against industry. Instant access to current documents, analysis of events and graphical representation are just a click away. Adverse events and infections are recorded and compared against industry. The ability to log complaints, restraints and complete internal audit has aided in our ability to close the quality circle.
With HCSL we no longer need to worry about the policies and procedures we just need to focus on the implementation.
Jonathan Prangnell
Registered Nurse/Manager
Kaiapoi Lodge Residential Care Ltd – February 2017
I remember years and years ago hearing about the coming of the paperless society! Do you recall that? Have we achieved it? If anything, we’re surrounded by more and more paperwork. I receive enquiries on a regular basis from disgruntled nurses that are bogged down in paperwork and wanting to know if there is a simpler way to do things that will allow them time to get back to hands-on nursing; spending time with their residents.
I’m more than happy to help you with freeing up your time and still achieve all the necessities of documenting service provision. One way to do this is using smart computer software. I realise that up until recently our industry has not been ready for this however with the surge in uses of Facebook and other social networking sites, computers are not as intimidating as they once were!
I’m committed to getting your nurses back on the floor while working on the basis of continuous improvement and providing excellence in care based on evidence based practice. In order to help me develop the tools you need I’d appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete this quick and simple survey.
Thank you for your time and look forward to getting a solution that will allow you to get out of the office and back to your residents!