How To Pilot a Care Management System

So, you're thinking of getting a care management system in your care home and want to run a test or a pilot to see if it's really for you? Well, this handy little guide will run through everything you need to do - broken down into easy steps.

You can watch the video below or read the rest of this post.

Before you get started you're going to need:

• An hour of time free to do the organising
• An account set up with a care management system like Log my Care
• A computer with an internet connection
• At least one smartphone
• Wi-Fi or 3/4G signal in your home

Step 1 - Make sure you have an account with a capable care management system

To get started you'll need to have set up an account first. The easiest and cheapest way to do this is to head on over to our Get Started page and make sure you've entered all of your details correctly.

Step 2 - Have a play with the care management system and assess it's viability

Next, you'll need to make sure you're mildly familiar with how to use the care management system to assign care tasks and coordinate care. With our 'Care Office' it's pretty simple and you'll be guided through everything you'll need to do when you log in for the first time. But don't forget you can always book some training in if you need a bit more help. Make sure you've added at least one resident and one carer

Step 3 - Install the 'Carer App' onto a smartphone

You'll then need to install the Carer App onto the smartphone you want the carer to use. You can do this by visiting the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store and searching for the Carer App. If you've added a Carer via the care office they'll get their own instructions on how to do this.

Step 4 - Check you've got the right internet connectivity in your home

Once you've had a play with the Carer App and you've decided to commit to a pilot you'll need to check that you have sufficient internet connectivity for the carers using their smartphone/s to be able to log the care they provide.

If you get stuck with Wi-Fi we can recommend things to help improve the signal coverage. Alternatively, if you're in a building which never seems to get Wi-Fi no matter what you do, we also partner with a specialist Wi-Fi installation company who we are happy to recommend too.

Step 5 - Talk to all of the decision makers and get their permission to run the pilot

Talk with your owner or Registered Manager and make sure they're aware that you're running the pilot and are happy for you to do so. Once they've agreed, speak to the carers you want to involve and set them up via the Care Office. They'll get their own instructions on how to start. You'll probably need to run through what you expect from them during the pilot though. Make sure they're happy!

Step 6 - Set the date to start and add your residents via the 'Care Office'

Decide on the date you want to start the pilot and book it into everyone's calendars who needs to know. Sounds pretty simple? You wouldn't believe how many times homes will forget to talk to external team members such as the activity coordinator. Having these people on board and understanding of how you're planning to pilot the system, will make sure the data you get back is the best possible. Now it's time to make sure you've added all of the residents and carers who are going to be involved with the pilot, via the Care Office.

Step 7 - Schedule the care tasks and assign them to the right people

You'll need to set up the care tasks and schedule any To-Do's for the care home in the care management system before the pilot kicks off. This will allow you to start without rushing around on day one trying to get everything added at once. Doing it a bit at a time when you're not overly busy will help to make sure you get the right information and tasks added.

Kick off the care management system pilot!

Start the pilot and make sure the carers that are involved are completing their tasks and logging care via the Carer App. Run the pilot for a sufficient amount of time to gauge whether Log my Care works in your care home.

Review how it's gone

Review what sort of equipment the care home is going to need. Whether the carers each need their own smartphone - (if you get stuck just ask us, we can recommend some pretty good cheap smartphones)

And that's literally it. You'll hopefully be convinced, saved a tonne of time - had greater insight into the care your team is providing then you've ever had before and not spent loads on paper.

Talk to us if you need help

If you've struggled with any of the steps above, get in touch! We're a nice bunch of people here and are on hand every day to make sure you get the most out of the using the system. We genuinely look forward to seeing how much we can make your life easier.

Best of luck with your pilot!