7 Unexpected Ways Senior Living Software Enhances Operational Efficiency

Man in a black suit jacket using senior living software on a laptop

As an operations director at a senior living community, it’s your goal to run a tight ship while working to provide an inviting work culture for employees and a safe and engaging home for residents. For a long time, many responsibilities of operations directors and managers had to be done manually. This tedious, time-consuming, but important work meant fewer hours and energy available for engaging with and meeting the needs of residents. It also often led to stress, frustration, and professional burnout. Then came a major game-changer: senior living software.

Senior care software has revolutionized the entire landscape of elder care, and has allowed operations managers to streamline processes, create new efficiencies, and focus their energy where it matters most. Below, we’ll take a look at some of the common and not-so-common ways the right software can improve efficiency and decision-making in senior living communities like yours.

A Broad Overview of Senior Living Software

There are many types of senior living software you’re probably already familiar with. Most senior living communities will have multiple platforms they work from which help them perform their jobs efficiently and effectively. Some common senior living software programs include:

  • EHR: Electronic health records are a must for assisted living communities and most other senior living communities as well. A good EHR platform will integrate with the other software programs you use, so you can always have residents’ most up-to-date and relevant information on-hand.
  • eMAR: An electronic medication administration record will help you manage residents’ medication intake. It is also useful information for understanding possible interactions and contraindications when it comes to menu planning, senior activities, fitness, and more.
  • CRM: Customer relationship management used to be a manual process which left it open to errors and inaccuracies. Now, a reliable CRM is a must for any senior living community. The right CRM software provider will help you keep critical contact information updated and current and will integrate across platforms.
  • Resident engagement: A resident engagement platform will aid your activities director and staff in planning and executing meaningful engagement to meet residents’ social, emotional, and spiritual needs. Resident engagement platforms usually include scheduling tools, event registration, and ways to get feedback so you know you’re planning the right activities for your residents.

All of these software programs improve efficiency for your staff, so they can have more time to provide a higher level of care. By providing digital methods for scheduling, tracking data, and storing information, some of the tedious administrative tasks are lifted. However, most of these are standalone platforms that perform a single function, and can be tricky to integrate. However, senior living software has come a long way. Now, you can find comprehensive, all-in-one solutions that perform a variety of functions with features that integrate seamlessly, further increasing your efficiency. 

7 Surprising Ways Senior Living Software Enhances Operational Efficiency

A comprehensive solution for senior living operators will boost your efficiency in ways you never expected. How? Let’s explore:

Automated Resident Check-Ins

Daily check-ins are critical for residents’ well-being and safety, but they can be time-consuming and stressful when staff is limited and occupancy is high. With the right software solution, you can automate daily check-ins using wearable technology or digital interfaces, saving you time while also improving accuracy in resident monitoring.

Streamlined Inventory Management

With changing occupancy rates, and residents with a vast array of dietary and medical needs, managing inventory and staying stocked up on the necessities can be an overwhelming challenge. Senior living software makes it easier. 

There are solutions available that will keep track of your food, medical, and first aid supplies, then reorder automatically. The software can also use data to predict what you’ll need and when, so you can ensure you always have a robust inventory, without items stockpiling or going to waste. This saves you a significant amount of time and money.

Enhanced Communication Channels

Communications can make or break a senior living community. When employees feel that communications are open, transparent, and timely, they feel more supported and less likely to burn out. A senior living software solution that focuses on communication will help you get important messages to the right staff members almost instantaneously. Communication platforms also help with cross-departmental coordination, and ensure that information flows accurately and quickly, allowing for better and faster response time for resident needs.

Predictive Maintenance Scheduling

There are many mechanical systems that make your senior living community run, and if even one of them goes down, it can be crippling for the entire place. Predictive maintenance uses the data from your equipment to tell you when key maintenance is needed, so you can work to prevent downtime or catastrophic breakdowns. This technology also ensures that you’ll get a longer lifespan out of your critical equipment, and that it will operate more efficiently.

Integration with Smart Building Technologies

So many homes and office buildings these days are “smart,” meaning they have automated systems that run lighting, HVAC, security, and more. The same may be true of your senior living community. Having smart systems in place helps you run more efficiently, as you can easily automate and regulate temperatures, lights, video cameras, sound systems, and much more. You can then manage these systems conveniently from most devices through an app, so you’re always in control. Automating systems such as these saves a good amount of time, but it also creates greater efficiency, uses less power, and saves you money.

Data-Driven Staff Scheduling

Staffing by acuity ensures you have the right amount of people in the right place at the right time, but it can be tough — if not impossible — to manage manually. Scheduling solutions that pull data from your community can then help you predict peak times and staff accordingly. By optimizing your resource allocation, you’ll end up with happier staff and higher resident satisfaction.

Customized Reporting for Compliance and Quality Assurance

There are many regulations you need to meet to stay compliant in the senior living field, and accuracy and timeliness are of the utmost importance. Leaving the job to be completed manually takes time away from staff members and leaves reporting open to potential errors. Your senior living software should be able to help in this area by using data to compile customized reports for both internal and external use. This streamlined process ensures reports are completed on time, with factual information and zero inaccuracies. It also means your team can spend less time on administrative tasks and more time with residents.

How to Get Started With Eldermark NEXT

Does all of this operational efficiency sound too good to be true? If you’re using many scattered, unintegrated platforms for each of these functions, it probably is. Instead, you need a comprehensive, end-to-end solution built specifically for the senior living industry. With Eldermark NEXT, you have a powerful single platform that performs all the functions you need and creates untold efficiencies. Save time and money, and know that your staff is working where and when they’re most needed. Discover how efficient your operations can be — schedule a free demo today!

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