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n today’s eldercare environment, speedy access to information is critical to resident care, safety, and satisfaction. With the increasing number of Baby Boomers entering facilities nationwide and the predicted mortality age of 90 by 2015, facilities will see a bigger number of residents needing care for an extended time.
       Studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that more than 75% of residents and families report being satisfied with the quality of care in America’s long-term care facilities—and that this feeling of satisfaction links closely with the amount and quality of communication between facility staff and residents’ families. That link makes it impossible for facilities to ignore the benefits of easier, more open communication with residents’ families. Many residents live in facilities remotely located from the immediate family members who are responsible for making decisions regarding their care and financial matters. Secure online access to resident information provides families with a link to the residents and their daily activities, offering them critical information to make proactive decisions that can comfort their loved ones in their elder years. This holistic approach to long-term care aims to involve everyone with resident contact.
       There are new, innovative technologies that allow for this sort of seamless communication to improve satisfaction for residents, families, and caregivers. With today’s technology, families can have virtually unlimited involvement in their loved ones’ lives and a view of the residents’ daily activities, care progress, and dietary practices. It can also provide families with an online education about diseases, processes, the long-term care structure, and communication techniques. For example, if a facility chooses to publish the weekly menu, families can discuss the menu with residents and identify problem food items before they cause an unsatisfactory condition. Families can directly communicate with staff through portals and minimize the need for phone calls, call-backs, and miscommunicated information.
       “Sharing meaningful information is a key metric of success, not only within the organization but throughout the entire continuum of care, all the way down to the family level,” says Scott Kozimor, a group leader for Achieve Healthcare Technologies. “Certainly, the family of the resident wants and needs easy access to its family member’s care information. With the advent of electronic health record (EHR) technology, a simple Internet connection can act as a family’s portal of information to its loved one’s care. Clinical progress, resident activities, and other facility information can prove very helpful for the long-distance family member to know.”

Communication in the Future

       The onset of EHR capabilities in eldercare is another reason why access to information is critical to families and caregivers. Eventually, all healthcare providers will need to communicate resident information back and forth between providers based on the location, care, and need of the resident. With access to information—such as that provided by LTC Caremunicate, a Web-based collaborative communications portal from Impel Care Systems—facility staff can routinely connect with a resident’s family, keep them well informed about a resident’s overall status, and more effectively involve them as a part of the care team. As the industry moves closer to the more widespread sharing of health information, communicating or sharing that critical information with the care team provides an even greater expedition of care to residents, ultimately increasing quality of life and satisfaction with the entire process.

Why the Hesitation?

       In most long-term care organizations, traditional means of communication still exist. Louis Lenzmeier is a resident of Plymouth, Minnesota, and his father is in a nursing home in Cold Spring, Minnesota, nearly 70 miles away. When asked if Louis and his brothers and sisters can view information (eg, his daily activities, dietary information, or current condition), he responds, “I would have to say ‘no’ to all of these. We have to call or meet with the facility to learn anything.”
       While many facilities are hesitant to share information with families or caregivers because of security and privacy of resident information, it can greatly help to reduce litigation risk because facilities and families stay connected through posted updates on the residents’ condition. Plus, the ability to share or transfer that information across care settings increases the accuracy of information provided and advances appropriate attention to the resident’s needs. Although abiding by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations is extremely important, facilities should refrain from allowing it to interfere with providing quality care and services to residents and families. In order for this to work, families, too, should refrain from preventing caregivers access to pertinent information required to provide care and services.

Where Do I Get It?

       Today, there are many technology companies in the eldercare sector. Some offer clinical solutions, some financial services, others documentation, and still others EHR capabilities. It is increasingly difficult for facilities to identify the best technology partner because of the many different offerings from so many different providers. Facilities should look for vendors with established partnerships with other long-term care technology providers. These partnerships suggest that different providers are compatible and can seamlessly work together.
       Eventually, all healthcare providers will share resident information between settings, which will improve the process for everyone involved—residents, families, and care providers, both within the facility and externally. Identify technology providers with a history of working together to offer systems that can work for your facility. By doing so, you are helping your organization evolve into the use of EHRs.
       The ability of your clinical and financial software system to share information with a resident’s family through a secure communication portal greatly improves the family’s relationship with the facility and the resident, which ultimately improves the experience for the resident and fosters overall customer satisfaction.
       “Facilities can never care too much for a resident,” says Kozimor. “Since an EHR provider is not an expert in every area of documentation, partnerships can prove very beneficial to enhancing the quality of life at the long-term care facility. Partnerships in dietary management, family portals, and other ancillary providers all can have tremendous value."
       Embracing family and resident involvement in the care process empowers residents, families, and facilities with the necessary information to make important decisions about the residents’ quality of life. As Tony Robbins, the famous advisor and motivator on leadership, says, “The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.”