Technology in Aged and Disability Care: Opportunities, Challenges, and Practical Steps

From supporting the front-line delivery of care to easing the administrative burden on support staff behind the scenes, there are myriad opportunities for the aged and disability care industry to embrace technology.

With the right strategy and application, digital solutions can facilitate the delivery of the highest quality care possible.

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s final report repeated data from the Aged Care Financing Authority which shows that nearly a third of home care providers and 42% of residential aged care providers reported an operating loss in 2018–19.

This is a warning signal to our industry that a new, sustainable way of working is needed.

In addition to warnings about an understaffed, undertrained and underpaid workforce, the report also highlighted that the industry is lagging behind in its use of technology, stating that it had no clear information and communications technology strategy.

The imperative to embrace technology, then, is clear. But where do care providers, who are already struggling to find the time, start on their journey to digital adoption?

We have created a new e-book, 4 Opportunities and Challenges for Care Providers Today, that lays out some of the ways in which technology can be applied to specific problems facing the industry.

It offers a practical guide to identifying areas of operations that can be improved, and the kinds of digital solutions that can deliver results.  

Tackling big questions

Some of the questions we’ve been asked by care providers in the past shine a light on where the industry is heading:

• How can we become more efficient while still remaining compliant?
• How can we remain agile in the face of changing regulations?
• Above all, what can we do to maintain and improve the quality of care we provide?

These questions don’t just affect those out in the community delivering care. The equally dedicated teams of managers, coordinators and support staff are also struggling to deliver their best work.

So what does technology have to offer the care sector? What opportunities do we have to deploy technology to confront these challenges? And where do providers start?

Doing more with less

With squeezed budgets affecting everyone, increasing productivity has become a key focus for care providers who are expected to do more with limited resources.

Technology can play a pivotal role in improving efficiency by automating administrative processes, especially those that also require precise record keeping.

Automated billing, reporting, and contract management can streamline administrative operations, save time, freeing up resources.

By reducing repetitive or time-intensive tasks, care providers can empower their teams to focus on meaningful work, leading to increased employee morale.

Regulation and compliance

In today’s highly regulated industry, it's vital that care providers don’t miss anything.

Automation can also ensure accurate record-keeping, reporting, and tracking – all essential in the regulatory environment of aged and disability care.

By embracing automation, care providers can produce regular, accurate reports without human intervention, minimising the chances of compliance issues.

Improving standards of care

Ultimately, reducing the administrative burden for the majority of the workforce can lead to better outcomes for those receiving care.

We’ve worked with a not-for-profit disability care provider to reduce the administration time they spend on intake forms by more than 80% per customer.

By digitising manual processes, saying goodbye to paper forms, and implementing a new data structure, the organisation was able to free its staff to concentrate on the parts of their job that deliver real value for the people they care for.

These improvements don’t just apply to managers and ‘backroom’ staff. Think about how much time carers spend on admin that takes them away from those under their care.

And what about unoptimised schedules that affect carers’ productivity? These are tasks that can be automated with the right application of technology.

Improving productivity is just one benefit of applying technology.

So what other opportunities are there?

• Understanding each customer’s preference can make the difference between good and great care. Alongside improvements in efficiency through automation, CRM technology has the power to improve the relationship between carers and the people they care for.
• Carers on the front line retain a huge amount of knowledge about each customer in their heads – imagine the possibilities for personalisation and optimisation if they could share that knowledge with the rest of the business.
• Most organisations aspire to use the latest and best tools available, but finding time for innovation can be difficult for teams already snowed under by day-to-day tasks.

Solutions don’t have to be complex

Getting started with digitisation can be a daunting prospect. But the good news is that care providers don’t need to commit resources to a total business transformation on day one.

In fact, better results can be achieved through iteration – by carefully selecting and automating the processes that will generate the greatest outcomes, they can start driving results for their business.

Our guide, 4 Opportunities and Challenges for Care Providers Today, will show how you can make a start today. Download your copy to:

• Get insights into the challenges faced by care providers in today's landscape
• Understand how automation can streamline administrative processes and boost efficiency
• Discover some practical steps to kick-start your digital transformation journey

Download the guide

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