A senior living facility is designed to give seniors the space they want and care they need, all in one place. For many clinicians, it can be hard to find a good balance between patient independence and quality care. On one hand, you want to make sure your patients have the independence they desire; on the other hand, you want to provide them with the quality care they deserve. So what can you do?
Helping Patients Maintain Independence
For many patients living in senior living facilities, such as an assisted living community, they don’t need to be monitored around-the-clock, but they do need a little extra help when it comes to day-to-day activities.
Since seniors living in a long-term care facility are in a residential setting, not a medical setting, they’re already given the opportunity to live independently. They’re encouraged to embrace and enjoy living independently! Because these patients won’t need to be monitored 24/7, they have more options when it comes to their free time.
To foster their independence, seniors can spend their time in many ways, including:
- Taking walks outside
- Completing simple chores
- Visiting with family and friends
- Spending time doing their favorite things
Not all seniors are the same, of course, and some may need more help than others, which makes it more difficult for them to maintain their independence. If you do have a patient who has a hard time accomplishing day-to-day activities alone, you can help them hold onto their independence in little ways.
For example, if your patient struggles to dress themselves, you can ask them to select their outfit rather than pick out their clothes for them. This helps them maintain a level of independence and confidence while still receiving the support they need.
Sometimes, seniors lose the motivation to do anything, even if they do have the ability. If this is the case, we know how hard it can be to watch. While you can’t force your patients to do anything, a gentle suggestion can lead them in the right direction.
Rather than telling them, “It’s time for your walk,” you can say, “How about a walk? The weather is beautiful today!” It takes intentionality, but an approach like this can often create a positive response.
Providing Patients with Quality Care
Your patients have specific health care needs, and you want to give them the best care you possibly can. After all, they’re counting on you. Of course you can be patient, kind, gracious, and helpful every time you interact with them, but when it comes down to it, you have certain care duties to fulfill.
One of the most important parts of your job is patient documentation, which can be frustrating and time-consuming if it’s not done in an efficient manner. As a clinician, handling your patient’s records can be a challenge, especially if you don’t have the right tools to do your job. The paper and pen method can make your day-to-day responsibilities much harder, as it requires you to quickly and correctly keep track of your patient’s care.
With so much on your plate every day, how can you provide all of your patients with quality care?
A good place to start is with an EHR software designed for those who work in a senior living facility. With efficient EHR software, you can manage care, treatment, and communication all in one place. Since it’s done in real time, you can trust that everything in the system is accurate and up-to-date, the way it should be. You’ll never have to worry when it comes to caring for your patients; instead, you can feel confident that all the information you need is easily accessible and readily available to you.
If you’re accustomed to another method of patient documentation, then the switch to an electronic health record may seem intimidating. That’s why we make the transition to our senior living facility EHR software seamless, with interoperability that lets you start working right away.
For those in the long-term care sector, an electronic health record will enhance your work life, reducing your stress and frustrations with documentation and allowing you to focus on caring for your patients. That’s because it offers so much, including:
- Quality assurance
- Patient safety measures
- Accurate patient documentation
- Better decision-making for patient care
- Fluid information exchange between providers
- And many more helpful features clinicians love
Making Work Easier with Senior Living Facility EHR Software
Your patients are important, and they should get the quality care they need. If you’re interested in a new way of providing care to your patients, our senior living facility EHR software solution may be just what you need where you work. At Collain Healthcare, we’ve helped many clinicians improve their workflow, enhance their care, and boost their productivity. To find out how you can join them in a better experience at work, schedule a free demo today.
