Care Plans in Care Homes

One of the benefits of B&M Care is that each of our homes uses a digital care plan system - Person-Centred Software’s Mobile Care Monitoring: one of the first fully-mobile systems that captures information and care delivery in real-time.

What Is a Care Plan?

A care plan is a document in care homes that outlines an individual’s assessed health and social care needs, and describes the support and services that the person will receive.

In the health and social care sector, a care plan is crucial to ensure the person receives the right level of care, and should care needs change, to reflect how the provider will adapt their service to ensure continuity of care.
Generally speaking, a care plan can be either paper-based or digital and is updated at varying times throughout the day to capture and document all aspects of an individual’s health and wellbeing. Care plans should be reviewed and adjusted to ensure that a person’s care needs continue to be met, especially on a long-term basis.

At B&M Care, an individual’s digital care plan will include:

• What the assessed care needs are
  
• What type of care and support will be provided
  
• Background to personal preferences, such as likes and dislikes, as well as social and cultural interests
  
• Records of care and engagement provided
• Visits from healthcare professionals, such as a doctor or a nurse

An effective care plan helps a care provider better understand an individual’s needs on a real-time basis, enabling them to apply best practice to the service they provide, whilst empowering a person to achieve a greater level of independence and quality of life.

When Does an Individual Receive a Care Plan?

A care plan is produced before an individual moves into a care home. The plan is developed using information attained during the initial assessment, and through any subsequent communication. Specific questions will be asked to ascertain needs, preferences, and information that is unique to the individual, to then build the plan around the points highlighted above.

Quality Assured Care Plans at B&M Care

Each of our homes uses a digital care plan system – Person-Centred Software’s Mobile Care Monitoring (MCM). Characterised by a handheld device with an icon-driven interface, MCM is a unique solution to capturing information and care delivery in real-time. Since its implementation, care staff have praised its ease-of-use and the benefit of having greater control over their care time.

Additional advantages for staff and individuals include:

• Instant access to information
  
• The ability to monitor care effectively
  
• Access to a safe and responsive service
  
• The ability to plan person-centred care routines
  
• The ability to record more care notes
  
• The ability to make regular edits more efficiently
  
• Access to each care plan for multiple staff members
  
• A safe and secure information portal
  

B&M Care believes that those receiving care should be involved in any decisions regarding their care and wellbeing; an ethos that is reflected in both our day-to-day practice and our care plans.

For each of our homes, a care plan is a shared resource that is essentially owned by the individual using our services – it’s about them, their needs and their expectations of us as a provider. Promoting this type of involvement nurtures transparency and orientation towards the delivery of quality person-centred care – and the very start of wholesome living in one of our homes.

Are Digital Care Plans Approved by the Care Quality Commission?

With an up-to-date system and versatile interface, digital care plans not only reflect wider changes in the health and social care sector, but they continue to comply with and positively evidence standards set out by regulatory authorities such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

For any regulator, a detailed care plan underpins safe and effective care as a result of information being accessible, legible, secure, and up-to-date. Regardless of whether a care plan is digital or paper-based, this form of documentation can be used to evidence each of CQC’s five key lines of enquiry – Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-Led – with previous inspections of our homes observing a strong link between positive characteristics and use of a digital care plan system.

Find Out More

To find out more about B&M Care and how we deliver effective, person-centred care plans, contact us today to discuss with a member of our team.