Choosing technology for your homecare business: things to consider

Choosing technology for your home care business is a big decision. The right choice will help your business thrive and grow; the wrong one can be a waste of time, effort and money. There are plenty of software solutions on the market, so how do you know which one’s a good fit for your business?

Here are a few questions to ask yourself to narrow down the options.

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1. What are your biggest challenges?

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Get clear on the challenges you face in your business, so you know what to look for in a software solution. Some of the common problems our home care partners experience is lack of time, clunky systems that don’t work together and complicated billing and rostering systems.

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2. How do you see your business evolving and growing? 

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You might find a suitable software solution for right now, but what happens when your business starts to grow and scale? If your tech doesn’t support and facilitate growth, you’ll either be held back or searching for a new solution before long. Make sure you invest in a tool that can grow with you.

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3. What support does this software offer? 

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Adopting a new software system can be daunting, and you’ll undoubtedly need some support to get it up and running. Look at whether the tech provider offers onboarding, training and ongoing support for your management team and carers. You might prefer round the clock support so carers can get help during unsociable hours, too.

4. Is the tech provider continually improving its offering? 

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Technology changes quickly, and your chosen software needs to keep up. Does this tech provider frequently develop and improve its tool? Look at their upcoming roadmap for new features; you should find it on the company website. Keep an eye on their recent news to find out what’s new (here’s Birdie’s, for example).

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You want to find an innovative software company that leads change in the home care sector and listens to its customers to deliver a product and service that delivers.

5. How easy is it to adopt this tool?

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Your team will have to learn how to use the new tool as quickly and seamlessly as possible, so think about how easy the new system is to adopt. How much time does your team have to learn how to use it? Do you get support with staff training? What happens if you get stuck during the setup? Home care software should make your life easier, so check that the provider offers a full support package for a smooth transition period.

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6. How will this software work with or replace what you are currently using?

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Think about your current systems. Do any work well for you? Which ones are you looking to replace? Do you want an all-in-one tool that covers all, or most, of your daily tasks? You might decide to go for software with integration options (for example, Birdie integrates with Care Planner to create a powerful combined rostering, care planning and delivery tool).

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Forward-thinking software providers are happy to collaborate with other providers to make life easier for their customers.

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7. Are you ready to go fully digital?

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Are you ready to say goodbye to maintaining, storing and auditing paper records? Of course you are! Check that the software tool provides a fully digital solution for all aspects of your business, including eMAR, care planning, risk assessments and rostering, so you can eliminate the need for paper notes.

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8. Can this tool handle multiple operations?

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Having several different tools can get clunky and inefficient, so it’s best to find a tool that provides as many functions as possible. Does it smoothly handle multiple operations? How easy is it to switch between screens and tasks? Can it help with backend systems, like payroll, billing and rostering, as well as client-facing tasks such as care planning and call monitoring?

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At Birdie, we know that choosing a software tool for your home care business is a big decision. You can find even more information and advice in our blog: How To Pick The Best Tools For Your Care Business.

If you’re interested in finding more about Birdie’s all-in-one care management tool, arrange an informal, no-obligation chat or book a free demo.

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