Building resilience: Solving 3 key tech hurdles in aged care
In aged care technology, the only constant is change, with new systems and updates becoming a regular part of operations for providers. While these changes can present challenges, they also offer opportunities to enhance care and streamline processes. By identifying and addressing common barriers, providers can implement solutions that deliver tangible benefits for staff, residents, and the organisation as a whole. Here, we explore three key challenges facing aged care providers today and practical strategies to overcome them.
1. Workforce Capacity
The Challenge
With the ever-increasing rate of change experienced by the industry, regularly taking on the new and different requirements of the latest tools can be challenging, and even seen as a diversion from care delivery. To minimise the risk of failed implementations and optimise your technology investment, supporting your team through any transition is essential.
The Solutions
Practical training is often the difference between a blocker and a champion. Hands-on experience can empower staff to feel confident using new technologies and provides the opportunity to ask questions before using a new system while delivering care.
Communicating the why of any change can drive engagement and a sense of ownership amongst your team. Messaging should clearly explain why a technology change is being made, whether it’s a clinical, operational, or regulatory enhancement. This strategy is advocated for by the Aged Care Data and Digital Strategy 2024–2029.
On-floor support throughout an implementation can have an outsized impact on technology adoption and readiness to change. Having an expert on hand provides immediate support, boosting confidence when navigating new tasks in high-stakes environments.
2. Budgetary Pressures
The Challenge
Budgets in aged care are tightly managed to prioritize care delivery, making investments in new technologies a significant decision. This challenge is amplified when, as with many care-focused systems, the return on investment (ROI) is delayed rather than immediate.
The Solutions
Understanding industry trends in systems adoption and change is a great way to understand what might, or might not, work for you. Not every organisation can, or should, be a trailblazer, but staying informed ensures your organisation is a strategic ‘fast follower’ making investments in modern, but proven, systems.
Phased rollouts allow you to minimise initial opportunity costs and evaluate impact before fully investing. Often a phased roll-out may begin with a small-scale pilot program to test viability before the larger investment in wholesale change. This approach is supported by findings in the ACIITC Care-IT Report.
Consolidating systems is a key consideration to avoid duplicating costs for the same functionality. When evaluating new technologies, consider whether similar features already exist in your current tech stack. Although it’s not always appropriate to make the change (not all systems are created equal), consolidation can help you maximize the value of your technology budget and streamline operations.
3. Infrastructure Gaps
The Challenge
Technology in aged care is an interconnected ecosystem, and its effectiveness can be limited by key systems which don’t have the functionality you require. Challenges may include poor interoperability, limited integration capabilities, or physical constraints like inadequate Wi-Fi connectivity. Ensuring these core infrastructure hygiene concerns are managed ensures that you have the flexibility to implement the platforms that are right for you.
The Solutions
Strategic technology planning, rather than piecemeal replacement of systems, is key to ensuring that your technology stack is resilient to the expected future needs of your organisation and the industry. If you don’t currently have a technology strategy, like planting a tree, the best time to do it is now.
Pragmatic upgrades, upgrading or implementing systems which act as lynchpins for others, can support your organisation’s long-term strategy even where the immediate impact of the change may be less visible.
Carefully consider customisation of the systems you implement. For many vendors, integrations and new features are designed around their core tool. The more you customise a system, the greater the risk that you may be locked out of these new functions when they’re released, prompting more yet more change and cost to see the benefits of any enhancements.
With our deep knowledge of sector trends, systems, and change management, HAMR Insights can help organisations move forward with confidence, even in complex and resource-constrained environments. The HAMR HealthCheck helps you understand where you are and where you want to be, identifying actionable opportunities to support you on the next steps of your strategic journey.