One Provider’s Path to Coordinated Care

Today, residents and staff of Welcov Healthcare’s Assisted Living Division communities are enjoying the many benefits provided by their electronic health record (EHR) platform, including better efficiency, accuracy, and consistency.

The Edina, MN-based company hasn’t always operated “paperless” senior living communities, and its staff hasn’t always enjoyed the perks of using an EHR. The company is a perfect example of why it’s important for senior living providers to take the plunge and embrace technology — and why it’s key to use the same EHR platform at all of your communities.

From Medication Errors to Experts
A few years ago, Welcov caregivers were still using paper medical records to store residents’ health and care data. Though this had been the industry norm for decades, the process wasn’t enabling Welcov caregivers to be as accurate or timely as they would’ve liked.

“At that time, there were a lot of med errors, there were a lot of problems with getting tasks done on time,” explains Rebecca Wolf, executive director of Welcov Assisted Living at Alta in Alta, IA. “There were a lot of problems with having personalized care because there was just too much to keep track of, and too many places to look for it.” It was clear that the company needed an electronic solution.

When various Welcov locations did start adopting EHRs, they weren’t implementing them at the same speed, and they weren’t even the same types of EHRs.

Though the company began to realize the benefits of storing all resident data electronically, it was difficult to analyze the entire data set as when different communities were using different platforms.

Ultimately, Welcov decided that all 18 of its senior housing communities should adopt PointClickCare’s EHR. The positive results were immediate — and the struggles the company encountered with paper medical records all but disappeared.

“Now, our numbers are good, we have trending, we have accuracy, we have efficiency, and we look like we’re experts in our community,” Wolf says.

Staffing Perks
As an added bonus, PointClickCare’s EHR has given Welcov caregivers proof that they’re regularly doing a great job at work.

“With this, everything’s all together, and [staff] are happier,” Wolf says. “They know now that they are providing good care.”

In fact, Welcov staff actually enjoy using the EHR on a daily basis. “Overall, it’s fun. I mean really — it’s fun,” says Julie Meth, Director of Health Services at Welcov Assisted Living at Alta.

With this in mind, Welcov started promoting the fact that it uses PointClickCare’s EHR platform as a way to impress and recruit bright, young employees. “I always use our EHR as a selling point to why we are a step ahead of our competitors,” says Cal Lout, Director of Clinical Services at Welcov Healthcare.