May 20, 2014 – Phoenix, AZ, Mississauga, ON – Rising acuity, staffing, and risk mitigation are among the biggest challenges facing senior living providers this year. To address these issues, PointClickCare today announced its enhanced senior care platform to help address the “The Acuity Conundrum,” a term PointClickCare has identified to highlight the challenges facing assisted living providers as they realign their organizations to support an increasing number of residents requiring more complex care. PointClickCare will be showcasing its new solution at Booth 1111 at the ALFA 2014 Conference and Expo in Phoenix, AZ.
A variety of market factors have led to the reality of rising acuity in assisted living, increased prevalence of seniors delaying their entry into retirement settings due to aging in place, reduced hospital stays and economic trends forcing seniors into managed care communities. These factors are leading seniors to make the shift to an assisted living community at a more advanced age, with more complex health care needs. As a result, care providers are finding it necessary to respond with more clinically-oriented staffing models, sophisticated technology solutions for medication management, and a greater focus on re-aligning their business models to support higher acuity levels amongst their resident population.
“In our communities we are caring for residents with complex healthcare needs, so we need to seek out ways to manage these needs and maintain the health of our population,” said Jean McGill, Clinical Services Director at American Baptist Homes of the West. “In addition to helping us monitor and improve care, from charting to medication management, the PointClickCare platform enables coordinated care within our residences, as well as with ACOs and HMOs. We are doing things that we couldn’t have done with traditional processes. We can quickly respond with information and analysis, for example, about hospital readmissions and clinical outcomes. This helps us to maintain a solid referral base.”
“The rising resident population and acuity levels in assisted living facilities across North America are creating new challenges this market has never seen before,” said Mike Wessinger, PointClickCare CEO. “PointClickCare’s senior care platform will help our customers address the Acuity Conundrum with technology that empowers them to better manage and optimize their financial and care services performance.”
Recently recognized as the #1 long-term care software vendor by KLAS Research, PointClickCare offers a cloud-based, interoperable electronic health record and revenue cycle management platform with a variety of integrated applications for care delivery services management, financial management, marketing, business intelligence and quality and compliance.
This technology allows assisted living facilities to expand care services, strengthen market value and enhance financial and operational performance, while improving resident outcomes.
In a recent senior care survey conducted by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News on behalf of PointClickCare, operators of senior living communities were asked to identify their top priorities for 2014. 87 percent of the respondents have recognized a surge in resident acuity, yet 45 percent said they are not ready for this rise. Where 66 percent acknowledged they need to prepare for the increase, 44 percent cited augmenting staff and human resources as a priority, and 43 percent are focused on implementing risk reduction programs that focus on the management of acute change in resident conditions to decrease preventable hospital readmissions. More providers are turning to technology, such as that from PointClickCare, and are experiencing great value in return.
About PointClickCare
PointClickCare helps healthcare providers meet the challenges of senior care by enabling them to achieve the business results that matter – enriching the lives of their residents, improving financial and operational health, and mitigating risk. Recently recognized as the #1 long-term care software vendor by KLAS Research, PointClickCare’s cloud-based software platform takes a person-centered approach to managing senior care, connecting healthcare providers across the senior care continuum with easy to use, regulatory compliant solutions for improved resident outcomes, enhanced financial performance, and staff optimization. Over 9,000 skilled nursing and senior living facilities use PointClickCare today, making it the North American healthcare IT market leader for the senior care industry. For more information on PointClickCare’s ONC certified software solutions, please visit pointclickcare.com.