6 ways CareDocs can assist you in emergency situations

Digital care management systems should offer an efficient platform to record, manage and access information. With CareDocs, for example, everything is stored in one place, so you don’t have to look far to find what you need to assist you in an emergency.

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Many emergency situations can arise without warning – injuries, health complications, infection outbreaks, fires and evacuations. It’s important to be prepared for any scenario and know how to act safely, putting the requirements of the residents above all else. Each person in your care will have different capabilities and capacities, so practicing person-centred care can help you learn about your residents in detail to develop effective methods of handling different situations.

Digital care management systems should offer an efficient platform to record, manage and access information. With CareDocs, for example, everything is stored in one place, so you don’t have to look far to find what you need to assist you in an emergency.

Every resident in CareDocs has their own profile which consists of several individual features like the Care Assessment and Care Plan. We like to refer to this as their digital care file, and many tools which can be used to assist you in a crisis are found here.

Here are six ways you can use CareDocs to prepare for emergencies and support you in handling them.

1. Emergency Contacts

One of the first key details available to enter for new residents after you add them to the CareDocs system is whom to contact in the event of an emergency. Recording this information digitally takes only a few minutes and is easily accessible, saving you from searching through physical files in high pressure situations.

We have a dedicated page for emergency contacts to separate them from general contacts, so you can find the most suitable person quickly. You have the option to add their name, relationship, telephone number, mobile number, business number, email address, home address and any additional written notes that may help you communicate with the individual, to ensure you have as much information as possible.

2. Medication

All medication prescribed to your residents can be recorded on our Medication page. This includes the dosage, instructions, general notes for use, a description of what it’s used for, when the medication course started and it’s due to end. This information can be referred to in the event of a suspected medication-related complication, or to eliminate medication as a cause when diagnosing the issue.

3. Evacuation Risk Assessment

Sometimes an emergency can affect the entire building. That’s why it’s important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each individual and communicate clearly what is expected from both parties in an evacuation situation. Our Care Assessment feature is made up of a wide range of sections covering all aspects of day-to-day care to deliver you a thorough person-centred Care Plan.

The Evacuation Risk Assessment section is effectively a conversation between care worker and resident to create a plan of action for such an event. Some of the topics you can discuss during the assessment include your residents’ mental ability (understanding instruction), physical ability (equipment risk & evacuation assistance), site familiarity (emergency exits), consent to support and mental capacity.

4. Allergies

In rare cases, allergies can be life threatening. Severe side effects may include swelling of the throat, breathing difficulties, confusion, blue skin and lips, light-headedness and collapsing. There is a section within the digital care file specifically for allergies and other useful information that you wouldn’t necessarily know from carrying out a physical inspection.

The information you record is clearly located at the bottom of each resident’s Personal Information page. Additionally, there is a Care Assessment section for known pharmaceutical allergies, and the results of this assessment are detailed in the Medication section of the Care Plan.

5. Policies & Procedures

To help you handle emergencies effectively in the moment, it’s essential to prepare for worst-case scenarios by reading up on what the best course of action is. Our Policies & Procedures feature includes a large library of documents that were sourced and compiled by our care sector experts. They are free to import directly into your CareDocs system and are fully customisable, so you can tailor them to your setting’s individual requirements.

Some of the policies and procedures you can access include guidance and advice for missing persons, COVID-19, fire safety, accident & incident reporting and infection control. You can also create your own documents and keep track of who has read them.

6. Emergency Admission Pack

The Emergency Admission Pack is a digital file containing various personal and health information, also featuring some of the items included above. It’s designed to be available at speed to help assist with an emergency event, and if necessary, to travel with the resident to a new location, such as the hospital. To help you get to it as quickly as possible, any pack is accessible in just two clicks with the option to print in a third.

An admission pack is made up of several pages. It displays all personal information, a photograph, physical description, placement address, GP name, NHS number, emergency contact details, and provides a space for handwritten admission notes. It also compiles an assortment of health information, like COVID-19 status, recorded allergies, and current medication.

You can also customise the pack to remove certain items, or add specific Care Plan sections to the final product. For example, you can choose to include the Care or Medical History, Mental Health or Mobility sections.

The importance of person-centred support

Good timing is critical when handling an emergency, especially in a life threatening situation. However, safety comes first to ensure no harm comes to any of the people involved. This is where having the correct information is fundamental. CareDocs supports the process by combining speed and accuracy, only supplying you with information that has been recorded about your residents from daily use.

This is just one reason, albeit an incredibly important one, why it’s crucial to keep a person-centred, detailed record of the service you provide. The information you enter may have multiple uses – it may help you improve care or comfort, or it may be a missing piece of a puzzle in understanding the best way to approach an emergency.

Get in touch

We do more than provide a digital care management software. We offer a full transitional service; from getting you set up, to supplying hardware and ongoing training and support. To learn more about CareDocs and how we can help you keep your residents safe, please call 0330 056 3333 or email SalesGroup@caredocs.co.uk.

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Originally published on December 8, 2020
Article updated on June 5, 2023

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