Before the Internet was so efficient and prevalent in people’s daily lives (both at home and in the workplace), client-side applications made a lot of sense, especially for assisted living communities. All data was stored in-house, and computers didn’t need to be hooked up to internet in order to access information. However these days, it’s difficult to find a location where people can’t check email on their desktop, let alone browse the web using mobile devices on WiFi or mobile data. With that worry eliminated, modern users have been freed up to access all the additional advantages of web-based software.
When using software to store vital information that pertains to a person’s well-being, like medical records, daily care plans, and emergency documents/contacts, there are many factors to consider when making a decision.
What are the benefits of web-based assisted living software?
- Easy to access: Almost every single device used in our daily activities — desktops, laptops, tablets and smart phones — already has everything needed to access a web-based application. The only thing needed is an internet browser, like Google Chrome or Internet Explorer, and it’s ready to go.
- Unlimited devices: There are no limits to how many devices a web-based app can be used on. An administrator can run a report in the main office while a caregiver goes from room to room with an iPad, visiting residents and providing care, with no extra effort or cost.
- Real-time updates, accessed from anywhere: On web-based products, management companies no longer need to wait for data to be emailed from a various sources to generate statistics on the whole company. Owners, operators and administrators can access information remotely, check in on the performance of staff, and even receive email and text alerts related to incidents and medications.
- Security: Cloud-based applications host records in one or multiple secure data centers, and perform regular backups to ensure everything is up-to-date. This type of software also offers additional security when it comes to accessing and editing sensitive records, using audit logs to track changes, unique username and passwords for all individuals, and even key cards assigned to each staff member to ensure all information stays within the facility.
- Maintenance: Any upgrades or bug fixes on web applications often come every few weeks, and are usually built into the established price. If something stops functioning the way it should, and is preventing the user from doing their job, engineers can push out a fix much quicker and easier– sometimes even as soon as the same day.
Are there challenges of using a Web-based assisted living software?
- Requires constant internet connection: Many users worry about being prevented from accessing important resident data and performing their jobs in the event the building’s internet goes out. To get around this restriction, many businesses invest in wireless hotspots, like those sold by Sprint and Verizon. These WiFi hotspots and data cards are extremely reliable, easy to come by, and provide peace of mind in the event internet is lost. And with web based applications optimized for use on tablets and smartphones, the 3G and 4G mobile data connectivity can save the day in urgent situations.
- Rendering can vary between browsers, so troubleshooting might be difficult: Make sure that you always have the latest browser…preferably something like Google Chrome that automatically updates. This will make it easier for the software company’s support team to help you when issues arise.
Web-based software provides more upgrades, easier access to newer interfaces and up-to-date information, and unlimited use on all devices.
You can see more about the benefits of ALIS, one of the assisted living industry’s leading web-based software platforms, by visiting the ALIS Benefits Page.