The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about several communication challenges for nursing homes, making it difficult for them to provide quality care to their residents. One of the most significant challenges faced by nursing homes is limited visitation, which has resulted in social isolation and loneliness among residents. Additionally, remote consultations with healthcare professionals have become the new norm, posing a challenge for both the healthcare providers and the patients.
Another communication challenge faced by nursing homes is maintaining effective communication between staff members and residents. With limited face-to-face interactions due to social distancing measures, it becomes crucial to find alternative ways of communicating with each other. Fortunately, video conferencing tools were deployed to address these communication barriers successfully and have now become an important technology tool for forward-thinking care centers. Using video conferencing, care providers can ensure that nursing home residents receive the care they need while maintaining their mental and emotional well-being during challenging times.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing homes have had to adapt to new ways of providing care while keeping residents and staff safe. As mentioned, one solution that has remained increasingly popular is video conferencing. Video conferencing solutions in nursing homes offer a range of benefits post-pandemic, including virtual family visits, telemedicine consultations, staff training, and more.
Virtual Visits Bring Joy to Residents
Virtual family visits have become a lifeline for many residents who are unable to receive in-person visits from loved ones due to restrictions on visitors during the pandemic. With video conferencing solutions, residents can connect with their families and friends in real-time from the safety of their rooms. While the recent pandemic was instrumental in bringing this technology into care homes, research has shown that social connection continues to be important for seniors in long-term care. Video conferencing continues to be a vehicle for ongoing connection among seniors in care facilities and their families, allowing family members who are geographically distant to become more involved in their loved ones’ lives. In addition, it allows family members who are ill to still connect with their loved ones in care facilities without the fear of passing on their illness and compromising their loved ones’ health.
Telemedicine consultations are also made possible through leading-edge video conferencing solutions. This allows doctors and healthcare professionals to remotely diagnose and treat patients without having to physically be present in the nursing home. The ability to get the opinion of geographically distant experts quickly and cost-effectively enables care homes to expand their range of services and increase quality of care. In fact, research has concluded that this type of treatment process can add value to the healthcare experience and even improve patient outcomes.
Staff training is another area where video conferencing solutions can be beneficial. By using these tools, nursing home staff can receive training remotely without having to leave the facility or bring in outside trainers. Experts can conduct training from afar and collaboration among trainers and staff is simple — and personal — using videoconferencing tools. Costs are reduced by eliminating the cost of travel, per diem, and other expenses associated with bringing in trainers to a facility and staff that are unable to attend can even dial in from home or a remote location to stay informed.
Video conferencing has been — and continues to be — an important part of improving healthcare outcomes and quality of life for residents in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. But to get the most from this technology, you want to be sure that you have the right system for your needs. That’s where Blue Technologies comes in.
At Blue Technologies, we have a wide range of video conferencing tools and technologies that we can use to create a system that is custom-tailored to the needs of your nursing facility. By using your current infrastructure and getting a clear understanding of your needs and challenges, our team of communications experts can assist your facility in creating a video conferencing solution that will bring connectivity, collaboration, and better care outcomes to the table.
Elevate your care facility’s outcomes today. Contact a Blue Technologies consultant to learn more about our video conferencing solutions.