Nursing homes and assisted living centers are under a lot of operational stress right now, financially and otherwise. Managed IT can help alleviate some of this stress by taking over the critical area of network and computer systems management, freeing up resources for care. 

The best part is that Managed IT can actually help reduce costs...which is important right now with nursing homes, assisted living centers, and retirement communities under the gun financially.

Challenges Facing Nursing Homes Regarding Cost of Care Post-COVID

In March 2022, the American Health Care Association (AHCA) released a sobering report about the financial fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic on American nursing homes. The bottom-line bad news is that on average, operational and care costs are greatly exceeding reimbursement rates. The projections aren’t good: a potential negative 4.8 percent margin on average.

This bad news is compounded by a major staffing crisis, and occupancy levels are down since the pandemic as well. 

If costs become unmanageable, this can negatively impact care quality. And this means poorer quality healthcare for seniors and the disabled. 

There’s more bad news: The private nonprofit National Academies published a 604-page report in early April 2022 about the state of the nursing home industry in the United States.

The National Academies warned in this report, “the way in which the United States finances, delivers, and regulates care in nursing home settings is ineffective, inefficient, fragmented, and unsustainable.”

What can be done to improve this situation? The good news? Managed IT can help. 

How Managed IT Can Help Reduce Costs for Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities

Despite the bad news for nursing homes, assisted living centers, and retirement communities, help is on hand. Managed IT can help reduce costs, increase productivity, and enhance care quality.

What is Managed IT?

Managed IT (aka Managed Technology Services) is a way to have your IT needs taken care of without having to hire on a whole new in-house IT team. With Managed IT, a qualified third-party vendor like Blue Technologies takes care of your IT systems and networks for your business. 

Save Money on Staff Resources

One of the main benefits of working with a managed IT solutions provider is that your business or organization can save costs on staff resources. Instead of having to onboard and hire more in-house IT personnel, you can rely on a whole team of certified experts at Blue Technologies. Our tried-and-true tech team will be there for you, 24/7 if need be, to make sure that your networks are secure from cyberattacks, and that your computer systems are up to date with the latest software.

Protecting Nursing Homes From Cyberattacks

Speaking of cyberattacks, don’t assume that a nursing home isn’t a valuable target to a hacker. Health care organizations are being increasingly targeted by ransomware attackers and malicious actors, who could potentially sell patient data to the highest bidder. It’s extremely important to make sure that nursing home and assisted living computer networks are highly secure and firewalled.

Maintaining Regulatory Compliance with Managed IT

Compliance is a big issue for nursing homes, which must abide by federal regulations on health care providers regarding privacy and other patient needs. We keep up with all of the regulatory requirements such as HIPAA for you, and make sure that your computer systems are up to snuff.

Managed IT Means Improved Workflows

We can also improve workflows through innovative technology solutions such as document management and enterprise content management. 

Managed IT for Nursing homes, Assisted Living Facilities, and Retirement Communities

In order to survive and thrive, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and retirement communities will need to be both creative and strategic in reducing and managing costs. Fortunately, Blue Technologies can make a significant difference by offering extremely cost-effective Managed IT services. A customized Managed IT solution can reduce stress on your care team by taking care of your computers and networks. Our certified technicians can manage and monitor your networks 24/7, ensuring consistent uptime and robust cybersecurity.

Nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and retirement communities already have a lot of challenges – don’t let technology be yet another concern. Blue Technologies can help with Managed IT. Contact a Blue Technologies consultant to schedule a comprehensive IT assessment today.