A new customer-focused digital care management solution that enables home care organisations to deliver better care has been developed by one of Australia's leading home care providers.
Following the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety handing down its final report, Five Good Friends has released the new software solution, Lookout, built on their experience operating a digitally enabled home care business.
CEO Simon Lockyer says "Lookout is the only digital care management platform built by care, for care. We believe it will transform the home care sector."
"Lookout is being launched at a time when transformative change is urgently required. Many recommendations contained in the Commission's final report will be only achieved through the adoption of technology and digital care management systems."
Lookout has been developed by Five Good Friends software engineers in Australia. Lookout has been developed over four years delivering 750,000 hours of care. Today it monitors over 15,000 monthly care visits to homes around Australia.
Mr Lockyer strongly supports the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety findings which emphasize that the home care sector must radically improve how care is delivered, measured and monitored. "The findings highlight a lack of transparency where families and informal carers are often excluded from knowing what is happening. Lookout solves these problems.
He singled out "Recommendation 68, the need for improved use and adoption of technology" that states "every approved home care provider delivering personal care or clinical care needs to use a digital care management system by July 2022."
"Lookout is ready and able, to provide the required expertise and supports care organizations of all sizes and in all geographies."
The Commission also recommended improved data on interaction between the health and aged care systems.
"This recommendation is critical to improving the experiences and care outcomes of older people as they move through the different care systems. When this recommendation is adopted, updates required to add a unique aged care identifier will be rapid and seamless, because Lookout is an Australian-made product."
"Other recommendations include providing specialist Telehealth services. Lookout supports telehealth workflows, rostering and appointments. Future integrations will enable video conferencing technologies as well."
Five Good Friends ambassador Ita Buttrose AC OBE said, "Five Good Friends and the Lookout software will allow older Australians to live better and happier lives in their own homes and in the communities, they love by empowering skilled and caring people with brilliant, easy-to-use technology."
"Mr Lockyer said the Royal Commission has shown a modern approach, that leverages technology and truly focuses on the needs of the customer is required.
"We believe that technology can help people perform better in their roles, dramatically improve the experience of the care recipient and ultimately, raise the quality of care."
By using Lookout, Five Good Friends has consistently received world class customer satisfaction endorsements from care workers, customers and their families, which has been instrumental in supporting its growth.
"We are excited to be able to offer other committed care providers the use of Lookout software. We want to partner with the sector by sharing our technology which is built on the experiences of managing our own care business.
"Lookout solves the challenges of running a modern and transparent home care business by focusing on three key areas - monitoring, collaboration and support," says Mr Lockyer.
"It uses clever technology to solve inefficiencies, enhancing the skills of frontline staff, keeping customers and their loved ones informed and in control."
Remote care monitoring, a centre-piece of the software, provides unparalleled oversight by detecting changes in a customer's health and wellbeing, and alerting care managers promptly. This enables staff to respond more quickly, adjusting care plans if necessary and notifying care workers, customers and loved ones.
Mr Lockyer said Lookout encourages collaboration across an organisation and between professionals. "The sector comprises many committed and caring people who go to work every day to make a positive impact but are being let down by their technology, tools and systems."
Lookout is designed with a value-based care philosophy which enables staff to operate at the top of their licence by getting the right information, about the right customer to the right skilled professional at the right time.
Mr Lockyer said the home care industry is at the frontline of an avalanche of scrutiny and change, and urgently needs to be supported.
"As a care business ourselves we understand that implementing new systems can be intimidating and difficult. The ongoing requirement to undertake audits and meet regulations mean change can't be taken lightly. Lookout provides a dedicated solutions team and administration tools to support customers from set up through to day-to-day usage."
"We understand the gaps, the issues and the need for change in order to fulfil the core mission – quality care for older people and others who need it."
Simon Lockyer and his co-founder, Nathan Betteridge, together with Tim Russell and David Waldie, started Five Good Friends in 2016 to address the challenges facing the home care sector.
Five Good Friends and Lookout are the result of a combined commitment to building social enterprises that address unmet consumer needs, underpinned by strong business practicality.
