You don’t have to be a tech savvy person to know that the world of software has become more diverse, complicated and expensive than ever before. This is especially true for those in the residential care business, who must keep their residents safe, entertained and informed. To make decisions about what software might work best for you and your residents, it’s worth exploring all of your options beforehand. We’ve put together this list of tips to help you find the software that best meets your needs with minimal effort on your part.
- ANDROID APPS
Don’t believe the hype. This is true of many different software solutions. The only real benefit that you’ll get from an Android app is the portability to which it can give your residents. If you’ve heard about movie apps, or maybe some kind of new social media or media app, by all means try them. But other than that, don’t consider these as your main option for technology in your home. The truth is that most apps are not designed for a care home setting and are more expensive and confusing than they need to be.
- WIRELESS INTERNET
Wireless internet offers many advantages over other types of internet connections. It’s cheaper, it’s more secure, you don’t have to deal with cables when you need to move residents, and residents can play computer games online (unless you block them!). However, we recommend against wireless internet as a primary option for your home. It can be expensive, unreliable, and there are many hoops that you must jump through to get this type of connection set up in your home.
- SMART COMPUTERS
You should seriously consider getting a smart computer for your home if you have one resident with low vision or mobility issues and several who need constant monitoring. These computers are designed for the elderly, and have large touch screens and cameras on them so that disabled residents can see what’s going on around them. Some smart computers even have voice-control capabilities so that a resident can tell you what they need or want, simply by speaking to you. It’s imperative that you purchase your smart computer from a reputable company, as there have been many stories of smart computer scams out there. Here is some information to consider about this new trend in home technology:
- COMPUTER ENHANCEMENT OR EMERGENCY SERVICES
Many of the so called “emergency” notifications on almost every computer software package actually alert you to the wrong person when they really need help. This software also has an alarm system built into it, but it’s usually not very useful. If you purchase any kind of emergency notification software, or any kind of computer enhancement services, be sure to understand how they work and how reliable they are.
- SPEECH-TO-TEXT SOFTWARE
If you have several residents with dementia in your home, then speech-to-text software is something that you should consider purchasing. It will take the word out of the hands of your residents and protect you from many different kinds of abuse. This software is also great for residents who have difficulty speaking, or who are always asking you to repeat yourself when you speak to them.
- A VOICE RECOGNITION SYSTEM
Voice recognition systems are another good option for many elderly people, especially if they have mobility issues and cannot easily use a computer keyboard or mouse. A voice recognition system can be used in conjunction with an IP phone or a smart computer (see above), and will allow your residents to give commands to their computer instead of using a keyboard or mouse. Here’s some information about voice recognition software, in case you’re interested.