New Research Reveals Top Barriers to Adoption of Technology in UK Care Homes Today

A further 38% of care home managers said they don’t have the expertise in-house to effectively introduce new technology within their teams and that onboarding and training staff to use new systems was also a barrier. One fifth of care homes also cited that new technology doesn’t fit with their culture.

Recent research across hundreds of UK care homes* highlighted that staff happiness, productivity and aspects of resident care quality are being regularly side lined due to outdated process and lack of resource, but misconceptions around whether technology is a help or a hindrance to care home staff, is still proving a challenge.

Ollie Brand, CEO at Zupa commented, “We know from previous research that care home staff are often overstretched, underpaid and in many cases unhappy. We also know that care professionals are keen to have more time back in their day in order to improve job satisfaction, morale and delivery of care. Recognition that the right technology can help, is critical to creating positive change across the sector but despite this, many care homes are still failing to make the connection between outdated processes and the key concerns raised by care workers today.”

There are mixed views across UK care homes around introducing new technology as a means to improving day to day processes, with a quarter saying implementing new technology is not a priority; in contrast, over a third (38%) disagreed with this statement.

Brand added, “Interestingly this latest study has uncovered several misconceptions around the implementation of technology in care homes, and there are contradictory themes within the research which may suggest a knowledge gap around how technology can help staff as well as a failure to link some of the key concerns raised, with technology as a resolution. Can technology improve staff happiness by reducing admin and giving them back more time in their day? Can or will that in turn improve productivity and allow care workers to spend more time on delivery of care? With the care sector in such crisis there is a call for a new way of working and these are the questions care homes need to be asking.”

Top tech misconceptions identified from research:

• New technology is too expensive: the tech market has exploded over recent years offering systems of scale and size to suit companies of all sizes and budgets. The growth of SaaS (software as a service) has also seen a more modular approach to software procurement – where companies can choose different levels of tech investment depending on business need and budget.
• We don’t have the expertise to effectively manage implementation: the days of hosting on-site, lengthy implementation timelines and large tech teams to support are long gone. With SaaS, access to the software often means you require little more than a PC or tablet and a web browser, with set up taking days or weeks rather than months.
• We don’t have the expertise to train or onboard staff: many providers offer training options as part of their solution offering. Often, to keep costs low, a blend of online and face-to-face is offered, ensuring staff are fully equipped to maximise the ROI of their tech investment.
• Technology can’t solve issues with staff happiness and productivity: by streamlining admin, reducing pressure around manual processes and enabling quick visibility into operational detail, staff can not only do more, but also have more bandwidth to focus on the key delivery elements of their role, which tend to be more rewarding.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Survey independently conducted by Censuswide Ltd. between 6-11 May 2022 and commissioned by Zupa Ltd. Surveying 330 care home professionals including 100 care home managers across the UK and Northern Ireland. Questions were multiple choice, and in some cases respondents were asked to tick all that apply. Censuswide abides by, and employs members of the Market Research Society, which is based on the ESOMAR principles.