Grace House Residential Care Home in Farnham uses Docobo Remote Monitoring to enhance resident care and support staff

Grace House Residential Care Home in Farnham has been using the Docobo Remote Monitoring platform since 2022 to support and enhance the care provided to its 21 residents. As Grace House does not have nursing staff on site, the Docobo Remote Monitoring platform has proved to be an invaluable tool for team members if they have any concerns about residents to get the care they need for residents, particularly out of hours. 

The feedback from colleagues and family members has been really positive and Juliana Haddaji, Manager at Grace House Care Home says: ‘Docobo Remote Monitoring is really helpful and helps give care home staff advice or necessary escalation to the correct medical resource. It’s genuinely valuable to the team.’ 

This care home is part of the Frimley ICS remote monitoring deployment programme. 

Before using remote monitoring at Grace House  

Before using Docobo Remote Monitoring, although benefiting from strong support from the local GP surgery and district nurses, Grace House had to rely on phoning the surgery if they had concerns about residents, often facing long waiting times on the phone. These delays not only wasted staff time but could lead to prolonged resident discomfort and potential deterioration. The home wanted a solution that would allow them to monitor residents more closely and avoid unnecessary hospital visits, as hospital admissions can be distressing, particularly for elderly residents.

The adoption of remote monitoring at Grace House has proved to be an invaluable tool, enabling the team to access the medical support they need for residents, while empowering non-medically trained staff to manage resident care more efficiently.

Using remote monitoring at Grace House  

Grace House was invited to join the pilot remote monitoring programme, launched by Frimley ICS, by Dr Brown from Farnham Medical Practice who introduced the home to Docobo Remote Monitoring. The system provided an easier way to manage residents’ health, and the team at Grace House soon became proficient in using the system both for non-life-threatening emergencies and routine monitoring. Juliana Haddaji embedded the Docobo Remote Monitoring platform into the care home and has created ‘Remote Monitoring Champions,’ who help other colleagues feel confident in using the system. 

How remote monitoring works at Grace House

The staff at Grace House take regular readings of residents’ key vital signs, such as blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen levels, using Graphnet's platform. These are logged onto the device and the data is securely sent to clinicians at the East Berkshire Primary Care's (EBPC) clinical hub. 

EBPC’s Digital Health Service provides care homes with round-the-clock access to clinical support. This constant availability means that care homes no longer need to contact GP surgeries or dial 111 for support.

Alerts in the East Berkshire Primary Care (EBPC) Digital Health Service are displayed using a traffic light system based on severity, with red alerts indicating the highest priority. Red alerts are required to be addressed within two hours, but since care home alerts are given priority, they are typically actioned much sooner. This system ensures that the most urgent cases receive timely clinical attention

The care home team can easily track this information, ensuring that they are fully updated on residents’ health. The team uses the feedback from the clinician as part of evidencing remedial actions to external professional bodies such as CQC and safeguarding. 

Staff also take readings for each resident monthly as part of a “Resident of the Day” system, capturing baseline data. When there are health concerns, the team inputs the data into the Docobo Remote Monitoring system and awaits feedback from the clinical hub or the GP, who always respond promptly. Docobo Remote Monitoring allows the team to escalate concerns quickly when a resident is deteriorating.

Juliana says:

In one recent case, a new resident had severe delirium and confusion. When this was logged in the Docobo Remote Monitoring system, which was triaged by the clinical hub and escalated to the GP, from whom she received immediate attention. The GP provided necessary medication the same night, leading to a swift recovery. For our newer staff, the system has been a real asset, providing reassurance when dealing with more complex care situations. It’s great for those who aren’t medically trained but need a supportive system to guide them through.

Benefits of Docobo Remote Monitoring at Grace House

Faster clinical support: The ability to contact clinicians quickly through the system has significantly reduced the time it takes to escalate medical concerns. A faster response often prevents health conditions from worsening, avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions.
 
Improved Resident Care: The system’s ability to monitor and escalate issues has led to positive patient outcomes. The team avoided hospital admission for several residents thanks to fast interventions from GPs and hospital-at-home services, where residents received IV antibiotics and other treatments in the comfort of their familiar surroundings.

Empowered Staff: Even newer care staff feel confident using Docobo Remote Monitoring and Juliana and her Remote Monitoring Champion have ensured that all shifts, including night shifts, are equipped to manage the system, providing peace of mind that help is only a few clicks away.

Reduced Hospital Admissions: Grace House’s primary aim of avoiding hospital admissions is being achieved. Many of their residents, particularly those receiving end-of-life care, benefit from in-home treatments that maintain their dignity and comfort.

Excellent resident and family member feedback

Grace House has found that family members are reassured by the level of care their loved ones are receiving. Families are always pleased when they hear about the remote monitoring system and how it allows the team to provide swift medical attention without the distress of a hospital visit. ‘Hospital at home’ services have become a valuable resource, further improving the experience for residents and their families.

Juliana says:

It’s a really useful tool in the current climate, where it can be difficult to get a GP appointment. Remote monitoring is reassurance for people that their relatives are going to get the best possible care, while avoiding a hospital admission. Docobo Remote Monitoring has become an integral part of our care approach, and I truly believe it is enhancing the quality of life for our residents. It’s made a huge difference in how we manage health concerns and gives us the reassurance we need to provide the best care possible.

Alice Neville, EBPC says:

Huge well done to Grace House for embedding the remote monitoring so well. We are proud to support them with our Digital Health Service, which enables us to  support a larger number of patients than would be possible through traditional face-to-face care. Positive feedback from facilities like Grace House highlights the benefits and effectiveness of the service in enhancing patient care experiences.

Docobo Remote Monitoring has enhanced the way Grace House supports the care of its residents. With its user-friendly technology and efficient escalation processes, the care home has been able to significantly improve resident health outcomes while empowering its team to manage medical concerns effectively. The remote monitoring system has not only reduced hospital visits but has also saved time, reduced anxiety for staff and provided peace of mind to families.