UK start-up, Kuradocs, has announced a new online application, Liferaft, that helps elderly people and their carers to ease the administrative burden that comes with caring.
To meet the increasing demand for health and social care, the Government and NHS England are driving towards integrated services and more person-centred care, where individuals have much greater involvement in managing their own care.
Liferaft is a person-centred single system that supports integrated care by providing carers, GPs, nurses, social services, and physiotherapists with a single source of information which is managed by the person being cared for, or their carer.
The Liferaft portal brings together health, medical, emotional and social care information in a secure online platform, so that up-to-date information is available to everyone in the care circle.
Liferaft supports both the person being cared for and, crucially, the carer, by providing a single source of information on the needs, preferences and goals of individuals.
Integrated care is crucial to help meet the needs of the ageing population and more people living longer with complex conditions
Liferaft allows elderly people and their carers, to record not only health and medical data, but also social, emotional and support care information and is particularly useful when arranging respite care.
The comprehensive information stored in Liferaft can also be used to smooth the transition from home care to supported living, or a care home environment.
The ‘About Me’ section of the portal can be used to record a person’s favourite colours, clothing, tunes, foods and activities, or if they like hot drinks to be served in a particular way, or at specific times.
This can all be recorded within the Liferaft portal and securely shared with everyone within the care circle, while the calendar section helps with the management of appointments.
If a person’s condition changes overnight, such as a pressure sore appearing, or blood sugar levels increasing; carers can print off or directly and securely share a Liferaft update to alert others who are transporting or looking after that person, so they take additional care.
The portal can be accessed and updated on laptops, PCs and tablet devices, allowing information to be viewed anywhere where there is an Internet connection.
Nicola Murgatroyd founded Kuradocs to develop Liferaft after spending 28 years caring for her daughter, who was born with spina bifida.
She wanted to save people the time and pain of having to repeat personal information whenever another professional becomes involved in the care process.
At the heart of Liferaft is a secure database which has been developed over the past three years by the Kuradocs team.
Murgatroyd said: “There is a clear directive from the UK Government that care should transition to be person-centred and that we should move away from the 'treat and fix' model.
Liferaft enables everyone to manage their care and communicate their needs and supports new care models that are designed to ensure everyone gets the best co-ordinated care
“There are a host of health-related applications, but none integrate health, social, emotional and intellectual information and provide the care circle with an understanding of the whole person, as Liferaft does.”
“Integrated care is crucial to help meet the needs of the ageing population and more people living longer with complex conditions.
“Liferaft enables everyone to manage their care and communicate their needs and supports new care models that are designed to ensure everyone gets the best co-ordinated care.”
