Benefits of an Electronic Dietary Management System:

In general the areas that will be impacted in a positive way with an electronic dietary management system are:

Staff Efficiency: The food service department staff can spend a great deal of time with repetitive and clerical tasks that can easily and much more efficiently be performed by a software program designed to manage the needs of the nursing facility residents.

Resident Care: Because the food service staff has had the clerical and redundant functions all but eliminated, the time now exists to monitor and assist residents to ensure that their meal experiences are the most enjoyable they can be. Perhaps the most talked about subject by the residents with regard to the nursing facility are the meals. More attention to this aspect of the residents stay makes the conversation positive.

Reduced Costs: Because the resident information is more accurate and readable in a software program, this translates into better forecasting of products needed overall and specifically for each resident therefore resulting in less waste and spoilage.

Reports & Documentation: Information that was very difficult to obtain from a manual system is now readily available to assist with resident care, reducing costs, improving staff efficiency, as well as helping to avoid deficiencies.

Below are specific benefits of the electronic dietary management software:

• Production control means less waste and better cost control.
• Centralized repository of data means no more illegible handwriting, consistency throughout menus and tray tickets and a change one time generates it throughout the system.
• Reduced data entry and improved efficiency. Redundant clerical functions are reduced by the computer, leaving more time to handle resident’s specific needs and increasing staff efficiency.
• Disaster Recovery. Electronic data offers a valuable backup that allows the facility to get up and running more quickly.
• Discharge summary. Allows receiving facility to have a complete picture of the dietary needs of that resident.
• Report generators. Reports that are produced by an electronic system have a date tag. This date tag acts as a version control to help ensure the most current and accurate reports are being used.
• Nutritional analysis. Assists in the prevention of deficiencies and helps to ensure resident’s needs are met.
• Cost analysis. Ability to identify areas that are costing your operation the most per resident day.
• Remote access. Provides secure ability to access data offsite.
• Color plating. Allows the design of more eye appealing menus.
• Ability to track weights, allergies, medications, problems, goals, approaches, needs, likes, dislikes, etc…
• Electronic selective menu choices.
• Pre-warnings of possible deficiencies.
• Automatic label generation. No more hand writing labels for thickeners, fluids, tube feeds and nourishments.
• Improved resident interaction. Use a wireless tablet pc at the bedside.
• Security levels. Allows for assigned roles within the program.
• Recipe scaling. Save time and reduce waste based on your actual number of residents.

PRIME Services has developed an electronic dietary management system to handle all of your resident’s dietary needs. This program, Dietech can provide your long-term health care facility with the benefits above and more. For more information click here or email martib@primeservicesinc.com.