Elderly homes turn to new software to ease burden on workers
Japan's elderly care sector is grappling with a severe shortage of workers. As the job recruitment campaigns ramp up, one home operator is automating technology in the back office to help ease the strain on staff.
Sompo Care runs 450 facilities across Japan. A common complaint from its employees is that administrative tasks take up too much time -- distracting them from their main job of caring for the elderly.
This month, the operator introduced new software to handle the paperwork -- starting with staff rosters. Employees submit desired times and days off via their smartphones. The system then takes over and automatically creates the shift schedule.
Managers report that a job that used to take 10 hours a month can now be done in minutes. That allows workers to focus on caring for residents.
Saito Shota, care home director, says: "Creating shift rosters used to take up a lot of our time. Now it's possible to spend that time on staff and residents."
Major trading house Sumitomo Corporation developed the software service. It aims to introduce it to about 30 percent of nursing facilities across the country.
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