Person Centred Software, which provides digital tools to improve the quality of life for people in social care, has partnered with Comentis in order to help care providers identify vulnerable patients and accurately assess their mental capacity.
Comentis provides an award-winning vulnerability assessment platform which helps to consistently and objectively identify at-risk individuals. Now integrated into Person Centred Software's Digital Care Planning System, the most widely used of its kind in the UK, care providers and other health professionals can use Comentis’ platform to assess patients’ mental capacity.
An estimated two-million people in the UK lack the mental capacity to make informed decisions about their health and welfare or their finances. Comentis’ platform will help to quickly and easily identify if a patient is at risk of reduced mental capacity, providing assurance that they possess the required level of understanding, retention, and evaluative skills required for crucial decisions relating to their own wellbeing. It also produces a full report, which can be downloaded and saved into the patient or service user's file, demonstrating that their needs have been appropriately considered.
Three kinds of assessment are currently available, these being consent to medication, consent to the use of bedrails and consent to the use of grab rails.
Person Centred Software CPO Andrew Coles said: “Supporting vulnerable people can be a complex task, with many needs that must be met in order for patients to lead fulfilling lives. Care providers in particular are challenged with supporting and keeping patients safe, all while avoiding the use of restricted practices, making sure they aren’t falling foul of legislation or negatively impacting the ability to make decisions. And with the LPS framework on the horizon, an even greater burden will ultimately be placed on care providers to demonstrate that they have also adequately assessed someone’s mental capacity.
“What we don’t want to see, however, is unnecessary restrictions placed on patients’ right to make decisions. For many, regaining – or at least maintaining – a level of independence is vital. Digital tools can help, making sure the best outcomes are delivered while protecting both residents and the people who support them. By bringing in Comentis’ expertise and innovative solution, we’re proud to be further enhancing our growing ecosystem and offering providers the best tools for the job. We are very excited to be launching this unique collaboration.”
