What is the Best VOIP Phone System for Care Homes?

How To Enhance Care Home Communications With VoIP

Care homes and healthcare providers offer a vital service to individuals and families dealing with the struggles of old age and related conditions, such as dementia. Which is why seamless communication and phone management that allows teams and customers alike to stay in touch is essential. This goes beyond simple voice calls. Today, it could mean video appointments and conferences. Plus, the need to securely send patient information. 

Due to the sensitive nature of health and wellbeing-related information that’s shared within care homes, members of staff must be able to share and access such information, quickly and easily. If medical information is lost in transit, this could cause disastrous results for residents. VOIP phone systems are a reliable solution to solve communication issues within care homes. However, with so many to choose from (and more pressure to switch to VOIP with the upcoming ISDN switch off), it can be hard to know what is the best VOIP phone system for care homes.

So how do you choose?

We’re going to shine a spotlight on the best business phone system to enhance communications for organisations in the care sector. 

Top VOIP Phone Systems For Care Homes

MiVoice Business

The Mitel MiVoice Business solution is a great option for care homes wanting to bring all of their communications together, in a system that’s easy to use. You can mix and match your package, so your care home only uses the services it needs, with no excess spending on needless applications whatsoever.

Whether your care home uses smartphones, tablets or laptops, the Mitel MiVoice application is simple to install. This also means it’s easy for staff who work on different devices to communicate with each other effectively without delays. For example, a member of staff working on a mobile phone in one area of the building may need to send information to another member of staff working in another area of the building urgently, but that member of staff only has a laptop to hand. If they’re both logged into Mitel’s system and both have an internet connection, the contact will be instantaneous, with any files or details being transferred with ease. It can also be accessed from other devices, like desktop phones, so you can still take advantage of the technology you already have.

It’s also a great solution if you want your VOIP phone system hosted in a specific place, as Mitel gives you the option to host the system on-site or off-site with its secure Cloud infrastructure.  Hosting off-site is a good option for care homes, to free up space and reduce the stress associated with managing the communications solution in-house.  Security is a top priority for Mitel. Your system will stay up to date with the latest software and defence, so your information and the information of your residents will be kept safe. The Mitel MiVoice Business subscription allows you to spread the cost of your service with a simple, easy-to-grasp monthly bill.

There is a lot of expenditure involved in care homes, with many different costs like new equipment disappearing from the business bank account daily. So, it can become confusing to figure out exactly where the money is going for every payment. MiVoice Business is billed within a single, simple payment that encompasses all the essential communication methods you need, making your monthly statement far easier to digest.

A great all-around business communications system that can be accessed across a range of devices and unifies a range of communication methods within one system. 

8×8 X Series

Another fantastic cloud phone system for care homes, the 8×8 X-Series combines voice, text, video and chat seamlessly. Whichever licence option you choose for your care home, you’ll have access to desktop and mobile solutions. You can communicate with callers and each other wherever you are, making remote working simple.

Both new and temporary staff members arrive at the care home regularly and sometimes it can be difficult to keep new starters connected with their colleagues. 8×8 also makes adding new users quick and easy, without the need for overly-technical processes you’d find with traditional phone systems, saving you time and energy. Any staff members joining your team will be added to your system with ease, so there’s no risk of any of them missing an essential call or update.

Those seeking versatility in their communications will be more than satisfied with 8×8, as it’s very easy to integrate into your current systems, so you won’t need to make a business-wide replacement and potentially lose data. If you ever encounter an issue, 8×8 is renowned for its 24-hour worldwide customer support, so you’ll never be stuck with a technical problem whatever the time of day. 

For example, if there was a situation at your care home in the middle of the night, and you begin to experience issues with your system, you’d usually have to wait until morning to be able to speak with someone. However, with 8×8, you’ll be able to reach out to a technical expert whenever you encounter a problem, whatever the time of day, so you can always be prepared to deal with technical issues in the face of an emergency. 

Understanding VOIP Phone Systems For Care Homes

VOIP systems don’t rely on old copper wires like the existing phone network. Instead, they use an internet connection and cloud technology to convert analogue voice signals into digital signals. As VOIP works over the internet, it’s capable of handling much larger amounts of call data, which means cloud-based phone networks offer an all-in-one communications solution, incorporating voice, video, text and messaging into a simple, easy-to-use system. 

Benefits Of Using VOIP in Care Homes

Easy Communication Between Staff

Whether it’s making phone calls, sending emails or instant messages or joining a video conversation, your care home staff will be able to communicate in the way that works best for them using a VOIP phone system. As VOIP incorporates every communications channel under one system, staff can instantly switch between call types without terminating the original call.

For example, two members of staff could start on a voice call, then invite a third person and switch to a video conference with screen sharing to discuss a resident, without starting a new call. This can save a lot of time switching between apps and makes your team far more productive, meaning improved care for residents. Plus, because all staff members will have access to the same system, everyone will be kept up-to-date, simultaneously, on developments that are relevant to them.

Cost Effective Communications 

One of the driving factors in many care homes choosing VOIP phone systems is the cost-saving element. VOIP phone systems are a far more cost-effective communications solution when compared to traditional phone systems. This is because traditional phone systems are expensive to set up and maintain. Each phone needs an individual line running from a street cabinet directly into the phone (which is expensive to do if it involves digging the street up to install the line). The essential nature of the work carried out by care homes means you can’t afford to have downtime or lose contact between staff and residents’ families.

With a VOIP phone system, you wouldn’t need to worry about this. If there are ever any issues, these can usually be resolved quickly by your VOIP provider off-site. So you can get on with your crucial work faster, once everything is back up and running. You also won’t need to spend a fortune on multiple subscriptions for different communications services, like video chat and messaging, because VOIP phone systems bring everything together in one app, helping you to save money.

Increased Reliability

Copper wires that host traditional phone lines are more susceptible to damage or interference, making them less reliable.  If someone is performing maintenance work nearby and they accidentally cut your phone lines, you’ll face a significant period of downtime before everything is up and running again. During that downtime, you’ll have very limited connectivity with your fellow staff members. You’ll also be reliant on the competence and speed of the engineers fixing the issue – something you have no control over whatsoever. As VOIP doesn’t rely on copper wires you will stay completely connected in the event of a technical mishap like the one described above. Plus, most VOIP issues can be solved by your provider in a matter of minutes.

It’s Scaleable

As your care home team grows, new starters will need to be added to your communication network. This means new accounts for communication channels, like email, will need to be set up  every time someone new joins your team. This can be confusing in the beginning as everyone is expected to adapt and remember the new details. You may even need to install new phones around the building – another time-consuming and expensive measure.However, with VOIP phone systems, expanding your current comms is as simple as adding more users to your current subscription. New starters will receive their own username and password to log into your system, at which point they’ll be good to go. It’s that easy.

Key Features To Look For In A VOIP Phone System

Call Recording And Monitoring

Along with keeping track of key information, call recording and monitoring options are necessary security steps for your care home.

Call Forwarding And Transfer Options

Ensure calls always reach the right people within your care home with reliable call transfer options.

Integration With Existing Systems

You don’t want to onboard a communications system that causes issues with systems you already have in place, like your current data centre. That’s why many VOIP phone systems work alongside your existing software, rather than replacing it entirely.

Auto-Attendant

There’s not always someone available to answer the phone when your care home is busy, which is why auto attendants are so convenient. They’re automated call answering systems that ask your callers’ questions, so they can be transferred to the correct people or be placed on hold until someone becomes available.

Voicemail-To-Email Functionality

Your care home may receive an abundance of voicemail messages from residents’ families or other callers, which you’ll need to keep track of. Luckily, you can take the legwork out of this by using voicemail-to-email functionality, which automatically transcribes your voicemails and sends them to you in an email, so all your messages are kept in one place.

Speak To Elite Group About VOIP Phone Systems Today

At Elite Group, we have decades of combined experience helping a wide range of businesses find the best phone system that works for them. If your care home needs a new way to communicate and you’d like to explore the advantages of VOIP, get in touch with Elite Group today.