The key to a great relationship is communication. At Five Good Friends, we know that high quality, transparent communication is essential to delivering high-quality home care.
Making sure that Members and loved ones are kept in the loop with the right information at the right time is a critical ingredient for long term success.
Our app facilitates transparent communication between the Five Good Friends Care team, Members, their loved ones, and Helpers, enabled through the key feature - Notebook.
What is Notebook?
The Notebook feature is a digital representation of a physical book often found in homes. It allows our Members, their loved ones and Helpers to stay informed all from within the app.
How is a Note created?
We know it is important that our Members and their loved ones are actively involved in the conversations regarding their own care.
A note can be created by a Five Good Friends Care Manager when they want to share information with a Member, their loved ones, or Helpers.
In the near future, the app will allow Helpers to use Notebook to share information with a Member, their family, or other Helpers. It is important that you use this time to make sure you are familiar with Notebook.
How can Helpers access a Member's Notebook?
Once an initial note has been shared, Helpers can view a Member's notebook at any time. To see notes:
Navigate to the "people" tab in the App or on the web browser and select the Member whose note you want to view
Click on the Notebook tab
Scan through the list until you find the appropriate note.
What kind of information is put into a note?
Care Managers share notes to deliver better transparency, peace of mind and deeper engagement. Stories, summaries, and instructions are shared, for example:
An Authorised Representative has requested a Helper check the Members blood pressure every visit. The Care Team will put in a note for Helpers to action this request.
The Care Team requires a Helper to set up an appointment for the Member.
The Member requires assistance with PRN medication and we will use Notebook to capture the support we provide.
How do Helpers know if a note has been shared?
Depending on how you've set up your notifications, you will receive a push notification or email alerting you when a new note has been posted.
If you don't receive notifications from the Five Good Friends app, please go to these support articles to turn notifications on for the app:
You are able to modify the types of notifications you receive in the app and can switch each individual notification by following the instruction links above.
Have you been receiving too many notifications?
We're aware that some Helpers are experiencing frustration at the large amount of notifications they're receiving about opportunities and subsequently turned notifications off to the app completely. However, it is important that you receive notifications about your Member's notebooks as critical information may be shared with you that you could miss otherwise.
Opportunities are managed in a different part of the app under your Helper menu > Availability. This is where you can set whether you want to receive these opportunities or not.
To stop or reduce notifications about opportunities, please follow these instructions: • How to define the types of opportunities you're interested in
Is Notebook the same as Checkout Notes?
Notebook and Checkout Notes are different, and both need to be finalised by the end of a shift.
Notebook is used to share information as identified on the Help Plan or as part of responding to existing Notes and can be completed within the visit. Checkout notes are your notes summarising your visit and any observations or concerns about the Member you wish to report to your the Care Manager and should be finalised after the visit.
Where can I find more information about Notebook?
Over the coming months, we will be providing developing the Notebook feature further so that Helpers and Members can be more involved in Notebook.
You can always find out more about the Five Good Friends app and other helpful advice online at the Five Good Friends Helper Information.
More Questions?
If you have any questions about how to use Notebook or other features and wish to speak to one of our team, please contact the Five Good Friends Customer Support Team on 1300 787 581 or email [email protected].