The mobile edge
Acredia boosts access to information and care
The mobile edge
Acredia’s mobile-first clinical software is transforming aged care delivery for residents and staff through interoperable technology and an openness to meet providers where they are.
The aged care sector in Australia is on the cusp of transformative reform. With the new Aged Care Act due to start on 1 November 2025, providers are reviewing systems to meet new compliance and personcentred care goals. In this evolving landscape, technology is a frontline enabler of better care outcomes.
A key driver of this transformation is mobile-first clinical software that gives frontline workers real-time tools to streamline operations, meet compliance, and spend more time with residents.
Among those doing just this is Acredia, a clinical management platform purpose-built for aged care. Founded in 2019 by health IT innovator Dr Charles Chang, Acredia is cloudbased, interoperable, configurable, and mobile-first.
A vision rooted in innovation Chang is no stranger to pioneering aged care technology. With a doctorate in IT, Chang has delivered innovations from PalmPilot-based care planning to early e-medication systems that made care easier to deliver and safer to document.
“Providers need a software partner that is across regulatory changes and responsive to their requirements,” he says. “No two providers are exactly the same. We don’t force a certain way of doing things upon them. We make our software highly configurable, simple to use, and easy for providers to
Acredia’s clinical management suite includes modules for CRM, HR, clinical care, quality, and maintenance, all integrated to eliminate silos and duplicative data entry. However, the standout feature is Care Direct – a Kate Billing
St Anna’s staff love the “ease of use to get the residents’ information”
(L to R:) Laxmi Ghimire, Jihu Wang, Athin Christou and CM Soithong
mobile app designed specifically for on-the-floor use by nurses and care workers.
Care where it happens
The Acredia Care Direct app turns any compatible smartphone into a point-of-care documentation and decision-making tool. Using NFC tags, QR codes or Bluetooth, staff can access profiles and record notes in real time. This reduces reliance on shared terminals and paper.
“Just because providers operate in a complex environment doesn’t mean their software should be complicated,” says Chang. “If anything, it should be the opposite.”
Care Direct supports AN-ACC reporting and quality tracking. Automation updates notes and follow-up tasks to ensure continuity.
Case
in point: Carinya Lodge
Carinya Lodge in the rural town of Korumburra in Victoria exemplifies the impact of mobile-first software. Carinya Lodge serves South Gippsland’s older adults with 60 aged care beds, 52 independent living units and 135 staff.
For over a decade, Carinya relied on a siloed legacy system. “If a resident had a fall, there were many different categories and buttons that we had to click on to initiate the incident and capture observations,” says Kate Billing, interim Co-CEO Clinical Services.
Attempts to use the mobile version failed due to its unreliability. Billing, who started as a clinical coordinator, knew frontline staff needed a system that worked with them, not against them.
After reviewing five platforms, Carinya selected Acredia. “Acredia stood out because it wasn’t just clinical software – it offered a complete system. We could reduce the number of platforms we were using,” Billing notes.
Implementation and impact
Transitioning to Acredia overhauled nearly all digital workflows. Despite the scale, staff embraced the change.
“They appreciated not having to compete for a computer at the end of their shift just to complete documentation,” says Billing. “Now I walk the floor and see staff talking with residents; not stuck behind a screen. That’s the biggest change – we’ve given time back to care.”
For one personal care assistant, the difference was stark. Previously staying late to finish notes, he now documents on the go and leaves on time without compromising care.
From a management perspective, the transformation has been equally significant. Dashboards show incidents, compliance and care activity as it occurs.
“If something happens on the floor, I see it instantly and can step in if needed,” says Billing. The system has also streamlined preparation of quality indicator reports, collating daily care data automatically.
Smart tags outside residents’ doors and the Acredia Care Direct app allow St Anna’s staff to get up-to-date information discretely
“No two providers are exactly the same.”
In addition to clinical benefits, Acredia’s app for residents and their relatives has enhanced family engagement – a priority for Carinya.
“When Acredia came along and the family app was included, we got very excited,” says Billing. “Families can see what meals residents had or what activity they attended. It makes phone calls and visits more meaningful.”
Living proof: St Anna’s
Another recent convert – St Anna’s Residential and Home Care – has seen these benefits at its 60-bed home in Brompton in Adelaide’s inner north since March.
The “ease of use to get the residents’ information” at the bedside and a system to complement other platforms were among the drawcards of Acredia, says Athin Christou, Manager of Wellness and Technology at St Anna’s.
“We started quite primitive here with our digital maturity and footprint and have quickly expanded and implemented a lot of different technologies,” he says.
The occupational therapist splits his time between managing allied health and technology, meaning he’s involved in both clinical and infrastructure elements of the rollout.
St Anna’s has gone with NFC tags because it is “easier and more cost-effective” for their situation, says Christou. Placed on residents’ doors, staff tap them to see and make notes about care.
“It’s quite impressive,” says St Anna’s Chief Executive Officer Amanda Birkin. “It’s just a tap and there’s the person’s care plan and care requirements.”
Christou echoes Billing’s comments about better documentation due to live information at the point of care and no lineups in nurses’ stations.
providing supervision, oversight, being present and having communication.”
It is also secure and discreet, adds Christou. Each staff member only accesses what they need; others see nothing.
He also highlights the single source of truth among key benefits for residents.
“It’s live, so if I change something on the system, a carer scanning to go into someone’s room is getting up-to-date information,” says Christou. “You’ve got a point of truth at your disposal in your hand.”
Customisation and support
Acredia’s configurability has also been key.
“Every aged care facility is different,” notes Billing. “We learned post-go-live how much we could tailor the system.”
Even during implementation challenges, Acredia’s support team was hands-on and responsive.
“Whenever something came up, I could submit a helpdesk ticket or speak directly with someone. It’s been a big process and continues to be – but absolutely worth it,” Billing says.
Acredia evolves with changing rules, says Birkin. “They will work with us to get it right.”
There’s no one-size-fits-all attitude, says Christou, who has customised forms to suit St Anna’s with Acredia’s support.
“Acredia is a custom fit to your organisation.”
Interoperability and scalability
Acredia is designed with modern integration in mind. Open APIs allow it to work with systems such as PainChek, Xero, and Epicor.
“We aim to be a strategic partner.”
the top attraction for St Anna’s because it addresses one of the provider’s biggest challenges.
“We want to move towards all of our providers working within one ecosystem so that the systems are talking to each other and we’re not having to double information,” says Christou.
By June, St Anna’s had completed one integration, was midway through another, with more to come.
“There’s a bit of work around that because you need to get the software providers chatting, but they’ve been openly working together.”
But the work is worth it, says Christou. He says the value of the already-completed integration involving the hospitality dietary and menu system is “huge,” including for risk mitigation.
“Now you’re not going into two different systems to try to find out a source of truth if they’re interlinked,” he says. “Food, clinical nutrition and hydration are linked so if a speech pathologist does an assessment and changes a directive, the system needs to be able to capture information and pull information so there’s one source of truth, and to mitigate those risks.”
It also supports kitchen operations because staff can know immediately what someone has ordered, for example, adds Birkin.
She says Acredia’s willingness to integrate is appreciated and important for St Anna’s.
“They’re open to allowing that integration so that it works for our business. That’s probably the important part because our business is not about software. Our business is about the care we’re delivering and the kitchen knows who’s in and who’s out for lunch, and how they have to alter the recipe.”
Staff at St Anna’s tap the doorbell tags to see and make notes about care
This culture ties in with Christou’s goals to build an ecosystem of systems that work together at St Anna’s.
“They recognise they’re good at what they do, and other people are good at what they do, and they’re allowing us to be creative and partner with the people that we want,” he says.
Christou points out that aged care is more than clinical and involves supporting residents’ whole life, which includes lifestyle, food and catering.
On how to reduce the risks, he says: “We can bring information to a centralised point.”
For Carinya Lodge, integration has improved data flow and reduced workarounds.
“Our next step is to expand internal communication by upgrading to enterprise mobile devices,” Billing adds, noting the current use of Oppo Android phones has already delivered strong results.
The platform is also scalable. With pricing accessible even to providers with fewer than 40 beds, Acredia is gaining traction across small and medium-sized organisations looking to modernise affordably.
Compliance without the chaos
As providers prepare for the Aged Care Act – with monthly care statements and stronger governance – Acredia positions itself as more than a vendor.
“We aim to be a strategic partner,” says Chang. “The new regulatory environment demands better data, faster insights, and clearer communication. Our job is to make that easier.”
Providers can generate and send statements with one click.
Care statements, email functions and the resident and family app are already in use or nearing rollout at St Anna’s. It is important to involve residents and families in the digital transformation, says Birkin.
“We are bringing our residents along for that technology ride with us,” she says. “The expectations of our residents now, even with the cohort that we have, is that they want access to that information straight away.”
As a result, Birkin says St Anna’s is educating them on smartphone use.
“That’s an important part of what Acredia does; opens it up for them as much as it does for us.”
Integration with My Health Record and streamlined quality reporting reduce spreadsheets and admin burden at St Anna’s, says Birkin.
“It’s not about replacing people,” she says, “it’s about being able to use that time to do other things.”
Looking ahead
With rising cyber risks, tighter reporting windows, and higher expectations, providers need tools that are functional and empowering.
Acredia’s mobile-first approach is proving to be exactly that. For providers like Carinya Lodge, the platform has transformed care delivery, communication, and resident connection.
“We’re very happy with the product. We wouldn’t be telling others to get on board if we weren’t,” says Billing. “Acredia has genuinely improved the quality of care we deliver.”
has also built a Higher Everyday Living Fee tab into Care Direct so staff can view items paid for and mark them as delivered.
This is a “very useful” feature that St Anna’s is looking forward to using in its implementation of HELF, says Birkin. “It gives you the reporting capacity to be able to do that. It’s another point of truth that is documented at the time.”
As the sector braces for its most significant reforms in decades, software like Acredia offers a path forward that is scalable and people centred.
Birkin adds it is nice to have a software vendor that listens to smaller providers.
“We are not a big, multi-site organisation but working with Acredia, we feel that we do have a voice in what we want.” ●
Acredia