PointClickCare and Family Communications in LTC: What We Can Learn

December 23, 2025 | Varsha Chaugai

PointClickCare is highly visible in the long-term care (LTC) and skilled nursing facility (SNF) space. It consistently ranks as a leading EHR vendor in this sector. PointClickCare has structural advantages, as it has scale, deep penetration, and existing relationships with LTC communities.

However, when it comes to family‑facing communication and family portals, there is far less documented evidence. The challenges and user sentiments in LTC settings offer insight into why adoption of “connected care” features is uneven.

While there is little direct review of “Connected Care” as a standalone family portal, user feedback on related features, messaging tools, and general PointClickCare usability provides clues about the strengths and weaknesses in family communications.

Strengths & potential enablers

• Secure Conversations/Messaging Modules: PointClickCare offers a messaging module called Secure Conversations, designed for encrypted, resident‑specific messaging among care team members. In LTC settings, this builds a core capability: secure messaging with audit trails.
• Ease of Use in Clinical Workflows: Some users praise PointClickCare’s general usability for LTC and SNF workflows. A platform that is usable by staff is a necessary (though not sufficient) condition for enabling family‑facing modules.
• Strong Brand Presence and Ecosystem Integration: Because PointClickCare is already implemented in many Skilled Nursing/LT-PAC homes, adding or enabling family communication modules may not require new vendors or standalone integrations.

Weaknesses, user frustrations, and barriers to adoption in LTC

• Low visibility and engagement: Transparent's Connected Care or family-portal modules are rarely discussed in user reviews, suggesting many staff or families don’t see or use them.
• Lack of family-user feedback and public reviews: The absence of robust family-side reviews implies adoption is limited.
• Messaging/app usability problems: App-level friction points (login hassles, no push notifications, poor interface) affect responsiveness. One user noted, “I have to log in each time, and there's no way to know about new messages on my iPhone.”
• Staff resistance & burden: Staff often express frustration with broader PCC workflows. One CNA commented, “Takes practically 1/6th of your time on shift to chart for a day.”
• Delayed or limited data exposure: Facilities may restrict what families can view due to privacy or legal concerns, limiting portal value.

1. No clear accountability or ownership: Family communication often falls outside core nursing or IT roles, so portals become “optional” features that nobody drives.
2. Insufficient onboarding and promotion: Families may never be introduced to the portal. Without orientation, training, or encouragement, many will never sign in.
3. Perceived redundancy: If families continue to call staff despite having portal access, staff may view the portal as redundant rather than helpful.
4. Technical burden & performance issues: App usability problems, login friction, or slow loading become barriers to consistent use in high-pressure settings.
5. Risk aversion and feature restriction: LTC facilities may limit what data is shown to families out of concern for misinterpretation, liability, or privacy. That caution reduces portal utility.

• Measure family portal usage explicitly: Track logins and message volume to understand user behavior.
• Deploy engagement-first features: Push notifications and summaries encourage regular usage.
• Train staff and integrate into workflows: Include portal use during daily care routines.
• Pilot selectively and iterate: Start small, refine, and expand with lessons learned.
• Consider complementary tools if gaps exist: Tools like Engage⁺ may offer better functionality and ease of use for families and staff.

PointClickCare’s Connected Care portal has potential. It’s integrated, widely available, and offered at no extra cost to facilities already using the EHR. But intention doesn’t equal impact. Adoption remains low, and many facilities report families don’t use or value it.

Engagement, usability, accountability, and trust are key. Without timely updates, staff support, and family interest, portals go unused.

Platforms like Engage⁺ were built to fill this gap—designed from the ground up for LTC workflows, family empowerment, and reduced staff workload. If you're evaluating Connected Care, ask yourself: Does it solve your communication problems—or just check a box?