Does PointClickCare Have Staff Messaging?
What PointClickCare actually offers for staff and family communication, where Secure Conversations and Automated Care Messaging stop, and how to add two-way messaging.
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The short answer
PointClickCare offers Secure Conversations for staff-to-staff messaging and Automated Care Messaging (ACM) for outbound family notifications. Secure Conversations does not include families or residents. ACM sends one-way, template-based notifications over SMS, email, or voice — families cannot reply. ACM is a paid add-on. PointClickCare holds approximately 60 percent of the senior living EHR market, which means this limitation affects a very large number of communities.
Capability comparison
BloomText vs PointClickCare
| Capability | BloomText | PointClickCare |
|---|---|---|
| Two-way SMSStaff reply by secure chat via SMS | Included | Not included |
| Group threadsMultiple staff in one conversation | Included | Not included |
| Broadcast messagingReach all staff at once | Included | Not included |
| Family textingText families directly by SMS | Included | Not included |
| Staff app messagingStaff message through a dedicated app | Not included | Included |
| Automated notificationsOne-way updates to families | Not included | Included |
| Self-serve pricingPublished rates, no sales call needed | Included | Not included |
| No long-term contractMonth-to-month, cancel anytime | Included | Not included |
What PointClickCare actually offers
Secure Conversations is staff-to-staff messaging within PointClickCare. Nurses, administrators, and care staff communicate about residents without leaving the platform. It is internal — families and residents are not part of these conversations.
Automated Care Messaging (ACM) is a paid add-on that sends outbound notifications to families. These are template-based, one-way messages about resident updates, events, and care changes. Families receive them by SMS, email, or voice call. ACM is not conversational — families cannot reply to the message and exchange follow-ups with the care team.
Where it falls short
Secure Conversations is staff-only. ACM is one-way. There is no channel where staff and families have a two-way conversation. There are no group threads where a nurse, director of nursing, and family member share a resident update. See HIPAA messaging for senior living for what compliant communication requires.
Communities that need to coordinate between staff — charge nurses, floor nurses, directors of nursing — also find that Secure Conversations does not replace the need for fast group messaging that works on personal devices. Staff on the floor need their phone, not a desktop terminal.
Why this matters for senior living communities
With PointClickCare holding roughly 60 percent of the market, this gap affects the majority of senior living communities. Staff default to personal group texts for floor communication. Families call the front desk repeatedly because they have no digital channel for quick updates. The compliant tools exist but do not serve these jobs.
What to look for in a complement
A messaging tool that works alongside PointClickCare should handle two-way staff group messaging and two-way family communication. Families should participate over SMS with no app. Staff should be able to use their personal devices without PHI ending up in personal apps. A signed BAA should cover the messaging platform.
How BloomText works alongside PointClickCare
BloomText gives senior living communities group messaging for staff (by unit, shift, or role) and a dedicated number for family texting. Families receive secure links over SMS and reply from their phone — no app download. Staff communicate through BloomText on their personal devices without resident information ending up in personal text threads.
PointClickCare stays the clinical record. Secure Conversations stays the staff chat within the EHR. BloomText handles the group messaging and family communication that PointClickCare's tools do not cover.
Every plan includes a signed BAA, including the free plan. See pricing for current plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
- No. Secure Conversations is staff-to-staff messaging only. Families and residents are not part of these conversations.
- No. ACM sends one-way, template-based notifications. Families cannot reply and have a conversation.
- No. ACM is a paid add-on to the PointClickCare platform.
- Yes. PointClickCare remains your clinical record. BloomText adds two-way staff group messaging and family texting over SMS.
- No. Families receive secure links over normal SMS and reply from any phone.
Does PointClickCare Secure Conversations include families?
Can families reply to Automated Care Messaging?
Is Automated Care Messaging included with PointClickCare?
Can I use BloomText alongside PointClickCare?
Do families need to download an app?
Sources
Last verified August 27, 2026.
