Access Care Planning uses a device's location to record where carers are when they start and end a visit, helping to ensure transparency and accountability in your care delivery.
We capture location information for all login methods: manual entry, QR code, and NFC tag. The accuracy of this location data depends on several factors and the method your device uses to determine its position.
How a location is determined
When a carer taps the Start or End button for a visit, the app captures the device's current GPS coordinates at that moment. The system then calculates the distance between the carer's location and the client's registered address, which is displayed on the Client Records Visit page.
⚠️ Warning: The phone user can also alter the location call. This is called spoofing and can be done by using developer tools or third-party apps. While some spoofing methods can be detected, not all are visible to the system.
The device uses the following methods to attempt to determine its location. These are in order of accuracy.
GPS
GPS (Global Positioning System) is the most accurate method.
Connects to multiple satellites.
Accurate typically within one meter.
Requires a clear view of the sky and GPS to be enabled.
WiFi or cell tower triangulation
If GPS is unavailable, the device uses nearby WiFi networks or mobile phone masts.
Accuracy varies.
WiFi — Generally within 20 to 50 meters.
Cell towers — Generally around 50 to 100 meters, depending on signal strength and number of towers.
IP address location
This is the least accurate, often within 10 to 100 kilometres.
Based on the location of the nearest internet-connected hardware, such as a server.
Can be unreliable and easily manipulated.
NFC tag verification and location distance
When a carer uses an NFC tag to start or end a visit, the verification works differently to QR code or manual entry — but the location recording works the same way.
The NFC tap itself confirms the physical presence of the device at the tag. The NFC tag content is recorded by the system. Separately, at the same moment the carer taps, the device captures its current GPS coordinates. The system calculates the distance between those GPS coordinates and the client's registered address and records this on the visit.
📌 Important: The distance displayed on the visit record reflects the GPS reading at the moment of the tap — not the proximity of the device to the NFC tag. NFC verification confirms physical presence at the tag. The GPS distance is a separate measurement and is subject to the same accuracy limitations as any other login method.
This means a carer can physically tap an NFC tag and the system may still record a non-zero distance. This is not an error. It reflects the accuracy limitations of GPS in the environment at that moment. Common causes of a non-zero reading despite physical presence include:
Indoor environments where GPS signal is blocked or reflected by walls and ceilings
The device switching from GPS to WiFi or cell tower triangulation due to poor satellite signal indoors
A brief delay between the GPS fix being acquired and the visit action being recorded
The client's registered address coordinates not exactly matching the location of the NFC tag within a building
If you are responding to a compliance query about NFC distance readings:
Step 1 — Confirm that the NFC tag content is recorded on the visit. If the tag content is present, the carer was physically at the tag when the tap occurred. This is the primary evidence of presence.
Step 2 — Review the GPS accuracy value recorded on the visit if available. A high accuracy value (larger number) indicates the GPS fix was less reliable at that moment, which explains a non-zero distance.
Step 3 — Check the environment. If the client's address is a building where GPS signal is consistently poor (a high-rise, basement, or rural property with weak signal), non-zero distance readings are expected and do not indicate the carer was not present.
Step 4 — If the distance recorded is significant (more than 100 metres) and the NFC tag content is absent, raise a support case with the visit ID, carer username, date and time, and a description of the concern.
Improve location accuracy
To ensure you record the most accurate location, check these items.
Enable GPS on your device.
Connect to WiFi when possible.
Ensure mobile data is active if WiFi is unavailable.