With an average growth rate of 2.2% and a revenue flow of $96.9 billion recorded between 2015-2020, it’s safe to say that the home care industry is among the fastest-growing and most lucrative. The coronavirus pandemic may have disrupted the sector a little bit, but the demand cycle isn’t expected to take a sharp downturn, thanks to the increased life expectancy and the popularity of aging in place at home.
Despite the enormous growth opportunities, agency owners still find it challenging to run their businesses better. For that reason, we’ve decided to enlighten our esteemed readers on how to get the most out of a private home care business. Please scroll down to learn about four actionable tips and tricks that will set you atop of this ever-expanding industry.
Establish and Maintain a Reliable Scheduling Software
You may have the best facility with state-of-the-art amenities, but without a reliable management system, clients may fail to appreciate your service delivery. You want to create accurate and timely visiting schedules for your clients, maintain detailed records about them, bill them appropriately, simplify caregivers’ payroll workflow, among other managerial duties.
Well, what’s a better way of actualizing these than investing in a reliable scheduling software like FirstVisit? With a team of well-trained caregivers, home care software is a sure way of assuring clients that they’ll be taken care of accordingly, without overlooking any task.
Scheduling software can create task reminders to keep you on top of your duties, track caregivers through the clock-in technology, keep you updated with reports like payroll and billing. And the results? You’ll be building a reputation as a dependable care business that pays great attention to details, be it billing correctly, timely caregiving, or scheduling visits.
Hire and retain the Best Caregivers
It is one thing to hire and recruit a qualified caregiver, but retaining them is an entirely different scenario. Attracting the best talents is a common challenge that many agencies face- not that there are limited opportunities for caregivers, but because many businesses don’t know how to optimize their recruitment process to streamline hiring. So, is there a way out of this?
For starters, you want to establish a fast and well-structured application and interview exercise to attract qualified candidates hassle-free. How have you structured the job openings, and do you update candidates on their application status quickly? Qualified caregivers will only apply for an opening if the application process is convenient and streamlined.
You also want to review your specific agency needs before diving into recruitment. What are you searching for in a candidate, and how can they add value to your ultimate goal? You want to ensure that the caregivers are equal to the task and relate to your agency’s mission and long-term vision.
Finally, you want to develop a recruitment funnel to help you figure out where you’re missing the mark and why most of your applicants aren’t showing up. It should include such metrics as the number of applicants (you’ve contacted and lined up for an interview), the offers extended, the recruits given their schedule, and those that report for their inaugural day.
By tracking these stats, you can see where you’re getting it wrong and revamp the whole recruitment process to get more qualified applicants from the interview to the offer stage. And on the question of retention, you can count on tools like home care scheduling software to improve your team’s overall satisfaction.
Keep Reliable Records
Ok, so you’ve successfully gathered information about your clients’ conditions, emergency contacts, billing reports, scheduling needs, and so on. The question is, where do all these crucial pieces of information go? A paper file? Probably not! Some things have been overshadowed by time, don’t you think?
You want to develop a reliable record-keeping procedure, not only for your team’s and clients’ relevant information but also for the history of their activities. This will keep the records well organized and easily accessible as and when needed.
Good news: with the help of home care management software like FirstVisit, you can easily centralize all the records in a secure and paperless manner. So you can retrieve critical client information quickly and without messing up the office. With crucial data like shift calendars, medication reminders, bill rates, and visit history at your fingertips, we see no reason why you shouldn’t run your home care business better.
Comply with State Licensing Requirements
Non-compliance or brushing shoulders with the law are the worst moves you can make as a business owner. To avoid any trouble, check with your specific residence state and obtain a home care agency license. Remember, failing to adhere to the proper guidelines may attract penalties and fines, which may take a toll on your reputation and growth.
But that’s not all; you also want to keep updated on upcoming license expiry that might disrupt your workflow. Imagine canceling all your clients’ appointments and closing the business temporarily to deal with the license renewal process because you didn’t set alerts to remind you of the same.
You can avoid all these by acquiring home care software with an alert system that will keep a pulse on your agency, enabling you to proactively meet crucial obligations. Aside from reminding you of the upcoming license recovery, FirstVisit’s alert system can also help you keep tabs on caregiver clock-ins and submitted reports.
Final Remarks
There you have it, folks. As long as you can establish and maintain a reliable management system, keep real-time records, attract and retain the best talents, and comply with state licensure dictates, you’ll be amazed by how easy it is to run a home care agency. Above all, your clients and employees remain at the heart of your business, and without them feeling valued or wanted, there would be no home care. So remember to treat them with understanding, compassion, thoughtfulness, and respect.
Are you ready to see your agency stand shoulders above the rest and attract more clients and qualified caregivers? The solution lies in investing in a feature-packed home care scheduling software, such as FirstVisit, that will simplify the most complex tasks and streamline every operation. Request a demo and see how we can help you today.
