We’ve all noticed the decline in caregiver availability, the increase in turnover, and the extreme pressure to do more with less. It’s the direction of the home care industry, and turning the tide is out of our control. We cannot influence more caregivers to join the field. We cannot pause the influx of care recipients needing our services. But there are some things within our control that can greatly benefit how we overcome caregiver shortage. Let’s follow the 3 R’s:
Recruitment – These days we face a society that often asks, “what’s in it for me?” We have to be prepared to answer that question, so potential caregivers feel secure aligning their livelihood with our agency. What is in it for them? Consider the way you manage the day-to-day functions of their job and focus on simplifying every possible aspect. The less tedious work they have to think about, the more attractive it is to do the job itself. Allow them the opportunity to experience how rewarding it can be to provide care, without shouldering the burden of paperwork and manual operations.
Retention – It seems like changing jobs has become as frequent as changing clothes, but losing someone means hiring someone else, training someone else, and keeping someone else. It is both time consuming and expensive. So why not keep who you have? It can be that easy. Maintaining your workforce has become about keeping people happy, and actively attempting to make their jobs (and their lives) easier. The key is to listen to their pain points. Are their paychecks inaccurate? Do they feel they are not getting enough hours? Your agency has to constantly evolve to provide better solutions, which brings us to our next R: Replacement.
Replacement – Replacement means supplementing old processes with new ones and streamlining your business to do more with less. With the right tools, you can get more done without adding work, or employees. What are the most time-consuming aspects of each role at your agency? There is always a better way to do things, and new technology is leading the way. Do you need to bill faster? There is software for that? Do you need more in-depth scheduling tools? They exist. Change may be scary, but it is worth the transition to gain so much more time in your day. Invest in technology and transform the way you work for the better.
Each of these R’s comes down to one main idea: making things easier. Do a little research to discover how your agency can function more efficiently, thus become more attractive to caregivers, staff and recipients. Find the right tools and start doing more with less.