Retaining those hard to find caregivers has always been one of the most difficult tasks for many home care agencies. Caregiving has become a staffing concern in the U.S. due to a rise in the aging population partnered with a dwindling selection of good quality workforce.
To become a well-respected and established home care agency, prioritizing the value of excellent caregivers is critical. Diligence and competence are hard characteristics to find in workers nowadays, and hiring fees are going up considerably.
With competition expanding, your home care agency will want to get its foot in the door of opportunities before you’re left empty-handed.
Improving salaries, requiring additional training, and being mindful of the quantity of clients assigned to caregivers, are realities of today’s caregiving industry. The entire field of caregiving is experiencing a fundamental shift in planning and service offerings due to a lack of qualified caregivers.
To relieve the tense situation, agencies have shifted attention away from bringing in a large quantity of new clients, to focusing more on retaining current caregivers. This is something every home care agency is being faced with.
So how can you retain high quality caregivers? Let’s go over 10 surefire ways to make it happen.
1. Pay Competitively
Competitive home care agencies offering higher salaries have a greater chance of attracting the best caregivers on the market. When applicants have a variety of options to select from, ambitious agencies become the most appealing to caregivers.
Increasing pay might be difficult for you as an agency owner – this is understandable considering the dilemma between raising client rates and sacrificing profits. Measuring how many clients your agency needs to balance with caregiver capacity is a smart approach.
This helps you assess the space you have for adjusting charges and quantity. Caregivers providing top service will feel better valued and keen on staying with your agency when a sound balance is established.
2. Effective Training
Initial training makes a big difference, and a solid structure for caregivers to follow eases the way for understanding expectations. With targeted and educational training, you’ll be off to a strong start. Provide employees with the basic tools they’ll need to exemplify your agency, in addition to self-care management training to prevent burnout.
Ongoing development is an important component of bettering your caregivers. Investing in proper training improves their productivity, increases their job satisfaction, and boosts their professional worth, eventually differentiating your home care agency from others.
3. Retention and Coverage
Setting aside a budget for retention provides some security in good and bad circumstances. Retention bonuses might also assist caregivers in focusing on long-term growth objectives. Expenditure on retention, in essence, expresses the idea to caregivers that your home care agency values them.
Many common costs, including awards and recognitions, might be covered by a retention incentive. Caregivers concerned about health insurance coverage can be provided a plan to satisfy their needs. It may be worth the investment as it alleviates common anxieties about receiving adequate health care and treatment as needed.
4. Extend Appreciation
At times it’s necessary to go out of your way to show employees how much they’re appreciated. These efforts are noticed and reciprocated in return by caregivers working even harder to maintain their valued status. Providing a fabulous workplace environment means cultivating a culture that makes caregivers feel included in all functions and events.
5. Build Enthusiasm
Home care agencies wanting to retain dedicated caregivers must create a sense of enthusiasm and simplicity in daily operations. Focusing attention on creative ways to incorporate an easier workflow and higher profitability without compromising the workforce is essential to see real results.
An effective way to go about it is via home care software that streamlines the entire day’s administrative work. This empowers caregivers with freedom from tedious tasks that hold them back.
Home care software digitizes and simplifies important operations including Electronic Visit Verification Software (EVV), timesheets, data collection/storage/transfer, client communication, and so much more. Agencies that have taken on home care software have saved 35% of documentation time and revolutionized the way they operate.
6. Better Communication
Caregiving necessitates an open relationship between the client and caregiver, but this comes with obstacles that impede the flow of communication. Thousands of agencies have struggled to find the perfect communication tool that meets everyone on the same level.
Text4Care has been developed as a convenient, easy to use texting system for fast, HIPAA compliant communication. It can be used anywhere and anytime to keep caregivers, staff, clients and family members in the loop about important information
7. Legroom to Expand
Caregivers desire both mobility and stability. They also need legroom to expand their horizons while working. When hiring new caregivers to the team, get a feel for their career goals and aspirations. Be supportive of their desire to grow within their field and your agency.
Continual training can assist them in feeling motivated and loyal to staying with your agency. If you’re able to identify the most dependable, and effective caregivers in your agency, and elevate their role to that of mentorship, they can be a valuable resource for new team members seeking guidance and assistance.
This type of internal mentorship keeps everyone happy, empowering the more experienced, and supporting the newer team members. A happier team means less turnover rate, and better staff loyalty.
8. Acknowledgement
Exemplary team members are sometimes overlooked, or their salary may resemble lesser-performing colleagues. Taking a step in the right direction of giving outstanding caregivers suitable acknowledgement, motivates continual peak performance, and prevents loss of employees.
Incentives can serve as a motivator for better work performance, and acknowledging diligence and dedication gives employees an understanding that their efforts are not in vain.
While salary is a vital aspect that keeps caregivers on board, that’s only one piece of the puzzle. Being appreciated, heard, and valued are also critical.
9. Career Advancement
Career growth is one of the most motivating factors every employee can agree on. By actively recognizing the potential in your caregivers, and motivating them to better establish their career base, you’ll witness career advancement taking place within your own agency.
Home care agencies will grow exponentially when they provide the motivational atmosphere for professional, dedicated caregivers.
10. Caring Side
Using emotional intelligence, and proactively showing your caring side to caregivers will display your true self. Smart business practices go beyond investing in the most advanced tools and technology.
Real humanness goes a long way in connecting with caregivers, making them feel secure and understood. The reality of off-work struggles impacts everyone’s daily work day.
Whether your employees are struggling with finances, family, friends, loss, etc – as an agency, it’s critical to show them that you care and understand, in a professional way. The impact this will have on them is priceless.
Home care agencies will grow exponentially when they provide the motivational atmosphere for professional, dedicated caregivers.
Conclusion
As a home care agency, it’s important to realize the necessity of employee retention, in addition to having solid strategies for keeping the best performing caregivers and employees.
With caregivers being one of your most valuable assets, it’s to your own benefit to take a step in the right direction of knowing and meeting their needs. From increasing compensation to simplifying operations with digital technology, successful home care agencies will establish ways to keep top caregivers.
Find out how Caretap’s Home Care software can help you streamline operations for better caregiver retention.