A properly done reassessment can improve client outcomes, increase client retention, increase hours and grow your business in the post-pandemic world.
Today, we want to address Client Retention. While the world is continuing to open back up after over two long years of pandemic, the senior care business is still being affected. Unlike other industries where employees are allowed to work remotely, that’s not feasible in the world of personal care. Your agency’s livelihood depends on providing care to those most vulnerable in your local community. However, the amount of care you can provide to your clients is completely dependent on how many caregivers you have available to work each day.
We know that hiring caregivers is your agency’s top priority, and no matter how hard you try, your referral pipeline for new clients is outpacing your ability to fill shifts. In fact, according to Home Care Pulse, 98% of agency owners said that the caregiver shortage, combined with caregiver turnover, is affecting their business during the pandemic.
A strategy that some agencies have turned to is focusing on their existing clients, rather than trying to bring on new clients. How might this work, you ask? After all, you still want to grow your business and increase your revenue. I’m going to suggest that you work to increase the number of hours that your existing clients are scheduled for. This is where re-assessments come into play.
While you may conduct re-assessments of your clients that work with Long Term Care Insurance companies already, you should make sure that you are also conducting regular re-assessments on your entire client base, at least annually. Even if their care needs haven’t changed drastically, keeping an updated Care Plan on file is critical. Likewise, for many of your clients and their families, aging in place is a top priority. However, they can only safely age in place if all their care needs are being met. For re-assessments, try to schedule them so that the client’s power of attorney, or family members, can be present as well, so long as the client is okay with that level of visibility.
In this current climate, many families that would have considered Assisted Living Communities would much prefer to keep their loved ones safely at home, rather than expose them to many others in a facility. Being able to show your clients that you’ll only be sending in a few vaccinated caregivers to provide the care is extremely powerful and provides them with peace of mind. A last bit of advice on the re-assessment, though, don’t rush through it! Take your time and ensure accuracy, the more accurate your Care Plan, the safer your clients care.
If your agency would like a second set of eyes on how to improve client retention, then please reach out to us for a Free Consultation. Reach out to us on our website www.seniorcareba.com or call us at (678) 340-3649. We look forward to working with your agency and providing personalized consulting for personalized care!
Tyler West is a founding partner of Senior Care Business Advisors with over 10 years of experience in personal care, home care, health care and technology. Connect with him through Senior Care Business Advisors website, www.SeniorCareBA.com, twitter.com/@seniorcareba or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/senior-care-business-advisors-llc. You can also reach him via email at twest@seniorcareba.com.
*Disclaimer: Senior Care Business Advisors is not affiliated in any way with Home Care Pulse. Home Care Pulse is however a highly regarded voice in the Senior Care industry that surveys and provides statistical information and articles about the Home Care industry. For more information about Home Care Pulse, visit their website at homecarepulse.com. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official use or best practice recommendations of Home Care Pulse or any other organization.