Keeping Clients and Caregivers Safe
This week we’re highlighting ways to protect both the staff and clients of your home care agency, by having a Disaster Recovery Plan in place. This plan is crucial in protecting your business, in case of an emergency, either artificial or a natural disaster. Your plan needs to include guidelines on how to safely serve your clients and also keep your staff safe in case of emergencies that don’t allow you to access your office.
These emergencies could range from floods and tornadoes to power outages in your building. At a minimum, you must store your clients’ and caregivers’ emergency contact information somewhere apart from your software system. For more information check out this article on the importance of being paperless. Likewise, you’ll want to store the Care Plans of your clients, as you may have to send a caregiver unfamiliar with them to provide care during an emergency. Triage your client list based on the severity of their needs, as well as, whether or not they have family locally. Ensure that a client who is paraplegic or has severe dementia receives care, whereas a more independent client may be okay with a quick phone call to check-in.
Operational Blueprints: Document your Org Chart
Another way to look at your agency’s Disaster Recovery Plan is as a record for your operational blueprints. If you are the signer on your checking account, who will sign a check in your absence? The absence may not be a disaster, but you still need a backup if you’re on vacation out of the country. If a bill needs to be paid immediately, or a caregiver is terminated, someone still needs to cut a check.
Rather than deciding which of your admins will pinch hit for you right before you head out, have a detailed Organizational Chart, that specifies roles and responsibilities for your agency. Make sure that each of your admins understands the process of escalation. Furthermore, they should know exactly what’s expected of their roles. This way, when you use your Disaster Recovery Plan in the future, your staff will know how to proceed. No one will be stepping on each other’s toes, because everyone will complete their tasks. Also, consider testing your disaster recovery plan with your admins every quarter or so, to ensure that it’s top of mind for your staff if they have to implement it while you’re away.
Operational consulting is one of our specialties here at Senior Care Business Advisors. We would like to meet with you and provide a second set of eyes on your operational structure. We’ll help you develop a Disaster Recovery Plan if you don’t already have one in place. We can also flesh out a detailed Organizational Chart for your agency, that takes into account your current size while leaving room to grow.
Take advantage of our FREE 30-minute consultation to discuss your home care agency’s needs. To schedule an appointment visit us here or call me directly at 678-340-3649. We look forward to hearing from you!