Over the past several years, technology has transformed nearly every aspect of entire industries with no signs of slowing down. Home care is no exception; all sorts of tasks involved in recruiting, scheduling, billing, payroll, and generating caregiver reports are all managed more efficiently and easily with technology.
For caregivers, this means that being somewhat ‘tech-savvy’ has become part of the job description. Now, most caregivers seem fairly well prepared and ready to use new tools and technologies. They understand that it will help them communicate more effectively with the agency, the clients, and their families. However, as the employer, it remains your responsibility to ensure your caregivers are adequately trained to begin using the technologies you add to your operation.
How Technology is Being Used in Home Care Today
Most agencies have made their recruitment process more automated. Caregivers are required to use these systems to submit their job applications, conduct assessments, etc. These systems help both the employer and the applicant cut down on time spent reviewing the information and streamlines the communications between the recruiter and candidates. Considering the high-turnover among caregivers, this technology has made it possible for home care agencies to speed up the hiring velocity, which is the #1 way to compete in this market.
Another area in which caregivers are using technology is with their important documents and logging their hours spent with their clients. All of these general administrative files used to be done by hand, leaving room for human error and lost documentation. Technologies that support these administrative tasks have shown to increase the productivity of an agency. Cutting down several hours per week allows these agencies to get more out of their staff and service more clients, which in turn helps gross margins. Similarly, the data that is gathered from these technologies also supports identifying hidden problems, which is a huge competitive advantage.
What This Means For Home Care Agency Owners and Other Healthcare Entities
To remain competitive, you need to begin thinking about which technologies your agency needs. Once you have selected the right technologies, you will need to have an effective training program in place to educate your caregivers for the right blend of high tech and high touch. Without an effective training program in place to help distribute this information, it is very likely your new tech will not be used and become a wasted investment.
Find Out How We Can Help
Determining the right technology system for your business is a strategic process. Before overhauling your agency, it is beneficial to get an outside perspective to review your existing efforts and recommend the best platform for your needs. Sixth Sense Solutions has worked with many different agencies and is familiar with all the top industry technology platforms. We can help ensure you are implementing the most robust, effective technology system that fits within matches your budget and needs.
About the Author
Keith Freeman
A dynamic thinker with a great sense of humor, Keith Freeman, MBA, is a Strategic Consultant offering unique solutions to transform healthcare organizations such as hospitals, hospice/palliative, home health, and home care, RCFE/assisted living and skilled nursing facilities and professional healthcare staffing services that support them.