Successfully running a care provider company takes a lot of time, love, and persistence. Given the nature of the people-based industry, you continuously need to be monitoring industry standards, improving your services and coming up with new ways to source clients. Only then will you remain competitive and grow.
As a strategic consulting business we have worked with various home care and healthcare organizations. This has allowed us to work through all types of inefficiencies that inhibit these types of companies from growing. There are 8 main inefficiencies that seem to be a common challenge at one time or another for most of our care provider clients.
8 Most Common Inefficiencies in Care Provider Entities
8.) Outdated Training Programs
Not only is continuing education extremely important in this industry, continued training is also relevant and effective when employed in the field. Effective training is vital to success when providing continued care. Having a top-notch training program is an essential tool to ensure your caregiving staff is providing a consistent premium experience for your clients. Training is critical for both your internal and external (field) staff to maintain your company’s reputation.
7.) Staffing Demand Inefficiencies
You have caregivers but no clients, no clients but caregivers who need work? Welcome aboard! Depending on your market you will experience this in at least one side or both. Unpredictable demand/supply events can leave caregivers temporarily out of work and clients without the right caregiver. Not having the right systems in place can open you up to vulnerabilities that seriously hurt your ability to meet market demand, experience net growth, and ability to scale.
6.) SEO/SEM Campaigns “Wasting” Money
SEO/SEM programs are utilized by most caregiving companies to recruit and attract new clients and caregivers. We often find that over the years, these campaigns are optimized to spend more money in areas that are working, but hardly ever optimized to spend less. It can help to partner with an outside consultant to point out areas to achieve more efficiency out of the dollars you are spending.
5.) Lack of Quality Assurance Tracking
Most caregiving companies focus on their lag measures; like the number of patients served this week and hours worked by your caregivers. What seems to get less attention are all the lead measures that ensure the quality of service and customer satisfaction. Implementing a robust Quality Assurance program will help spot areas where you can improve.
4.) Slow Lead Response Time
In this demand-based industry, it is imperative to have the fastest possible response time, or you will lose your lead to your competitors. A Harvard study often quoted states that ’5 minutes in demand based search can make a 400% difference in the capture.’ Many home care companies have a difficult time getting their sales program to respond in a couple of minutes or answering in real time, every time.
3.) Outdated Care Practices
The caregiving industry is continually changing. If a company falls behind in their care practices and market knowledge, winning over clients will be a lot tougher than it needs to be. Customers expect their care provider to be in the know and to provide their loved ones with the best possible care. It is imperative to have and maintain a way to stay on top of industry changes.
2.) 1-1 Accountability Issues
One on one accountability is vital to home care organizations. A common reason for a caregiver to leave their employer is communication issues and lack of clarity in expectations and feedback with delivery. Successful care provider leadership sets clear expectations for their internal operations and sales staff and caregivers. They make sure there is a system in place for regular follow up, accountability meetings and regular check-ins with clients and staff members.
1.) Lacking Customer Centricity
The number one most common inefficiency is the lack of customer centricity. In the whirlwind of everything that needs to happen in your business, the demands of the business start to deplete key attention away from the customer in non obvious ways. The focus should always be on fostering great relationships with your customers and making sure that everyone, not just the caregiver, truly stays involved with the customer care experience. The best practice is to have a direct line of communication with your client and the decision maker involved in the care decisions with your client.
Removing These Inefficiencies
The way forward is often achieved by taking a step back from the business and looking at everything from a higher level and then getting down into some of the weeds where the inefficiency can lurk about. Together with dedicated leadership to the purpose and mission of the organization, you can achieve efficiency by being counter-cyclical and maintaining an open feedback loop.
If you have any questions about how to resolve these inefficiencies in your home care company, please contact Sixth Sense Solutions.
About the Author
Keith Freeman, MBA
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.