Aging Services Workforce Solutions

August 25, 1939. Most of us were not alive on this date but if you were born on this date, quick math, you're 81 years young today. What's the significance of that date in 1939? It confirmed almost intuitively what we all still know and believe today, "there's no place like home." Yes, August 25th, 1939 The Wizard of OZ was released and the immortal words of Dorothy still loom large today.

Home. This is where our HomeCare Advocacy Network clients feel safe and secure. They want a future where there is still a hope that they can regain their independence and get better. We work to provide them that opportunity for as long as possible. We all love home generally speaking. We want to "go back" home, "stay" home, "buy our own" home and finally "remain" at home. The idea of home is ingrained, especially in the generation we currently serve. Home is the safe, secure, hope filled place we find comfort. If you want to be a part of the solution, contact hcanthrive.com for our franchise opportunities. We need great franchisees to marshal the mission of "home" forward.

Now, the idea of "remaining at home" is in peril. Labor shortages abound. Having the core employees who want to do the tireless work of helping seniors thrive at home is not easy to do but I would also say, it is worth doing. "Labor shortage" however is a buzzword that is taking over the airwaves of social media and national and international press when it comes to our aging services workforce. Labor shortage is phraseology that is tired. I wanted to share the HomeCare Advocacy Network line of sight on labor shortage and ways organizations can move forward and deliver on the hope of the home. These comments are hard truths mixed with solutions for any organization in aging services.

1. Aging services organizations like senior living and home care have skimped on Human Resources personnel. Your organization may be the exception to the rule but, most likely not. What often exists is an overrun, overworked HR team that then takes pride in the fact that they get so much done with so few people. HR loses out on budget battles year after year and doesn't carry the support of the full weight of most organizations.
2. Your organization has lost kindness. In my experience the very best home care, home health or senior living team is fueled by kindness. If caregivers and health care workers don't respect or FAR more importantly like your leaders, you've already lost the battle for recruiting and retaining employees. Healthcare workers need fair wages but they are not working for you just for the money and you can't solve your recruiting problem just through wages. Wages is one of just 5 key areas that employees need your organization to perform in. Monetary, Spiritual, Validation of their Values, Psychological and Social needs make up the real nexus of understanding employees of aging services companies operate in. At HCAN we call this the employee's internal social contract with the organization.
3. People are "making do" with the outdated systems you're using. There is a high degree of fragmentation in the healthcare/recruiting/onboarding space. Some systems that may work for the larger ecosystem system are truly inadequate for the unit strategy within many aging services organizations. What is going to work for home care and home health most likely does not fit for an on campus client experience. Because home care or home health are a smaller part of the larger budget process in big senior living organizations, oftentimes home care or home health is shoe horned into utilizing whatever system that is given them.

Here are 3 quick ideas for you that may help!

1. Add a dedicated Healthcare or Home Care recruiter to your team. This qualified person will soften the challenge of recruiting rather than just using HR generalists for everything your organization needs. Without a recruiter, you will never get ahead your labor force needs.
2. Consider applications like Applicant Stack https://www.applicantstack.com/ and EASE for employee onboarding. These two applications can revolutionize how your organization performs in the area of recruiting and onboarding. For onboarding, benefits, etc., EASE has helped us go digital and go paperless for employees. Doug Gillespie is a consummate professional and has a passion for helping those in HR make their lives easier while improving the employee experience. EASE is simple to use and can improve your efficiencies and help your back office team. [email protected]
3. Have your employees take the VIA Character Assessment. VIA ranks your 24 personally held values and will give you and your employees an understanding of what they are for them (hint hint, VIA measures Kindness) and what their experience with supervisors given their value matrix could look like. Contact Gordon Parry with Authentic Impact myauthenticimpact.com to discuss with him how he can help your organization. Gordon's organization has helped many others in this arena, having seen vast improvements and long lasting personal benefits given to employees at the same time. [email protected]

There is no easy solution to helping increase the number of direct care workers to take care of others. Organizations need to look squarely in the mirror and create better working environments while improving wages to attract better and more employees. The is the only way we can help deliver on the grand idea of and the hope of home.