HOW TO COMPETE IN THE INDUSTRY?

CURRENT AND FUTURE THREATS

There is a lot of talk about the lack of caregivers in the industry. For companies that are dealing with this I believe what is missing in the home healthcare industry is leadership. Leadership is not just in the office, it goes beyond that, into the field.

The companies that I have seen that have succeeded in keeping and growing their caregivers are the ones that understand the importance of maintaining and teaching leadership.

If you ask me a caregiver already has a leadership mentality, we just need to tap into it and train them to fine tune this quality. They are there when no one else is, they are the problem solvers, they are the fixers, and they are the ones we go to when we need advice about a client.

So why aren't they treated like leaders? I don't think it's intentional. I feel as a society we have always viewed caregivers in a different way. We as an industry need to STOP doing this now. We need to raise our caregivers to a different standard. So, how do we do this?

1. It starts with the hiring process. We want to look for caregivers that are already tapping into the leadership role. When we place an advertisement we want to add key words into our job description that show the characteristics of a leader.
2. After the hire we need to make a list of things that they need to accomplish so we are moving them up the ladder. This should be part of the on boarding training.
3. We need to give them the tools they need to become a leader. One example is building a library in your office.
4. We need to have a reward system in place so they can get rewarded and also so they can reward someone else. When I worked in the hospital we were able to reward our fellow employees. When I got a certificate of recognition from my workmates it meant more to me. A great leader is always ready to mentor and teach in order to bring out the best in their peers.

HERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU SHOULD ADD TO YOUR LIBRARY

• Health topics that you deal with daily in your home care business.
• Motivational stories
• Healthy cookbooks (cardiac, diabetes, Mediterranean, gluten free)
• Self improvement books
• Finance
• Activities to do with clients (coloring books, puzzles, crossword, board-games)

There are so many ways you can start this library without spending money.

• Start with your own books or ask family to donate.
• Have employees donate books they are done with.
• Ask libraries - many times they need to get rid of books.
• Clients and their families (I have had clients that wanted to say thank you to the company and donate)

Here a couple videos to share that will educate and inspire leadership with your caregivers.

• Win Respect - Show up
• Bee-Ism's - Persuasive
• When a Senior won't shower - Video and free worksheet

WHAT'S TRENDING NOW

• What Misconceptions Does the Healthcare Industry Still Have About Home-Based Care?
• What’s Next Longevity Innovation Summit Dec. 12-13 2023
• What you need to know about the caregiver shortage.

Join us Next month when we discuss:

On Boarding Checklist (How to get google and LinkedIn reviews)

The Power of Hand Written Cards (Clients, family and staff)

The Montessori Way (How to implement it in a home healthcare setting)

Please share some photos of your library and I will feature them on my page.