More Predictions for Home Care in 2020

Last month, I published a blog post forecasting the major themes and trends impacting the home care industry as we turn the corner into 2020. It got quite a bit of traction and, since that post went live, I had the opportunity to chat further about these trends with Todd Austin, COO of Home Care Pulse, in a webinar that we hosted a couple weeks ago.

Home Care Pulse, as many of you know, is a leading organization for quality assurance and performance benchmarking for home care. It was great to dive deeper with Todd into the lightning-speed evolution of the industry and how agencies can best use technology to proactively brace for what’s to come.

Todd brought up compelling additional points that helped expand on these seemingly omnipresent themes impacting the industry.

Data is becoming an important currency.

We are well past the point of capturing reams of data without knowing how to act on them. With modern technology paving the way, each agency would be well advised to use specific key performance indicators (KPIs) to set them up for success. (This article goes deep on that subject.)

In 2020 and beyond, that data will be fundamental to getting referrals. Health-care partners and governments are increasingly using rating systems to measure quality of care organizations. The result is that both referral partners and clients themselves can be more selective with who they choose to provide home care.

In the United States, the CMS unveiled new discharge planning requirements that solidify this new direction. Hospitals gather quality measures from care organizations; discharged patients and their families then use this information to select the home care partner they want. This took effect in Fall 2019 and is the tip of the iceberg with where client-centred care is headed.

At the same time, key metrics like client and caregiver satisfaction, as well as hospital readmission rates per client, are strong elements of marketing an agency to get those referrals. Data is a currency that will drive revenue in what is an ultra-competitive market.

Look inward to fight the intense turnover battle.

As the needs of caregivers evolve, retention strategies must adapt. It’s a demanding job where both pay and consistency of pay are huge challenges for these specialized workers. In 2018, over 80% of an agency’s caregivers left – a trend that is unlikely to change without focused intervention.

The key, as Todd stressed, is that agencies must look inward and get very specific about how they can improve the working lives of caregivers. It starts with reaching out on an ongoing basis (e.g. at time of hiring, during training, when they’re anticipating upward movement, etc.) to receive the intimate feedback needed to address the most pressing problems that need to see real change.

Those changes come from careful metrics like NPS scores as well as what particular elements are most important to your staff (client compatibility, access to training, office staff communication, etc). Treating caregivers and potential caregivers as clients you are trying to market to is step one.

Stats show that it costs about $2,600 USD to replace a caregiver who leaves. If you take a turnover rate from 80% to, say, 40%... well, that is a lot of money that can be invested elsewhere.

A strategic step into the next decade

It’s been an incredible year, and we’re looking forward to a busy start to 2020. While predictions by their very nature are never a sure thing, it’s clear that there are imperative measures we all must take to ensure ongoing success in this often tumultuous industry. Take the time to analyze your agency honestly and be strategic with how you approach everything from how you’re using your data, to how you care for the workers who work for you.  

Cheers to 2020 – and beyond.

Bonus tip!

Pay close attention to online reviews for your agency and your competitors. Try to fuel a consistent flow of reviews and respond to everyone who takes time to write about you. Identify your online “promoters” and proactively solicit reviews in other channels. After all, everyone goes to Google first to see what you’re all about.