The coronavirus pandemic has affected every part of our lives. For those in the senior care field especially, COVID-19 has changed how we protect older adults and how we do business in general. You are leading your home care agency in the midst of a global pandemic, and it isn’t easy. However, many of the hurdles and challenges you are facing are not unique; home care agencies across the globe are all learning how to effectively operate in this “new normal”.
Here are just a few ways home care agencies are being affected by COVID-19, as well as how agencies are rising to the challenge.
Perhaps one of the biggest hurdles home care agencies are facing is the general anxiety and confusion from current and potential clients. It’s no wonder family members and older adults are worried and overwhelmed; the information about coronavirus comes fast and furious anytime they turn on the tv. Even more troubling is the rampant spread of wrong or inaccurate information. In fact, so much misinformation about COVID-19 led the World Health Organization to start a “Stop the Spread” campaign to stop the spread of incorrect information across social media outlets and press reports.
Home care agencies are choosing to combat anxiety and confusion by communicating with confidence. You can build confidence in your agency by:
An ongoing Home Care Pulse survey notes that more than 30% of agencies have had positive COVID-19 tests from either a client or staff member. If you haven’t had a positive case reported to your agency yet, you likely will by the time this pandemic has come to an official close. However, you shouldn’t wait for the positive test to start planning. Instead, choose to proactively prepare for your first COVID-19 case while also implementing policies and procedures that protect your clients and team.
You can begin this process by:
COVID-19 has left many small and large businesses without a regular source of income. While senior care has certainly experienced some uncertainty during this time, agencies and organizations are staying flexible and creative in order to stay financially successful.
Many home care organizations have successfully applied for, and received, federal, state, or regionally based loans. This is an excellent option to pursue, as is switching marketing strategies in a time when it is more difficult to visit hospital discharge planners or other partners throughout your local area. Keep those partnerships strong by adding these ideas to your quarterly marketing plan:
COVID-19 has impacted seniors and their family members in one of two different ways. The first is that family members have lost their jobs and now have more time to care for their senior loved one, eliminating or significantly decreasing the need for home care services. The second is that the family sees the senior isolated at home and needs home care services to fill in the gap for better healthcare and socialization. Unfortunately, right now it seems there is no in-between.
If you have found that your billable hours have decreased rapidly, you aren’t alone. It’s frustrating and scary. However, you can find new ways to connect with new families and potential (or current) clients by using technology:
If your agency is seeing a decline in service requests, you might find that adding a few more services could help make up some of that income. For example:
Finally, the coronavirus pandemic has drastically affected home care agency staff. While some staff are being furloughed or laid off due to decreased hours available, others are feeling worried about working in client homes. You may find your agency is struggling to keep up with a constantly changing schedule or a solid recruitment effort.
You can utilize caregiver recruitment and online scheduling platforms to take some of the burden off your office staff. For example, Medflyt’s online staffing platform allows agencies to alert all available caregivers of a new shift immediately upon entering it into their system. Then, interested caregivers are able to message your agency directly, making your scheduling job much more efficient. And who doesn’t need more efficient ways of doing things, especially now?
The coronavirus pandemic continues to change how we do business. As family members begin returning to work and as seniors require more care at home, your business will begin to boom again. In the meantime, it’s all about flexibility, creativity, and supporting your clients, family members, and staff.