How to Improve Home Health Caregiver Retention

The challenges of retaining qualified and dedicated home health care professionals is a daunting one and is key to a successful agency. 

The demand is high for qualified home health care professionals as there are thousands of agencies competing for their services. This tends to create a high turnover rate as clinical and  non-clinical workers such as aides and transportation providers strive to improve their lot and search for an agency that offers the best pay, tools and work environment.

Perhaps the key to retaining qualified and talented staff lies in the exciting and emerging technologies of mobile healthcare apps. The following information about health care apps will help guide and inform the benefits of this technology in retention of health caregivers through:

• Communication with Administrators
• Schedule Flexibility
• Reduction of Commutes
• Virtual Tools and Remote Training
• Documentation and Information Access Simplified
• Billing and Electronic Visit Verification

Communication Access with Administrators, Schedulers and Patients

A key component in the home health care field is communication among all of those involved in a patient’s treatment plan,  Success often relies on the ease at which a home health care professional can provide the maximum amount of service with the greatest efficiency. An agency that utilizes home health care apps can supply their employees all of the tools necessary for communication at the tips of their fingers thus making their service more efficient and perhaps more enjoyable and fulfilling experiences for the caregiver and the patient.

Flexibility of Work Schedule

Often, retention of quality home health care staff can hinge on the flexibility an agency can provide in scheduling.  Nurses and other professionals can have brutal work schedules. Working weekends and holidays are commonplace and often their personal lives revolve around their employment. A professional who works for an agency with a home health care app  can have the flexibility to choose their availability and adjust their schedules accordingly and also manage their own daily activities and familial responsibilities. This also allows the professional to work independently without direct supervision. 

Commuting Reduced  with Uber-Like Services

Much like the “Uber” app for mobile taxi services, agencies that utilize these can provide much needed flexibility for the home health care staff.  Nurses and professionals can work out of their homes, acting as their base for operations instead of traveling to a central location to get their assignments. Professionals  can be dispatched from their homes or on the road. Employees that provide transportation services for patients can be conveniently dispatched through an app based on availability and location.

Virtual Tools and Remote Access to Training

Agencies are now providing training tools via their home healthcare apps where agencies can provide a variety of subject matter while also keeping track of staff training hours The demand for remote training options continues to increase as the Covid-19 crisis prolongs. Workers would prefer the ability to train anywhere with a mobile device. This offers great flexibility in training choices and staff scheduling as training can be participated in at the convenience of the caregiver.

Access to Medical Records and Treatment Plans

A home health care app can provide ease of access to medical records and treatment plans to help health care staff provide their services more precisely and efficiently.  With all information conveniently accessible, a health care professional’s service can be a less stressful experience and they can concentrate on the care of the patient. 

Billing Responsibilities and Electronic Visit Verification

Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) is a verification system that tracks the home care service provider, the patient receiving the services, the services provided and the time and duration of the home health care visit. EVV is now a mandated requirement with agencies that accept Medicare.  The process is greatly simplified electronically through a home health care app and doesn’t weigh down the health care professional with additional responsibilities of providing documentation for billing purposes.  The home health care professional can once again provide the medical service with full attention of the patients’ needs.

Summary of Caregiver Retention Through Mobile Apps

We have explored the benefits of mobile healthcare apps and how they may simplify a caregiver’s responsibilities which would perhaps make for a positive employment experience and a longer stay at their agency. After all, the demand is very high for their expertise and it is extremely important that agencies are competitive and  build the best team possible through retaining their most valuable asset: The Caregiver.