10 Homecare Software Features That’ll Save You Hours 

In the bustling world of homecare agencies, time is a precious commodity. Picture this: caregivers rushing from one client’s home to another, while behind the scenes, administrators are immersed in a myriad of tasks. They’re managing schedules, coordinating last-minute changes, and navigating a sea of paperwork, all within the constraints of a single day. 

In this whirlwind, homecare software becomes the secret weapon, smoothing out the chaos and allowing everyone to breathe a little easier. Join us on a journey through the workday of Mary, a homecare administrator, as we uncover the ten homecare software features she uses to speed up her day. 

1. Client and Caregiver Matching: 

Mary has a client, Mr. John, who happens to be an animal lover with three cats. When she starts her scheduling duties for the day, she doesn’t have to worry about calling around to see which of her caregivers is okay with (and not allergic to) cats. Her homecare software already matches patients and caregivers based on their needs, availability, and preferences.  

A robust homecare software should offer a centralized database for client and caregiver information. This feature helps agencies keep track of client preferences, caregiver skills, and availability, allowing for quicker and more precise matching. It not only helps admins like Mary quickly find the right caregiver, but it also prevents the time-consuming process of replacing a caregiver who was not a good match to begin with. 

2. Homecare Scheduling Tool: 

Using a tool that provides case broadcasting and built-in alerting can be a game-changer for homecare agencies looking to save time. With her homecare scheduling tool, Mary can create recurring shifts or one-off visits and she also gets alerts when there are potential shift overlaps, overtime pay, vacation conflicts, and caregiver non-compliance or missed training. Additionally, she gets real-time notifications if a caregiver is not present for a visit. This feature minimizes the time spent on manual scheduling, allowing agencies to focus on delivering quality care. 

Today, Mary created a recurring shift for Mr. John based on his plan of care and authorization, and now she doesn’t have to think about it again unless she gets an alert! 

3. Caregiver Mobile App: 

A caregiver mobile app empowers caregivers to clock in and out using GPS, access client information, their schedules, and plan of care tasks remotely. Not only do mobile apps make it easier for caregivers to be compliant with electronic visit verification (EVV), but they also improve agency efficiency.  

Today one of Mary’s caregivers unexpectedly called out, so Mary used case broadcasting to send an open shift notification to all her caregivers. Sam, one of her caregivers, saw the notification and easily and quickly accepted it from the mobile app. Mary also uses the app to communicate securely with caregivers in real-time when they have questions.  

4. Electronic Visit Verification (EVV): 

Mary doesn’t have the time to hunt down and manually enter time sheets. That’s why she loves her EVV system. EVV enables agencies to verify caregiver visits electronically, ensuring transparency and accuracy in billing. This feature not only ensures compliance, but it saves time by automating the verification process and reduces the risk of errors and fraud. 

5. Billing and Payroll: 

For Mary, having her claims accepted on the first pass means she saves hours working denials. That’s why she uses software with a pre-billing function that automatically verifies that the visit matched the contract, authorization, and plan of care.  

Homecare software with automated billing capabilities streamlines financial processes. Agencies can generate invoices, track payments, and manage payroll efficiently. Automation reduces the time spent on manual paperwork, allowing staff to focus less on administrative tasks, and more on strategic ones. 

6. Reporting and Analytics: 

Mary relies on her reporting functionality to spot trends before they become a problem and affect her business. Today she used her authorization report and filtered it for authorizations that were about to expire. She was able to spot a couple issues and correct them before they affected her financially. 

Comprehensive reporting tools provide insights into agency performance, compliance metrics, and caregiver productivity. Agencies can analyze data trends, find areas for improvement, and make informed decisions to enhance overall efficiency. 

7. Online Hiring Portal: 

As her agency’s need for qualified caregivers grows, Mary relies on the online hiring portal within her software. This feature serves as a centralized platform for collecting applications and managing the recruitment lifecycle. Automated documentation, signature capturing, and transparent communication enhance the efficiency of Mary’s hiring process, saving her precious time and guaranteeing her agency maintains a reliable team of caregivers. 

8. Value- based Care Tool: 

Mary uses a value-based care tool that allows her caregivers to gather real-time clinical data and make client observations directly at the point of care. Today her caregiver Sam noticed that his client’s skin was an unusual color, and they seemed unwell. Once he entered this observation, it was immediately sent to Mary for accelerated intervention management. This efficient communication meant she was able to get the client the medical attention they needed. 

Value-based care tools make it easier to spot trends for a specific client, allowing agencies to track the early warning signs of readmission and be more proactive in the care of their members. 

9. Integration Capabilities: 

Mary wants to reward her caregivers for the excellent job that they’re doing, but she doesn’t have time to run to the store, get gift cards, and come up with a system for how to distribute them. So, she uses a caregiver rewards platform that is already integrated with her homecare software. The program automatically gives caregivers points towards rewards based on tasks set by Mary, such as being EVV compliant. 

Homecare software that integrates seamlessly with other tools, such as caregiver retention software, eLearning, QuickPay, HR solutions, and compliance tools make it easy for agencies to enhance their homecare operations. Integration streamlines communication and data exchange, saving time and minimizing errors. 

10. Training and Documentation: 

Mary has a new caregiver starting today. Knowing she didn’t have much time for individual training, she quickly accessed process guides on her portal. These guides outline step-by-step instructions on how to get up and running, such as instructions on how to download the mobile app. She was able to share the guides with the new caregiver and they were able to get started all on their own. 

Having access to process guides as well as virtual training, like HHAeXchange University, are invaluable features of homecare software. Agencies need access to training materials to quickly get answers to questions and make sure the team all understands how to use the software.  

Investing in homecare software equipped with these essential features is a strategic decision for agencies aiming to save time and improve efficiency. By automating processes, enhancing communication, and ensuring compliance, Mary was able to save hours on manual, time-consuming tasks and put all her energy towards business strategy and client care.  

To learn more about how HHAeXchange helps agencies become more efficient with its full-service homecare management solution, request a demo today.