7 Ways to Keep Your Agency Ahead of the Competition

The Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) industry is growing. In fact, employment of home health and personal care aides is projected to grow by 21 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations. While this growth is great news for agencies, it also means increased competition as more people look to establish businesses in this growing sector. To thrive, agencies will need to embrace flexibility, creativity, and resilience. Here are some tips to help your agency stay ahead of the curve and continue delivering quality care for years to come.

#1: Stay focused on the caregiver experience

Finding a caregiver that fits with your agency’s culture is crucial. When it comes to your mission, vision, values, and growth, you need a team that’s prepared to take this journey with you. When you focus on recruiting, look for caregivers who stand out from the crowd and will stand beside you.

Inspire your staff to share your enthusiasm for your agency’s progress by considering the following questions:

• What benefits are they earning by working with you?
• What is unique about the training experience you provide?
• What technology are you using? Does it fit your caregivers’ needs?

These are all important things to keep in mind when evaluating your caregiver recruitment experience.

#2: Train, train, and train some more

One of the best ways to set your agency apart from competitors is by delivering higher-quality care. The key to achieving this is comprehensive caregiver training—going beyond just meeting regulatory requirements.

But how can you encourage your caregivers to actively engage in and complete their training?

• Make it fun: Gamified training improves learning outcomes.
• Make it interactive: Involve the caregivers and their experiences as much as possible. Consider role playing situations that they frequently encounter.
• Make it practical: Focus on training topics caregivers can apply right away with clients or in their daily lives.
• Make it easy: Consider using an eLearning platform that integrates into your homecare software.

#3: Schedule your caregivers with ease

With the caregiver shortage and increasing caregiver turnover causing major issues for providers, it’s no surprise that many experience scheduling difficulties. When your agency can’t fill a shift because of an unexpected caregiver absence, that’s real money left on the table. Using a scheduling tool can help prevent this. HHAeXchange’s scheduling technology streamlines patient-caregiver matching, simplifies shift broadcasting, provides real-time alerts for compliance and conflicts, and enables caregivers to manage their schedules via a mobile app.

Take some time back in your day to focus on what really matters: providing high-quality care for clients.

#4: Forecast

What do we mean by this? Stay informed about external factors like news and weather, while remaining in tune with the needs of your clients and caregivers.

Anticipate what your clients and caregivers might require most:

• Are your caregivers seeking more flexibility in their schedules, like longer or shorter shifts?
• Does your office staff understand how to manage care authorizations or ensure documentation meets state-specific guidelines?
• Do your clients need guidance on accessing additional community resources or benefits?

You can also forecast the needs of referral sources. Stay proactive by understanding their typical client referrals and the kinds of support services they prioritize. Building these insights ensures you’re prepared to step in at the right time with the right resources.

#5: Support your employees’ education

When you truly care about your employees, your retention rates will reflect those efforts. A survey from Care Academy showed that caregivers want an employer that will support them. 94% of caregivers consider this as a factor when evaluating a job offer.

Your support can take a variety of forms:

• Asking your employees what their professional ambitions are and how you can help them accomplish their goals. If they can’t think of any, give them ideas for what they can aspire to within your company.
• Providing them with mentorship opportunities.
• Offering upskilling opportunities with condition-specific knowledge and training.

#6: Investing in your caregivers’ technology

Technology moves quickly these days. When introducing new technology, tailor your approach to match each caregiver’s learning style. Different caregivers have different ways of learning, including:

• Visual: Watching a PowerPoint presentation or seeing a live demonstration
• Kinesthetic: Participating in a demonstration or handling a model
• Auditory: Listening to an audiobook or tutorial

The HHAeXchange mobile app is designed to meet these diverse needs, putting convenience and empowerment at caregivers’ fingertips. The app integrates eLearning solutions, enabling caregivers to access training materials anytime, anywhere, directly from their phones. Whether completing compliance tasks, tracking schedules, or improving their skills, the app makes adapting to new technology seamless for every caregiver.

#7: Have a plan A, B, and C.

Operations and schedules may not always run as smoothly as you would like them to, but by planning ahead, you can stay ahead.

Once you’ve mapped out your plans, be sure to leave wiggle room for potential changes.

• Do you have enough caregivers on staff? Start your recruitment efforts now before the need becomes urgent.
• Caregivers may need to call out sick from time to time. Ensure you have a back-up plan in place for quickly filling shifts, or software that can help you easily broadcast cases to available caregivers.
• Inclement weather can happen at any time, be sure your caregivers have access to reliable transportation so that both they and your clients can stay safe and healthy.

By anticipating the unexpected, you can be one step ahead of the crowd. Stay ahead of competitors by excelling in your strengths, addressing weaknesses, and filling care gaps in your community.

By listening to your caregivers, clients, and referral sources, you can prepare for events within and outside of your control.