Quality can be elusive. Definitions tend to vary from person to person, and often what is considered excellent by one is just a variable in perception by another. Yet we all know quality is a key ingredient to business success. Years of experience have taught me that even elusive concepts can be corralled into tangible results, and quality, particularly in Private Pay, actually has a lot to do with having expectations that can be delivered upon.
To build quality into your organization, you must have a clear idea of what your customer wants from you. The initial intake and assessment visit are critical to identifying your customer’s desires and needs. Failure to identify what they are looking for often leads to unmet expectations and an unhappy client or family. Whenever I’m brought into a Private Pay agency to help build their business, I always do a review of their intake practices. Often it’s just a matter of rewriting the questions so that they better reveal desires and outcomes. Once that is accomplished, the plan for implementation becomes much easier and has a higher chance of success. Continue reading “Quality: Worth the Extra Mile In The Private Pay Marketplace” »
Hiring can be stressful, especially for a home health or home care agency. If only there was some magic potion or wand we could wave over a potential employee and turn them into a Prince or Princess Charming who would always be reliable, loyal to the agency, and adored by clients and their families.
Since there does not seem to be a magical solution to make this happen, many administrators I’ve talked to have begun using a profile tool to help eliminate glaring hiring mistakes. The profile is a compilation of all the attributes demonstrated by star employees who have successfully held a position in the past. For instance, one client developed a profile of the ‘best home care aide’ that included being a team player, reliable, dependable, responsive to requests, compassionate, able to listen, a critical thinker, a self starter, sought continuing education, and had a strong commitment to customer service. Continue reading “Hiring the Best: Elixir of Success for Home Health or Home Care” »
In case you haven’t noticed, Private Pay agencies and franchises are opening up all over the county. This explosion, which has been going on over the last eight to ten years, is driven by two forces. On the one hand, new startups are run by individuals in the industry who truly see a need and want to make a difference in the lives of those they serve. On the other hand, an equal number of startups are opened by businesspeople that have never been in the healthcare field. These individuals see a financial opportunity and want to capitalize on the growing demographic of elders who will require the services of a private pay company. Whatever the reason for entering the private pay arena, if you are not committed to your business, you will probably have trouble succeeding. Continue reading “Private Pay: A New Reason To Be Committed” »
Remember the days when the customer was always right? This bending over backwards to please a customer yielded mountains of good will for a company. Sadly, in the United States today, customer service has fallen off the radar of many good businesses and, sadder yet, customers don’t even expect good service anymore.
But that doesn’t make it right.
Great customer service is one of the basic rules of good business. Honestly, I’m a bit fussy about customer service, and my expectations are high. If a company doesn’t perform as it should or if an item isn’t delivered when promised, I always get on the phone and give them a chance to make it right. If a customer service department is nice and helpful, I’m a customer for life. On the other hand, they get one chance to fail and then I’m gone.
The same holds true for a home health agency. Think what happens when your homecare aide is late or doesn’t show up at all. Most customers are forgiving the first time but if this is repeated, they will probably go elsewhere. How many customers have you lost to poor customer service? Do you even know? Continue reading “Customer Service: It Can Make or Break a Home Health Agency” »
Way back in the early days when the idea of home healthcare was just taking flight, staff orientation was about welcoming new employees and making them feel at home. Today, in a competitive marketplace and uncertain economy, orientation has grown from a ‘meet and greet’ into one of the most powerful tools you have to build a successful organization. Continue reading “New Tools For Home Health: Comprehensive Orientation Delivers A Competitive Edge.” »
When I started out as a home healthcare consultant, the last thing I ever expected is that I would become a culinary expert. Well, that is exactly what has happened, and for a very good reason. It turns out that in the new era of home health, one of the most common requests for services, besides personal care, is cooking. Unfortunately, cooking has also become one of the most common topics of complaint.
In my capacity as a home healthcare consultant, I’ve read hundreds of agency evaluations where clients go on and on about how fantastic their caregiver is and openly state how grateful they are to have such a loving and sweet person in their life. And then comes that final punch: she cannot cook to save her life.
Aides with adequate cooking skills are far and few between. Last year, when I was working with a client who runs a very successful home health agency, I heard what I believe is a very common complaint. A client’s daughter had asked the home care aide to broil her father a steak for dinner. Instead, the aide boiled the steak, which is how steaks are cooked in her native country. After some thought and discussion with the administrative staff, I decided it was time to develop a culinary arts program for the aides, particularly for those who live in, as they are almost always required to cook. Continue reading “… But Can She Boil Water Without Burning It?” »
