Just like with any business, starting and operating a successful non-medical home care business is not an easy venture. The good news is that, once you get it right, the rewards are great!
“With about 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every single day, the demand for home care services has never been higher. So, if your dream has always been to serve the elderly, NOW is the perfect time to get started. You see, other than the prospects of making it big financially, the career fulfillment levels you’re bound to experience from genuinely delivering this much-needed service are incomparable,” says home care coach and agency owner, Michele Ellis-Williams.
Having worked and interacted with thousands of agency owners over the years and operated a highly successful agency, Astin Home Care, since 2013, Coach Michele is in a good position to give some personalized advice to any aspiring or relatively new agency owner looking to benefit from the counsel of an industry professional.
Today, she gives us 2 quick tips for the smooth operation of a new home care agency.
Quick Tips for New Non-Medical Home Care Agency Owners – Hiring
“Without caregivers, there would be no agency to operate. Unfortunately, the industry is currently facing a shortage of trained caregivers – a challenge that is not expected to go away anytime soon. Despite everything, it is still possible to find individuals who share the same mission as you, even if you will have to train them yourself. Some agency owners may think offering higher wages is the best way to deal with caregiver shortage – it is not. The best caregivers for your agency must be driven by your mission and vision as the agency owner and not by money,” advises Coach Michele.
So, how and where can a relatively new agency owner find caregivers who share their mission and vision?
According to Coach Michele, assembling the right team takes a lot of time, and it always starts with defining the agency’s mission, vision, values, and goals. Armed with these statements, it will be easier to hire caregivers who understand what working with the agency entails ahead of time, which could minimize caregiver turnover.
“While there are no guarantees, agency owners can increase the chances of hiring employees who share their mission, vision, and values through proper advertising. Some of the aspects of proper advertising include advertising in the right places, crafting highly informative job postings and clear job descriptions, and making your expectations, mission, and vision clear during the entire hiring process. As to where agency owners can find caregivers, – CNA schools, churches, career fairs, and online job sites like Craigslist, Indeed, Monster, Care.com, and others are great places to start looking. ” says Coach Michele.
Quick Tips for New Non-Medical Home Care Agency Owners – Caregiver Scheduling
“Scheduling caregivers is a balancing act that can cost you a client or two, and eventually, your entire client base, if not mastered and mastered well. One of the best signs that caregiver scheduling is on point is when all scheduled visits are being met without many or any hitches – meaning everyone is working when and where they are supposed to be working. Some of the best scheduling practices you can adapt as an agency owner include, creating and communicating schedules way ahead of time, implementing an attendance policy, and maintaining an on-call list of qualified caregivers to help you deal with expected and unexpected no-shows,” concludes Coach Michele.
Would you be interested in discussing what we have just looked at in detail? Perhaps you are in the process of setting up your non-medical care agency and would appreciate the guidance of a more experienced individual?
If yes, please feel free to get in touch with us here at Michele Lee Ellis Consulting, we will be more than delighted to hear from you!
Also, for more free tips on how to start and operate a successful home care agency from Coach Michele, please visit her YouTube channel @ I am Coach Michele.
Phone number: 888-462-8885
Office Phone Hours: Tuesday-Friday 9:30 am-6: 30 pm EST
