1. The
Top
5
Challenges
Facing
Home
Care
Agencies
in
2014
It’s
no
secret
that
growth
in
the
home
care
industry
is
on
the
rise.
More
new
agencies
emerge
on
the
scene
every
day.
This
is
good
news
for
our
aging
population,
but
makes
competing
in
an
increasingly
saturated
market
an
even
bigger
challenge.
Putting
your
agency
on
a
path
to
growth
in
2014
starts
with
understanding
these
challenges.
Let’s
take
a
closer
look
at
what
you’re
up
against
and
what
you
need
to
do
to
stay
ahead
of
your
competitors
this
year.
1.
Preparing
for
Increased
Demand
As
home
care
consultants
we
know
that
the
numbers
of
people
seeking
home
care
are
going
to
continue
to
grow
this
year
and
beyond.
According
to
iHealthBeat.org,
50
million
Americans
will
be
65
years
or
older
by
2020,
representing
approximately
17
percent
of
the
population.
With
more
aging
individuals
preferring
to
receive
care
in
the
comfort
of
home,
many
home
care
agencies
will
struggle
to
meet
the
growing
demand
with
qualified
staff
and
capable
caregivers.
You
will
want
to
start
preparing
for
increased
demand
by
ensuring
you
have
the
proper
systems
in
place
to
handle
it.
This
may
mean
upgrading
technology
or
hiring
a
home
care
consultant
to
help
update
your
policy
and
procedure
manual.
2.
Recruiting
and
Retaining
the
Right
Staff
Recruiting
qualified
caregivers
is
a
critical
part
of
growing
your
home
care
agency.
After
all,
satisfied
customers
are
the
lifeblood
of
referrals.
While
there
is
a
high
demand
for
skilled
staff
and
caregivers
in
the
field,
the
number
of
qualified
applicants
available
varies
around
the
country.
Some
regions
don’t
have
access
to
a
large
pool
of
well-­‐trained
staff—especially
those
agencies
located
in
areas
where
there
are
no
trade
schools
or
colleges
offering
home
care
education.
Once
staff
has
been
recruited,
home
care
agencies
must
find
a
way
to
retain
their
best
employees.
Pay
is
obviously
a
key
component
in
retaining
qualified
staff,
but
it’s
only
one
of
many
factors.
You
also
want
to
ensure
your
agency
provides
the
main
drivers
of
staff
satisfaction,
meaningful
work
and
appreciation
for
their
efforts,
as
well
as
a
comfortable
work

2. environment,
clearly
defined
responsibilities
and
expectations,
and
opportunities
for
advancement.
3.
Getting
Referrals
Some
areas
of
the
country
have
highly
saturated
markets,
often
making
it
difficult
for
a
home
care
agency
to
obtain
referrals.
Still,
the
first
step
to
increasing
referrals
in
any
market
will
always
be
providing
the
highest
level
of
care.
Home
care
consultants
can
provide
marketing
support
to
help
create
your
overall
marketing
plan,
web
presence,
and
print
advertising
you
need
to
get
the
word
out
about
your
business.
Your
lead
generation
strategy
can
include
everything
from
sending
eNewsletters
to
existing
clients
to
distributing
your
brochure
to
local
assisted
living
buildings,
physician’s
offices,
hospitals,
and
outpatient
clinics.
4.
Establishing
Partnerships
Establishing
valuable
partnerships
with
new
and
emerging
entities
like
Accountable
Care
Organizations
(ACOs)
and
Medical
Homes
is
key
to
growing
your
agency.
These
partnerships
provide
another
effective
way
to
improve
referrals.
But
securing
these
partnerships
presents
a
challenge
because
you
need
to
strategically
position
your
agency
as
a
value-­‐added
partner.
5.
Training
and
Education
Regulations
and
certification
requirements
are
constantly
changing
in
the
home
care
industry.
Your
agency
must
keep
policies
and
procedures
up-­‐to-­‐date
with
these
regulations
and
communicate
the
changes
to
staff.
This
process
requires
you
to
educate
employees
regularly
and
provide
training
to
improve
patient
care.
Consider
creating
monthly
or
quarterly
training
programs
in
addition
to
continuing
education
programs
for
caregivers
and
office
staff.
This
will
keep
employees
current
with
best
practices
and
stay
up-­‐to-­‐date
on
any
new
compliance
issues.
Tackle
all
of
this
year’s
challenges
with
the
assistance
of
an
experienced
home
care
consultant
like
Kenyon
HomeCare
Consulting.
We
can
perform
an
organizational
assessment
to
see
where
you
are
today
and
help
develop
a
strategic
plan
for
your
future.
Schedule
an
appointment
by
visiting
www.KenyonHCC.com
or
by
calling
206.721.5091.