Home care agencies are in the business of helping people, delivering value and improving their lives. Traditionally, agencies work like this: they get clients,  hire caregivers, and deploy caregivers to help your clients. Beyond this however, there is a clear win-win opportunity for agencies to optimize the experience they offer their clients from the very first day they meet them. 

Read on to discover how home care agencies can increase the value they provide to their clients throughout the client’s care lifecycle, why you should consider doing so and how to put this to practice today.  

1 –  Build trust by offering something of value before they become a paying client 

Initial consultation meetings are the first opportunity for agencies to get to know the senior and the family, introduce the types of care they provide and understand the needs of the senior. This is also where the initial assessment of needs is conducted. Agencies take notes and agree on next steps. Next steps may include getting started with assigning a caregiver and scheduling shifts right away. Sometimes, the next step is for the client to take some time to make a decision to move forward with a home care agency, and more importantly, do so with your agency. 

For those that are not moving forward right away, it’s up to you, the agency, to follow up with them periodically to check in to understand where they are in the care journey and the decision to get professional care. This series of interactions represents a valuable opportunity for home care agencies to differentiate their care services and demonstrate that you care even before they become clients.  

You can start building trust with your prospects from day one. You already understand the types of needs that are required from the initial meeting(s). What if you act with the information that you already have?  For those that have not yet decided on getting outside assistance, check in with the prospective client and family periodically to see how they are doing in caring on their own for the senior, and provide value-add advice for family caregivers. In short, what if you started immediately treating the senior and the family like they were already your clients?  

In addition, for the families who may not quite be ready to bring in outside help yet, offer a tool for the family to get organized around the care for their loved one and better collaborate across the family members in delivering the care. It is akin to going into a car mechanic and getting some solid advice on how to address a car issue DYI-style before deciding on a pricey repair instead of only getting a pushy sales pitch on the repair. The idea is to empower and support your clients to choose if and when to bring in outside help and when the time is right, to decide on your agency to be that partner.

2 – Empower the caregiving experience while delivering care

Once a prospect becomes a client, to deliver enhanced care experiences, it is important to create Care Plans customized to meet the client’s needs and preferences. This ensures that the care provided is relevant and addresses the specific challenges the senior faces, whether physical, emotional or social. By considering the client’s personal history, lifestyle and values, as well as specific preferences, home care agencies and families can together create a plan that aligns with their desires, promoting their dignity and respect.

The benefits of a comprehensive care plan extend beyond just meeting the client’s immediate needs. Through collaboration, it allows for adjustments as their conditions or preferences change, ensuring that the care provided remains beneficial through time. This flexibility is crucial in maintaining the client’s well-being and delivering improved outcomes and enhanced value, allowing the plan to evolve with the client’s circumstances. In addition, collaborative care planning can lead to a stronger relationship between the client and the caregiver (and thus the agency), fostering trust and a sense of empowerment for the entire care team. When clients and families feel understood and supported, they’re more likely to engage in their care, leading to better outcomes and a higher quality of life.

3 – Sustain trust as a partner to the clients and their families throughout their care journeys 

In this business, it is important to play the long game. By looking at your clients as having multiple stages – prospects who become your clients, then they move onto other types of providers – and ensuring you serve a valuable role to them in every stage, you are seen as a trusted partner throughout their care journey for the senior and every member of his/her family.  

The power of this sustained partnership should not be underestimated. There are opportunities to support seniors across the entire continuum of their care, and family members may become future clients and/or bring you other referrals. Value knows no bounds and is transferred across trusted relationships.  Imagine what that can do for your home care agency.  

What are the benefits, and why should agencies strive for these?

Expanding client reach can create significant benefits for agencies, clients and their families.

Benefits for the Agency:

• Increased rates of conversion from prospect to client from trust built and value delivered from day one
• Increased ‘stickiness’ of services with clients and families
• More client and family referrals and higher client lifetime value

Benefits for Clients and Families:                                     

• No more pushy sales pitch from agencies
• Ability to better organize, communicate and collaborate with the agency, caregivers and family members in the care of a loved one
• Better outcomes through highly personalized care

 

How does the Mariposa help you extend client reach?

Mariposa Technologies has specifically designed its solution to assist homecare agencies to extend client reach and value. Through its modern homecare software platform and mobile app, home care agencies increase the scope and value they deliver to their clients and families, and thus also the lifetime value of each client. Stay tuned for the next blog post for how to leverage the Mariposa platform and mobile app as a value-add tool to increase the value of the relationship with your prospect from day one and grow your business one prospect at a time.

Team Mariposa