Home care agencies do important work supporting the activities of daily living, primarily for older clients.  Agencies have good intentions and seek to provide their clients – and their clients’ families – a high quality experience, as it is good for the client as well as for business. It’s a win-win.  

While each client is unique, with different preferences and needs, there are also commonalities and ways to enable agencies to consistently achieve high client satisfaction.  What do your seniors in the care of home care agencies want and how can agencies make sure their clients and their families have a positive experience?  Client satisfaction can be consistently achieved by being responsive to client needs, preferences, and concerns. Read on to find out how.

Building strong relationships with seniors and their families

Seniors often require companionship and emotional support in addition to basic care. First and foremost, agencies can benefit from fostering the ability for caregivers to build meaningful relationships with clients, treating seniors as more than the object of completed tasks. 

Engaging family and friends in a senior’s care helps agencies support their clients more effectively and with greater sensitivity.  These social connections are important to the senior’s well-being.  Regardless of where they are located, keeping family and friends up to date and involved in the senior’s progress, virtually or in person, strengthens bonds in ways that are beneficial to their well-being.  By sustaining strong relationships with a few key members of client families, agencies ensure a robust circle of people are aware of and concerned about the senior’s care

The agency’s focus can extend beyond the caregiver-client-agency relationship to achieve client well-being and satisfaction. Thinking more broadly about the role of the agency in the eyes of the senior and their family can go a long way in delighting them!

Fully Understanding and Crafting a Collaborative Care Plan

When the unique needs and goals of each client are clearly articulated, documented and accessible (to the right people), care can be delivered optimally. Involving those most knowledgeable about the senior’s needs and preferences – their Care Circle members –  in crafting their care plan is the best way to ensure a comprehensive assessment.  We call this collaborative care planning, in which the agency may take the lead, and incorporate contributions from the Care Circle admin (leader) and other members .  For example, the senior may have a  type of outfit she prefers and the Care Circle admin (typically a family member) may suggest the types of favorite – and healthy – snacks to have around the house or list recommended physical exercise programs. 

Collaborative care planning is what makes truly personalized care delivery possible, as it incorporates a comprehensive view of the way the senior would like to be, and needs to be, cared for.

Proactive and Effective Communication

Clear, consistent and proactive communication are the basis of constructive client relationships. Being responsive to client inquiries and concerns are table  stakes  but not necessarily distinctive. Anticipating needs and concerns, monitoring the care experience and raising potential issues and concerns proactively sets leading agencies apart.  This includes keeping key family members apprised of the senior’s progress and experience, and making sure that those who want to be involved are engaged.  This helps build trust and ensures that seniors  and families feel valued and very well cared for.

Empowering Quality Caregivers

All of the above hinges on caregivers who care about delivering an excellent care experience and are capable of doing so, as the quality of the client care is directly related to the quality of caregivers.  Agencies succeed by hiring trained, certified, and empathetic caregivers who can provide high-quality care and be an effective liaison between the client/families and the agency.  Being intentional about matching caregivers’ skills and personalities to clients also goes a long way to  positively impacting client satisfaction.  And by providing effective tools that replace excessive logistical coordination or inefficient communications channels, agencies relieve caregivers of the burdens of administrivia and free them to do their best work for the clients in their care. 

By focusing on these strategies, home care agencies can further satisfy their clients, ensuring they receive the personalized care and companionship they need to live fulfilling lives.  Mariposa  offers  a modern take on private duty homecare software, including an easy-to-use, user-friendly mobile app for family members and caregivers.  With the Mariposa app, families are able to actively participate in their loved one’s  care and caregivers are relieved from unnecessary calls to the office with questions so they can focus on caregiving and relationship building via direct access to their clients personal needs assessment and collaborative care plans

Team Mariposa