The year 2020 taught organizations a great deal about the importance of emergency preparedness, the vital role caregivers play in mitigating the spread of infectious diseases and the possibility of unexpected circumstances regardless of how proactive an organization might be.
As home care organizations start looking forward to a new year and a new set of opportunities, it is important to reflect on the previous year and begin to forecast changes for the year ahead.
The Continuation of COVID-19
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a full list of COVID-19 waivers for healthcare professionals that is set to expire at the end of the public health emergency, with no end date forecasted.
- Preparation – Purchase the appropriate type and amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) now to avoid any shortages. To protect your clients and clinicians, make sure you have the capacity and ability to track and trend COVID-19 screening data and infection rates.
- Mitigation – Continue to educate your staff and clients about current trends with the most up-to-date information regarding the virus. Evaluate the effectiveness of your mitigation data based on screening results and hospitalization rates. Regularly seek out feedback from caregivers on what they need to feel successful by conducting surveys or focus groups.
- Vaccine Education and Administration – As vaccines become available, home care organizations will have a responsibility to educate their staff and clients on each manufacturer’s vaccine and its specific properties. Due to the uniqueness of the COVID-19 vaccine, there may be fear and confusion regarding who should receive the vaccine and which kind to choose. Additionally, your organization may be eligible for reimbursements that come with administering the vaccine to at-risk clients.
The Important Roles of Staffing and Technology in Home Care
While each state will be responsible for creating a vaccine distribution framework, the major roles that staffing and technology will also have in home-based care in 2021 will require organizations to make changes.
- Staffing
- Evaluate – Have your operations team analyze your current staffing levels and how they may have fluctuated throughout 2020. Create a staffing strategy based on your performance and your anticipated needs.
- Opportunities – Do you have any new business on the horizon in 2021? Decide what staffing levels this new business will require or what new types of disciplines you may need to recruit in order to meet this new demand.
- Technology
- Remote Work Is a Must – In 2020, working remotely became the norm for many organizations. Take the time to analyze if your team was able to work remotely effectively and if any noticeable technology gaps need to be addressed.
- Track Infectious Diseases – Invest in an intuitive home care software that includes data and reports related to COVID-19 screening, missed visits, infection rates, hospitalization and deaths to bolster your organization for ongoing success.
Analyzing your home care organization’s operations from the past year is an effective way to grow business and prepare for other inevitable changes. Examining staffing processes can lead to a higher retainment of clinicians and a better experience for clients, and investing in superior technology can ensure that all aspects of your organization are successful.
Axxess Home Care is a home care software that makes care easier, with a state-of-the-art scheduling solution, HIPAA-compliant documentation and a reporting center to manage business in real time.
