New York -- March 14, 2024
As we make our way through the 2020s, the world has seen a lot of changes. The world is becoming more digital and cloud-based, and there is an increasing demand for more reliable solutions. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated how prevalent instant support has become and how necessary it is as well. It is challenging to keep up with changing times, especially if your home care agency has done things a certain way for a long time. Some of the conservative thinking around home care is relying on old systems for management software, especially as budgets are being tightened and staffing shortages are becoming more common.
Getting out of your comfort zone is a key part of developing your agency for the new era, and to bring in new caregivers, patients, and other stakeholders. You want to be in a position of offering state of the art technology and up to date practices that your competitors are implementing. Your clients will become frustrated with outdated work or your staff will either fall into bad habits or become stressed with the added work of playing catch up. Your staff might take employment elsewhere, or your clients could be compelled to seek care elsewhere.
Working within outdated practices affects more than just the competitive disadvantages. The Department of Health audits are a major part of any home care agency practice, and it is an event that could really have a major effect on your business. If you are unable to pass your audit, then you could have to repay overpayments as well as other fees and reprimands. Having a management system that relies on manual reporting or has a faulty reporting system, there is a possibility of erroneous documentation. This makes the audit process harder. And that is not just because you might not pass the audit. The other risk is that the audit might just last longer than it could have, because the reports have to be generated manually or because the auditor needs some information from even further past that has to be found.
Why do some people hold onto previous beliefs? There are a few reasons why. The first reason is that starting a business costs a lot of money which can scare people. Further, while there is a plethora of good information, there is potential for someone to take in bad information or at least outdated information.Also, there are a lot of options for management software, and an agency owner might be convinced that they do not need a lot of new features. They could also think that they can try something manually and not know the benefits of automation or cloud-based platforms. It is a challenge to think about every little detail when starting a home care agency, and so it is important to really conduct your research and make a solid business plan. Part of that research would be to find the latest thought leadership and take in what they are staying, even if their suggestions would cost you more money.
HOW CARECENTA CAN HELP:
Carecenta is an easy to use management system that can be customized to your agency’s needs. The features, such as automated report generation, accounting, and payroll, will keep your agency running smoothly. You can stay in control of your agency, the money coming in and going out, and your recruiting and scheduling through Carecenta. This is a system that simplifies the processes through its advanced technology and future-thinking design.