Home Care Evolution Quarterly - Spring 2023

Welcome

Evolve. Adapt. Transform. Thrive.

Welcome to Issue #5 of Home Care Evolution Quarterly!

Home Care Evolution Quarterly is for those home care business leaders who inspire to continuously learn in the industry. We exist to help you stay up to date on new trends and data from vetted contributing authors, all of who are experts in this industry.

This magazine is dedicated to helping YOU be on point in your:

● Sales & Marketing

● Operations

● Recruitment & Retention

● Financial & Multiple Revenue Streams

In this issue of Home Care Evolution magazine, the contributors and I provide you with current topics, breaking ideas, & practical strategies you will use to gain better ideas and solve bigger problems for new levels of success.

In this issue:

● Evolve Your Home Care Business

By: Steve “The Hurricane” Weiss

● The Keys To A Successful Payer Diversification Strategy By: Kristen Duell

● Marketing With Passion: The Key To A Successful Marketer By: Melissa Bagley

● Why This Is The Perfect Time To Open A Non-Medical Home Care Agency And How To Do It! By: Brian Machlis

● Changing The Culture of Care: National Caregiver Study By Brandi Kurtyka

● Three Quick Tips For Managing Multiple Locations Of Your Business By: David Posner

● Five Secrets To Improving Your Home Care Company Culture By: Dr. Aaron Blight

● Home Care In The Hands Of An Angel By: Sophia Weiss

If there is a topic that is important to you that you would like to see in a future issue, please contact me directly.

Sincerely,

steve@homecareevolution.com 848-444-9865

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

Evolve

Your Home Care Business

Steve “The Hurricane” Weiss is a dynamic and entertaining public speaker, known for his expert knowledge in all things sales and marketing. From a young age, Steve has been driven to succeed and excelled across vastly different industries. Steve founded Hurricane Marketing Enterprises in 2012 with a goal to help other business owners around the globe. Steve’s passion is to lead business owners on the path to find people in need of their services and convert these prospects into clients. His company’s mission statement is to help business owners increase their census, revenue, and profits. Through his programs and presentations, he has guided thousands of individuals to grow their organizations and continues to help them blow away the competition. With his dedication and hard work, Steve has developed a foolproof program that enables start-up companies to quickly get ahead of the competition while helping existing businesses experience an explosive transformation. Many of his clients double and even triple annual revenue in as little as 6 months.

https://homecareevolution.com

The industry has changed. The demand for services is greater than the supply to meet it. As a result, the challenge of finding adequate caregivers has become the primary focus of our business. It’s time to EVOLVE! This evolution will be accomplished in the following 3 phases of our company: Supply, Demand, and Support.

PHASE 1 – SUPPLY

We must offer the best employment packages and experience to get the very best caregivers. In essence, we’re going to be treating your caregivers as professionals. This means pay must be top of the market. With that also comes traditional compensation perks like PTO, Health Insurance, 401K, Tuition Reimbursement, and more. The benefit of doing this is it will allow us to have the strictest hiring practices around. We will be able to hire based on experience instead of out of desperation. We will be able to hold this “professional” to the highest standards: No call outs/no shows, providing a superior level of care, and fewer excuses.

Additionally, we will be able to change how we interview and hire. Instead of giving the job to every person who meets the basic requirements to be a Caregiver, we focus on selling all the great reasons why someone should work here. This builds excitement and a competitive spirit in the candidate to feel like, “I want to work here”. That will lead to creating demand in our market for CGs seeking employment. Once achieved, Phase 1 in the evolution process is complete. In Phase 2, we will discuss where the funds for this come from.

PHASE 2 – DEMAND

In the United States, there are over 45M seniors. Of this population, based on Medicare stats, we know

that approximately 15M of these individuals will go to the hospital yearly. We also know that of these 15M, 3M suffer from five or more chronic conditions and will be hospitalized several times this year. That’s our target customer. Our focus shifts from trying to service every one to providing care for those who absolutely must have care. This will allow us to be able to send our experienced and superior workforce into the homes of those who depend on that level of care. We will obviously have to increase our rates to pay for this workforce, and as a result, it will be at the discretion of the family and patient if they wish to move forward with our company. For those who choose not to, this is what direct hire companies like Care.com exist for. So, people with resources have options. We all know the risks associated with this, which is why an agency is always best, and we will revisit those in Phase 3.

In order to generate $5M in revenue, as all Master-level agencies do, this would net only about 100-120 new admissions, which is 2-3 each week. There is plenty to go around from that 3M target customer nationwide. Market to find these individuals as your Hospitals, Skilled Nursing Homes, Hospices, Home Health providers, and Assisted Living Communities. It will

take a full-time effort to generate the referrals needed to sign on 100+ patients. Using a 40% conversion ratio (as per the Masters), we would need to generate approximately 250 referrals/inquiries for services from those with the greatest need. Even in the smallest of territories, with a total population of 250k people, this is extremely doable (and I have had hundreds of companies I work with do so).

PHASE 3 – SUPPORT

The difference between hiring someone directly and going with an agency comes down to support. This is the reason why going with an agency is the BEST OPTION for patients with great needs. On top of

this, the level of support an agency gives varies from agency to agency. In this evolution, we must offer the most comprehensive support system to charge the highest rates to obtain the most experienced workforce, which justifies the higher cost. These two positions of need will give us confidence in our ability to meet the high expectations of a patient with great needs paying top dollar for service.

Field Staff – We must employ field supervisors, or as I call them, “Care Coordinators”, whose sole focus is visiting clients and caregivers during the work shift to support them. These CCs will perform field inspections including

but not limited to checking the cleanliness of the home, quality assurance of the patient, care plan compliance of the CG, addressing challenges the CG may have, and making sure that promises agreed upon when onboarding the patient are being met. They also will serve as a liaison between the office and CG while being the main point of communication with the patient’s family. Lastly, each CC should be able to manage around 30 patients/ CGs. This is a position of need for most agencies today!

Team Leads – A Team Lead is a guaranteed pay/on-call CG. This person is tasked with coming to the office every morning, Monday

to Friday, for 9:00 AM. We then assign them to cover every callout/ no-show to clients. This will serve as a failsafe/backup for these patients who absolutely must have someone provide care for them every day. They also will be the CG that opens new cases when you don’t have the permanent CG just yet. This will allow you to serve patients immediately and only help increase your demand for patients with the greatest need. Most agencies with Team Leads offering immediate start care charge a signup fee of around $250, which helps to offset the cost of having this position

of need. Lastly, having Team Leads, even if they have a day where they show up, and there isn’t work for them, will cost a lot less than having base rate caregivers work overtime hours, which is time and a half. So, this also saves us profitability on the bottom line.

Once these two positions are in place, we are set. We are able to take on great need patients, exceed their expectations of care through our experienced labor force, and with all the levels of support provided by field management, we will have the

confidence to grow our census. No more sleepless nights worrying about someone showing up for that night shift. Far fewer calls at 2:00 AM from a CG saying, “I didn’t know how to put my client in the bed properly, and she fell; we are going to the hospital.” More peace of mind in assigning a CG to care for a medically complicated patient. All these things will be ours when we evolve our business. If you want help setting your agency up like this, contact Home Care Evolution today!

https://homecareevolution.com

The Keys

To A Successful Payer Diversification Strategy

Kristen Duell has over 20 years of experience in the healthcare and home-based care industry, where she’s held positions from non-clinical caretaker to CEO. After making the shift to working in technology, she’s used her first-hand experience to invoke widespread industry changes with scalable solutions. She brings her dedication to mobilizing all factors of the pre- and post-acute care space to HCP in her role as Chief Marketing Officer.

https://www.homecarepulse.com/

You’ve probably heard the saying that you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket. The same goes for your payment reimbursements. As the home-based care industry continues to expand and post-acute services are becoming more in demand, agencies are perfectly positioned for growth by embracing payer diversification.

Through a diversified payer mix, agencies can meet the rising demands of healthcare and continue delivering superior care to their clients and patients.

WHAT IS PAYER DIVERSIFICATION AND SERVICE DIVERSIFICATION

While you likely know the nuances of payer diversification, it’s important to take a step back to understand the basics fully.

So, what’s payer diversity?

Diversified payers refer to the sources an agency uses to pay for clients’ and patients’ expenses. They include federal (Medicare), state (Medicaid), and private payers (commercial & self-pay, publicly traded insurance companies, and employer-funded benefits plans).

Service diversity, on the other hand, refers to the range of services an agency is providing and requesting reimbursement for. One payer is capable of reimbursing multiple services.

THE BENEFITS OF DIVERSIFICATION

Home care has evolved over the years, and how we approach payment and services has had to keep up the pace.

Clients and patients expect more comprehensive services, along with more payment options—and the agencies that can meet those needs are the ones who will continue to grow their businesses and provide more well-

rounded client and patient support.

The benefits don’t end there, though. Payer diversification sets a firm foundation for agencies to generate positive cash flow, build upon their operations, minimize financial health risks, strengthen referral source partnerships, and focus on providing value-based care—and it’s not just your agency that reaps the rewards. A diversified payer mix gives clients and patients comfort, knowing they can choose a provider that focuses on an individualized care plan without creating unnecessary financial burdens.

This also provides your staff with more options; the more diversified your payer mix, the more patients you’ll be able to care for, and the more opportunities there will be for your staff to take on more hours, learn new skills, and climb the career ladder.

IS YOUR AGENCY READY TO DIVERSIFY?

Whether you’re already invested in payer diversification or are looking to implement these strategies at your agency, there’s one question you need to be asking: Are we ready?

Diversifying too early could not only not yield the results you’re hoping for, but also exacerbate a weight that you’re not

yet ready to carry.

A self-audit of your business, your goals, who you are as an agency, and what processes you already have in place is a great starting point.

Here are a few questions you’ll want to ask as you’re gearing up for this change:

#1: Am I tracking key metrics that prove value to payer sources?

According to the 2022 HCP Benchmarking Report, only 21.8% of providers tracked readmission rates last year. Tracking the data and focusing on what you can do to improve is the first step to demonstrating your value to payer sources—and with so few agencies already doing this, it is a surefire way to stand out. If you haven’t already created a tracking program to capture these key metrics at your agency, there’s no better time to start than now.

#2: Am I holding regular meetings with my staff to proactively identify and address any problems that arise?

In your role as an agency owner, you’ve probably mastered the skill of juggling multiple priorities; however, this doesn’t mean you’re always aware of everything that’s happening in your organization.

In order to establish a solid foundation for payment diversification, you

must be proactive and ready for any challenges. This begins with open communication among your team members. By holding regular meetings, you have the chance to address any concerns or problems before they escalate into something that will negatively influence your reputation.

#3: Do I know how I will implement new procedures and ensure they’re followed by all staff members?

Significant changes to operations can take a toll on the productivity of your staff. By preparing ahead of time and putting strong procedures in place, you reduce the risk of unnecessary mistakes or confusion. Being prepared can save you time that might otherwise be spent on damage control in the future.

#4: Do I have enough office staff to handle additional administration as we begin to work with more payer sources?

More payer sources mean more work for your organization. Is your team capable of taking on more than they are currently doing, or do you have the budget to hire more office staff? If so, it might be worth it to explore how

your agency can utilize diversified payer sources.

When it comes to private pay, an issue with a client will only affect your relationship with that client; however, with other payer sources, a whole host of people can be affected.

Make sure you fully understand the requirements of each source you’ll be working with before deciding how to diversify. Diversified payer sources typically have more stringent requirements with more variance by the state than private pay, so it’s important to determine whether you have the appropriate internal tools and processes to meet the demands.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH PAYER SOURCES

The relationships you build with payer sources play a huge role in ensuring your diversification efforts succeed, and aside from being dependable, timely, and attentive, there are several other important things payers are looking for.

New payer sources want to see what you’ve done, not just what you do,

making your outcomes your most valuable resource.

The data you share, whether it be client satisfaction scores, caregiver satisfaction scores, your net promoter score, readmission rates, or fall rates, is a testament to your successes. With the ability to demonstrate your value through outcomes, you’ll gain a seat at the table with more payers.

Payers also want to know more about your reimbursement rates, time frames, billing, and more. To move forward in your relationship with these organizations, you must demonstrate your value and establish a clear line of communication.

WHAT CAN YOU DO NEXT?

Diversification might feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s how you should prepare:

● Be specific and intentional about your business goals

● Begin to diversify your payer set

● Form partnerships with agencies that offer a wide range of services

● Strengthen your relationships with referral sources

● Be proactive in managing compliance

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Never get stuck guessing what to do next for your business. Sign up for Home Care Evolution Daily today.

Marketing With Passion THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL MARKETER

Melissa has 20+ years of healthcare industry experience. She currently works for Home Care Evolution (formerly Hurricane Marketing Enterprises), where she coaches home care agency owners and their teams with their marketing, operations, recruitment, and retention needs. Melissa has extensive experience and success with all levels of home care companies, from start-ups to established ($10+ million agencies) home care companies across the country. Within the last few years, she has created and developed several coaching classes with Home Care Evolution, now being offered to hundreds of clients. Her most popular classes include, but are not limited to, “How to Market During Lockdown,” “How to Market After Lockdown,” and “Marketing Strategies using Medicare.gov”. Melissa prides herself on the tremendous knowledge and experience she has obtained during her career and continues to challenge herself and her clients to exceed personal and business goals. Prior to becoming a coach, she was a VP of Marketing and business partner for a home care nurse registry in Florida for 3.5 years. Melissa oversaw the marketing and business development of the company throughout the offices in Florida.

https://homecareevolution.com/

Ihave had the pleasure of working in the healthcare industry for over fifteen years, and within this time, I have been an administrator, VP of marketing, partner, and now a coach of home care. I would say, at least once a week, I get asked the question, “What should I look for when hiring a marketer?” This has been a question that I have struggled with mastering for many years, as I am sure any manager or owner can relate. I have hired countless rockstars over the years, and I have also hired some marketers that unfortunately failed to meet my expectations—trying to find that “unicorn” of a marketer that checked off every box I had required for the position was hard and sometimes seemed impossible. However, I can successfully say I have finally figured out what is needed to hire the “unicorn” I was always searching for, and that was making sure all my hires had passion.

I have found that passion is the core of success in home care. After analyzing every unsuccessful hire, I had made, with my successful hires, a personal story or connection was always the missing piece. This was what initially attracted them to home care, and it was also a necessity. A story, just like I had, was what created the passion and drive that all my successful marketers had kept them strong during all the ups and downs that home care inevitably entails. Therefore, the first thing I now ask anyone I am interviewing for a home care position is, “What is your story? What experiences have you had that make you want to work in home care.” The story that gave me a passion for working in home care first started with my grandfather.

My grandfather was an engineer for NASA, a strong German man that could do anything he put his mind to. However, when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, that quickly changed. I watched how this disease affected my grandfather and everyone around him. Alzheimer’s had turned my grandfather into someone I didn’t even recognize. He became violent at times, forgetful of basic tasks, ignorant of the things he once knew,

and simply unrecognizable. The feeling of helplessness I constantly felt when around him began to consume me, as I know it also had with my grandmother and the rest of my family, who loved him dearly. This was when it became my mission to learn and provide everything I could to help others who were dealing with Alzheimer’s, along with suffering from multiple chronic conditions just like my grandfather.

When searching for that “unicorn” and it gets to the interview stage, it’s essential to ask them about their story. You are looking for them to describe a story about someone close to them affected by a tragic disease, condition, or situation that impacted their life so drastically that they now put all their heart and soul into wanting to help others. This passion will lead to the success you are looking for. Anyone can be trained and taught all the tips and

tricks needed to work in home care, but the rockstars will have a story that will serve as the passion that fuels them to be that “unicorn”.

“If you are not passionate from the start, you will never stick it out.” Steve Jobs

Why This Is The Perfect Time To Open A Non-Medical Home Care Agency And How To Do It!

Brian is the Director of Start-Up Services for Home Care Evolution. Brian graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science Degree and has spent a large part of his career owning, managing, and developing small to medium business opportunities. Brian started in the home care industry over 20 years ago by first investing in a franchise system. It didn’t take long for Brian to realize the royalty expense of being in a franchise system, along with challenges such as not having entrepreneurial flexibility, being in a restricted or pre-defined geographic territory, and the disputes that occurred warranted a change. As such, Brian branded his own agency, brought on Steve “The Hurricane” Weiss as his Director of Business Development. Together they built up a large, profitable home care agency valued at over $10 million in sales per year in today’s money. Steve recently lured Brian out of retirement to lead the Start-Up Services Division for Home Care Evolution. It is an exciting time here at HCE.

https://homecareevolution.com/

The numbers tell the story. Home care is a booming business. The projections of our aging population in the United States are in obvious growth mode. Twenty years ago, the census of 65+ was approximately 36 million. This number is expected to double by 2030. Whether our country goes into a recession, our political landscape changes, or the stock market corrects itself, the aging population grows and spends regardless, as does the demand for non-medical services for seniors who prefer to stay home. This is guaranteed business now and in the future.

OVERCOMING MULTIPLE BARRIERS

What are the barriers to getting into this business? Money, time, and knowledge jump off the page first. As in any startup business, you need money to start. If you look at a franchise system to invest in, you can expect start-up fees to be at least $100,000. This accounts for a minimum initial fee of $50,000 to $75,000, let alone the costs for state licensing, lost income during the rampup period of at least three months, training of other staff, office start-up costs, vendor contracts, deposits, and more. If you are a caregiver working for someone else and think you can do a better job, make sure you have the financial resources, including the loss of income, to even consider going into this industry.

Of course, the payout and profitability are the ultimate rewards for a business entrepreneur, and it doesn’t hurt that you would be providing a valuable service that seniors truly need. There is a risk for the reward; not everyone makes it, but for those hungry and willing, there are few business opportunities out there to grow a business relatively quickly. Additionally, there are several “side” opportunities to increase revenue, such as offering Personal Emergency Response Systems, Managed Care Services, and Nurse Staffing.

GET THE BALL ROLLING

Money starts the ball rolling. You can’t open a business without money to invest. The next biggest investment is your time. There is a ramp-up period that includes time to learn the business, let alone the time it takes to turn a profit. If you are stepping away from a paid job to build a home care business, you need to be prepared to weather the financial storm of not having guaranteed work income to help pay the rent, groceries, and so on of your life, let alone new business expenses like office staff, rent, marketing, and more.

The actual time commitment to opening a home care industry is a minimum full-time investment, typically three months prior to opening your doors. It doesn’t stop there. Home Care services require full-time ownership involvement to run the operation properly to grow it. If you think opening and running a home care industry will be easy or doing this as part-time work to profitability, you are sadly mistaken and will be set up for disappointment.

Part of the time commitment is learning the industry, not just the caregiving piece, but all facets, including running an operation; creating and executing a sales and marketing plan, how to handle recruitment; how to stay in compliance with state and federal laws; how to handle HR functions like

I-9 compliance; managing finances; managing client needs, quality control oversight; billing, payroll and more. All of this is typical for your day-to-day operations, but what do you do to get started?

LAYING OUT THE FOUNDATION

Some of the obvious answers to getting started in this industry is to talk with your accountant or financial advisor. Again, you need money to start and operate your business while potentially giving up income from a current job. There is a risk, and it’s crucial to know your financial position before you start. Then what? It’s a smart idea to speak with an attorney. Are you planning on starting this business with a partner? If the answer is yes and you don’t have a formalized operating agreement spelling out responsibilities and more, your business or personal relationship could become problematic.

Franchise opportunities are still the biggest draw for new business owners. There are tons of them out there, but be careful. I started out years ago as part of a franchise system and despised it. It’s difficult enough to invest $50k or more just to have a defined territory, but the royalties make a difference in your profitability. That said, the industry standard royalty is 5% of your gross, which potentially strips away 25% or more of your profitability.

Add this staggering cost to your risk/ reward calculations, and then you start questioning if you are indeed working for yourself or working for the franchise system.

FINDING THE RIGHT GUIDANCE & MENTORSHIP

The truth is that you can try starting up a home care agency by yourself, but it’s a difficult road, and without guidance, the risk of failure or not achieving maximum ROI makes this a risky endeavor. There is a relatively new option available to entrepreneurs to break through the barrier to home care agency ownership and that is our StartUp Services Division at Home Care Evolution (HCE).

Home Care Evolution, formerly known as Hurricane Enterprises, has worked with hundreds of agencies consulting, training, coaching, and more.

According to Steve Weiss, President of HCE, “lack of industry knowledge combined with an unstructured sales and marketing approach are two of the major challenges that many home care start-ups face.” The company has already assisted hundreds of home care agency owners in increasing profits by streamlining daily operations and reducing workload, guiding home care agency owners through every step of their business launch, and offering support throughout the first year.

HOW YOU CAN EASILY GET STARTED

Seeing the growing need for this ever-increasing industry, Home Care Evolution launched a way to get started in the home care industry for less than half the costs of a typical franchise system. What’s more, we charge no royalties. HCE offers its Ultimate Home Care Start-Up Program to

entrepreneurs. Here is a highlight of what’s included in the program:

On Day 1, you are assigned a business coach to help you through a structured program that is customized to your individual needs, along with workflow steps for task completion from the day you start with us until the day you open your doors. Even then, we are here for continued support.

Understanding your potential organizational structure is a good starting point. We ensure demographics are properly investigated for your best chance to work in an area that can support your short-term and long-term goals and vision. HCE customizes a working Business Plan which includes an analysis of your strengths and weaknesses; cash flow analysis to stay within budget; projections to show when to expect breakeven; a sales and marketing plan, and more.

Home Care Evolution’s team of nurses and other experts on staff research ensure proper licensing and compliance guidelines are met. They provide you

with approximately 250 hours of training and guidance to learn how to operate your very own agency; best practices in recruitment; how to onboard new employees, and more.

HCE helps establish a corporate identity, including assistance with setting up your LLC or S-Corp, and guiding you through the licensing process, depending on which state you will operate in. While your training is ongoing, we will start on your logo design, brochure creation, website design, and more. Having a personal coach going through your homework assignments is a huge benefit. We customize your Employee Manual and Client Services Manual to make it your own while complying with state and federal regulations.

Need business insurance specific for the home care agency or where to run background screens? HCE has you covered and offers some of the best vendor relationships in the industry, including significant savings on Liability and Workers’ Compensation specific to this industry. Even the website we create for you is loaded with extras above and beyond what an independent or franchise system offers. We provide your website with a custom logo design, along with cutting-edge Search Engine Optimization and Live Chat features to capture new business leads and recruit directly from your site.

Essentially, when you sign up for our program, you’ll never have to worry about being alone or struggling while you wonder what you should do next.

We’re with you every step of the way so your business can thrive through its first year!

https://homecareevolution.com

Changing The Culture of Care

National Caregiver Study

Brandi Kurtyka is the CEO of St. Petersburg-based MissionCare Collective, the parent company of myCNAjobs, CoachUp Care, and MissionCare. Brandi started the business with her husband Nathan nearly eleven years ago and is now on a mission to change the culture of care. Supported by a nationwide team, MissionCare connects millions of caregivers to work and training each year and serves more than 8,000 companies. Brandi and Nathan reside in Snell Isle with their four kids, Sofia, Simon, Estelle, and Isaac, and enjoy solving hard problems, spending time on the water, and serving those less fortunate with a passion for helping people.

https://www.missioncare.com/

Home care agency owners seeking to attract, recruit, and retain home care providers are only focusing on one key persona - caregivers with past experience that want to build a career. However, there are six distinct personas in the industry with various backgrounds and motivations. By understanding the labor pool, agency owners can be better equipped.

THE PROBLEM

Since March 2020, providers have seen a 23% decrease in-home care aides working for them, and with nearly half of all direct care workers leaving the field every year, 85% of home care agencies are reporting turning away cases.

By 2040, 81 million people in the U.S., 65 years or older, and people turning 65 today have a nearly 70% chance of requiring long-term care and support. The caregiving workforce needs to increase by 8.2 million workers to accommodate future needs.

Despite the high demand for caregivers, too few people are entering the profession, workers are leaving in droves, and companies are plagued with high turnover. Wages are low, and competition for hourly workers post-pandemic has never been greater. There’s a major financial stress on direct care workers that are often found in positions caring for themselves and their own loved ones while trying to make ends meet serving others professionally.

THE OPPORTUNITY

I envision a world with a changed care culture. A world in which it’s attractive to become a caregiver, there’s pride in the work, a respect for the profession, there are more career pathways in and upwards, turnover is stabilized, leading

to better patient care outcomes, elder abuse is decimated, caregivers not only love their patients but the companies they serve, and people that need care, receive it when and where they need it from well-trained and satisfied professionals. It’s a big vision, but if the industry works together, we can get there.

Out of a desire to transform our industry, MissionCare Collective and the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) partnered on a large-scale study to take a deep dive into the amazing people behind the profession. The world’s largest data company evaluated 67,000+ caregivers, CNAs, and Home Health Aides that were seeking work via myCNAjobs.com between March 2022 and July 2022. The study includes key demographic, religion, income, hobbies, and other insights and reveals the seven key personas of a caregiver.

In evaluating the data, a major opportunity presented itself. Today, home care providers are primarily seeking one and only one key persona – caregivers with a past care experience that want to build a career as a caregiver. However, there are six other distinct personas working as a caregiver. If the industry thought differently about how to attract, recruit, and retain each

persona, there’s a clear path toward expanding the labor pool.

STUDY INSIGHTS

Ninety percent of CNAs are female and 85% of Home Health Aides are female. The majority of caregivers are Black and Hispanic, followed by Caucasian.

Although caregivers focus on caring for other people, they are often found needing to care for themselves. Direct care workers are three times more likely to struggle with anxiety and depression and report a variety of ailments, including pain, weight management, allergies, and digestive issues.

Religion is important, with 70% of caregivers reporting as Protestant, 25% Catholic, and the Bible being the number one book they are currently reading.

The financial stress is high, with 59% of caregivers having a net worth of less than $24,999, 59% having $0 in discretionary income, and 54% receiving some form of public assistance. Many workers are struggling to support themselves and their families financially and aren’t well equipped for financial emergencies as 90% don’t have access to an active credit card. Despite financial hardship, caregivers are two times more likely

than the average U.S. population to donate to causes they care about.

CAREGIVER PERSONAS

The study identified seven key personas of individuals working in care. Personas are a powerful foundation for building recruitment and retention strategies as they help teams understand who to target, how to target, where to target, and what motivates and inspires someone to take a job and keep a job. Strategies of how to recruit, engage, and retain each persona are included in the full 2022/2023 Workforce Report, available free to download. Below is a summary.

∙ Career Caregiver. The age varies for Career Caregivers, and their defining trait is having worked in the profession for 3+ years. They most likely don’t hold jobs outside of care and desire full-time hours. Client match is of utmost importance. This is the persona that most agencies are targeting today.

∙ Young and On The Move. Young adults aged 18-24 are a mix of students and working professionals. Unlikely to have children and live on a limited income. They have a hunger to grow and enjoy connecting with brands and working jobs that don’t get in the way of life.

∙ Empty Nesters. Young retirees or near-retirees enjoy spending time with their grandchildren, daytime television, and sewing. Living on a limited income, they also enjoy getting out of the house and shopping for personal care and apparel items.

∙ Caring On The Siders.

Middle-aged women are not likely to have children that tend to work in hourly jobs ranging from care to call centers to retail and fast food. Transient in work, heavy internet users, listen to R&B music, and enjoy donating to liberal and cultural causes.

∙ Oodles of Offspring. Young female households, often with multiple children. A mix of renters and homeowners with limited income, they enjoy spending money on their kids and putting family before work.

∙ Still Going Strong Retirees. Females in their 60s enjoy spending time with their grandchildren and getting out of the house. Living on limited discretionary income, they are somewhat concerned about having enough money to retire.

∙ Single Moving Mommas. Single moms move around frequently, have below-average discretionary income, and are most likely a renter. They value connecting with brands, discount stores and worry about making ends meet to support their kid(s).

“The people in the direct care workforce are doing important, demanding jobs, and they deserve respect and fair compensation. Talk is not sufficient. We need action to address this problem, and as an industry, we cannot work in silos,” says Bill Dombi, NAHC President and partner in the 2022/2023 workforce study. “By joining together, we can succeed.”

To learn more, download the study here: https://www.missioncare.com/

3 QUICK TIPS For Managing Multiple Locations Of Your Business

David comes to the HCE team with a professional background in sales, marketing, operations, and business development. David started his career in the healthcare industry over ten years ago as a pharmaceutical sales representative. His sales success and innate leadership quickly led him from sales representative to the sales management development program, where he was able to aid the marketing team in launching new products, train sales representatives on iPad technology and manage the inside sales team. David’s passion for seniors brought him to a private homecare company as the Executive Director, where he oversaw the Maryland, DC, and Virginia branches. Over the next three years, he helped increase the revenue to over $12 million, and when he moved to the position of Regional Sales Director, he doubled the size of the sales force. Recently, David joined forces with another private duty company as the VP of Business Development. His focus has been to create and oversee the company’s first outside sales team, leading the team to over $2 million in sales within the first year.

https://homecareevolution.com/

You opened your first location just trying to help out a few families. You worked hard, got the right people, and your business slowly grew. Now you have more employees, more families, and multiple locations. A good problem to have, but still a juggling act, nonetheless.

In this article, I will focus on three core areas you can target to help your growing business run more smoothly: Hiring/Training, Technology, and Teamwork/Morale.

HIRING AND TRAINING

The most important aspect of any organization is its people. It is imperative to not only hire the right people but place those people in the right positions, making sure they are working in an area that highlights their assets while allowing safe room for growth in areas of deficit. This can be difficult now more than ever when so many companies are hiring and managing employees remotely. The first thing you might want to consider is utilizing a recruiter.

A recruiter can narrow down top talent for you and present candidates that meet your criteria. The first position to consider when hiring staff for multiple locations is an office manager. Someone who can oversee all locations, if possible. This might look like someone who lives or works at the main location but is within reasonable driving distance of the other areas. Look for someone who is independent and able to make decisions regarding day-to-day tasks without you. After they are hired, the office manager should ideally interview and hire their own team.

This may seem like letting go of a lot of control. You will, of course be part of the process and give the final approval, but allowing the office manager to recruit their own team ensures that the people who are working for them mesh with their style of leadership, and at the

end of the day people are more likely to work hard for a manager they respect, trust, and have a rapport with.

Once the team is hired, everyone should sit through the same corporate training. Although it may seem monotonous to train multiple locations in the same exact way, it creates consistency throughout your organization. Policies and procedures should be uniform regardless of where the business is located so that the client knows they are getting the same level of fantastic service wherever they see your company’s name.

TECHNOLOGY

Technology makes everything easier, faster, and more cost-efficient. You will want to implement an easy-to-use system that will not only keep everyone on the same page but avoid any communication breakdowns.

You can opt to train your team online or in person, but after the training, materials can be stored online so anyone can access them for a refresher. An easy way to allow quick access to materials is by creating short videos for each topic. This way, people who don’t want to sit and read the information can also listen to it while doing something else. If you want to verify comprehension of material, you might embed a test at the end of the training

to make sure all pertinent information was retained.

With regards to billing, even if you use QuickBooks or a similar program, you will want all the accounting to be done through a central location. I strongly discourage billing, accounting, and payroll from being done at the individual location level. Have families with billing issues or caregivers with pay issues call the main office, not the local location.

The other area that technology can have a beneficial impact on is the sales team. Using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, the sales reps can track their calls from anywhere, and their manager can easily link up with them in real-time. Ideally, you want a CRM with an app, so the rep can quickly input the details of their calls and set up tasks and reminders to follow up as they move from location to location. Examples of my favorite CRM software include (Salesforce and ClearCare).

If it is within your budget, have an IT person at the main headquarters to help with minor concerns throughout all locations.

TEAMWORK/MORALE

Finally, let’s touch on the importance of teamwork and morale. The biggest concern companies face

is employees feeling like they are not part of a team when they are working remotely or in the field. As a manager, it is your job to visit each of the sites; I suggest going monthly. While there, you can do an intake to ensure the location is up to health standards and that staff appropriately interacts with families and each other. This is a great time to give positive feedback to your team. Show appreciation for a job well done and call out people who are doing the job the way it should be done. Be sure to name the behavior.

An example of this would be: “John, I noticed you reached out to that family after hours. I know that took time away from your family, and I’m sure they really appreciated it. Thanks for going above and beyond.”

In addition to personally visiting each site, you can build rapport throughout the sites by holding company-wide events such as summer picnics, winter holiday parties, and Zoom sessions. There are companies you can hire to host virtual parties like game nights or teach everyone how to mix cocktails at their own homes on Zoom after hours.

People work harder for someone they respect and trust. Respect and trust are not given; they are earned. Just because you are someone’s manager, it does not mean they will automatically trust or privately respect you. Keep communication open with your team members. Talk to them individually, listen to their concerns, and offer viable solutions. Follow up with them to see how they are doing after they come and discuss a difficult topic with you. Show an interest in what they do for fun or as a hobby, and learn their kids’ names so that you can ask them about these topics when you see them.

Keep everyone on the same page regarding numbers. As an owner, have quarterly or monthly calls letting everyone know what is going on with the company, not only financials but potential acquisitions or programs that might be coming down the pipeline.

This is also a great opportunity to show recognition. Have the team managers recognize one or two people: this might be for business or personal celebrations. Examples include new contracts, company tenure, birthdays, anniversaries, adoptions, births, and new puppies! Everyone likes to share good news.

Set up a feedback loop. Not all concerns need to go through HR. Give your employees access to you instead by setting weekly calls or meetings with your area managers. This allows them an opportunity to bring concerns to you first before climbing the corporate ladder. Often you might be able to find a solution to a problem before it needs to be sent up to HR. You can also ask your managers for weekly progress reports not only from a numbers POV but from a morale point of view. You should also push them to be talking to their teams regularly so they have a good sense of who

might be leaving and why or who might want a transfer. But having open communication will make the employees feel heard and have a sense of teamwork.

Managing multiple locations may seem like a juggling act, but if you follow some of these steps it won’t feel so much like a circus.

https://homecareevolution.com

FIVE SECRETS To Improving Your Home Care Company Culture

There are home care company leaders who talk about their organizational culture as if it’s something completely under their control. I’ve heard such leaders assert that organizational culture is as simple as writing a mission/vision/values statement and posting that on the wall. Culture is so much more than that. Peter Drucker, a prominent management consultant, famously said that “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” In other words, no matter how brilliant your business strategy might be on paper, the people on the team can ultimately determine the success or failure of your plan.

It’s the people on the team who collectively shape your home care company culture. Culture has been described by a noted organizational scientist as “the pattern of basic assumptions that a group has invented, discovered, or developed in learning to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration.” While that definition sounds academic, it’s

also a thoughtful and enlightening way for leaders to think about organizational culture.

A positive culture within your home care company will accelerate your growth and enable you to tackle challenges in a productive manner. On the other hand, if your home care company is riddled with a negative

culture, your team will never fully recognize its potential because your people-related challenges will impede progress.

If you think there is room for improvement in your organization (and there usually is), please take note of these five secrets to improve your home care company’s culture.

1. MAKE SURE THAT YOU WALK THE TALK.

The first key to improving your organizational culture is to align your behavior with the espoused values you wish to see manifested throughout your home care company. A leader who pays lip service to virtuous principles without personally applying them is at risk of losing the respect, command, and commitment of their team.

2. REMEMBER THAT CULTURE IS ABOUT MORE THAN WHAT YOU THINK.

Sometimes leaders can be blind to their own organizational culture. Please don’t fall for the trap of believing that the mission/vision/values statement you personally wrote defines your home care company culture. If you consider culture to be both shared and constantly evolving, you’ll become more perceptive of what is actually happening within your company.

3. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOUR EMPLOYEES SAY AS WELL AS WHAT THEY DON’T SAY.

Cultural influencers are keen observers. Look for indications of culture throughout your home care company, from the physical environment to the things employees say. Listen to how your employees talk about their work. Ask yourself: What values are reflected in the indications of the culture you observe? What assumptions or values are revealed in the things your employees say or don’t say? Why do such assumptions or values exist?

Using these secrets to improve your home care company culture will also help you to become a more effective leader.

Please remember that influencing organizational culture is more than checking a box on your task list. It

4. DEAL WITH TEAM MEMBERS WHOSE WORDS OR ACTIONS SHOW THEY ARE “NOT A GOOD FIT.”

It’s been said that one bad apple can spoil the barrel, and that applies to organizational teams. You might be tempted to ignore your home care company’s bad apple, but don’t. I learned this lesson the hard way when I owned my home care company and downplayed the effects of a problematic but dependable employee. After I finally removed my bad apple, I couldn’t believe how many of the remaining team members told me the office felt “lighter.”

5. CREATE SYMBOLS REFLECTING THE VALUES YOU WANT YOUR HOME CARE COMPANY TO EXEMPLIFY.

Create explicit and implicit ways to convey the values you want to prevail in your home care company. As you open your mind to possibilities, you will discover that these can be anything from office modifications to employee recognition programs, from company tag lines to business processes, and from storytelling to artistic products. The interpretive meaning of your creations may be expressed or implied—but the accompanying symbolism will help your employees develop a shared understanding of what is important in your business.

is necessary for you to continue to communicate, directly and indirectly, the elements of the culture you wish to emphasize in your home care company.

Changing organizational culture takes time and cannot be forced.

However, as you maintain focus and routinely draw upon the five secrets to shape your home care company’s culture, you will see signs of progress.

HOME CARE IN THE HANDS OF AN ANGEL

Is a Child of God. She is a mother of 3 and grandmother of 6. She is the matriarch of her family and has spent her life taking care of others. Now in her greatest time of need, an “Angel” named Andrea came to answer the call to service.

Hi, my name is Sophia. I’m Steve’s mom, you know, from “Home Care Evolution” fame! I would like to share a little story about a very special lady in my life.

Firstly, a little of my background, so you can understand just how this special lady got to be part of my life. I owned a small school in Sayreville, NJ, where I was everyone! I was the owner and principal, a teacher, a tutor, you name it, and that was my job. I loved it, and I was living my “best life.” I did this for several years, but slowly the stress involved in running the school and keeping ahead of the declining economy began to take a toll, and unfortunately, in 2015, I suffered my first stroke.

Suffering a stroke was devastating! I lost everything: my home, school, and income source. It would be a year before I could partially recover, and that time was spent in a nursing home. I thought my life was over. I thank God for my family, who saw I got only the “best” care. When I finally got to go home and live on my own again, I was fortunate enough to be placed with a wonderful caregiver. She was a lovely young lady but was not with me very long. In 2017, I suffered another stroke. This one was not as terrible, but nonetheless, a setback. During this time, there were many caregivers who went in and out, and sad to say, some not so good.

But in 2019, I met Andrea, and my whole life changed. This sweet lady came to me from a local agency in my area, they highly recommended her, and they were sure we would be a good fit. Andrea Benedict was originally from Philadelphia, where she worked as a clerk typist for 18 years for the city of “Brotherly Love.”

Andrea was a no-nonsense gal with plenty of common sense and an intelligent demeanor that won me right over! She was fun and comical,

yet cool and serious all at the same time. She knew her craft and was amazing at it. You see, even though she worked for law enforcement, Andrea was a natural caregiver long before. She raised her niece and nephew from a young age, helping

her sister. Then later, to take on her mother’s declining health until the end of her life, all while singlehandedly raising the children and working full time. She committed to all of them tirelessly.

After the children were grown and on their own, she met the love of her life, Mr. Donald Benedict. She and Don moved to Toms River (his home) and began life together. Andrea, although happy, still missed working, and after much thought, took a few courses to become a CAN; she was a natural at it. Why? She believes this line of work must come from the heart and the soul.

You must always be learning from your patients and their families. “Treat people like you want to be treated”; “be a comfort to them, as well as a companion “; “be caring and protective, but not enabling “; “encourage growth and progression, without being impatient “; and “always set the example”!

This lady is truly an undiscovered

gem. From her lessons, I grow stronger every day. I have learned always to do my best but know my limitations. To be happy and confident with this new chapter of my life, living to the best of my abilities. Andrea is a confidant, nurse, friend, sister through Christ in faith, and daughter, all at once. I love this lady and know she’s heaven-sent, even though she always tells me

she is just doing what she hopes someone may do for her someday.

My family and I are beyond grateful for Andrea’s care and incredible generosity. There isn’t enough money that I could ever hope to pay her for all the good she has done for me. God could not have sent me a brighter angel. I love cooking for her and sharing stories about our lives.

She is so amazing and wise. While I know she is fond of her job, I know the day will come when she must leave, as she wants to travel, spend time with family and the grandnieces and nephews, and of course, “Mr. Don.” If I’m still around at that time, I will be sad, but even though I will miss her terribly, it is for the greater good, hers and mine.

For now, I will love this special lady with a heart and soul of gold. Thank you, Andrea, my special caregiver and my friend. ❤️

“Why We Care – Choosing the Right Home Care Agency”

This book, which already reached bestseller status on Amazon, is designed to help the millions of individuals and their families who must navigate the challenges of caring for aging parents and outline their options.

“Why We Care” provides essential insight into choosing a home healthcare agency from those in the industry, along with stories from real people who found solutions to help their parents age in place with the dignity and grace they deserve.

“This book was written so that we could tell the story about home healthcare for people who need it and the families who have to make that decision,” said Steve “The Hurricane”™ Weiss, co-author of the book, co-founder of the Institute of Dignity and Grace, and CEO of Hurricane Marketing Enterprises.

The book was co-written with home care agency owners and professionals, Haytham Najjar; Lynn Marie Houghton; Sandra Dougherty; Vikki Kalitsi; Judy Loubier, PT, CSA CDP; Nicole Peretti; Krista Gaul; and Kunu Kaushal, CSA. Published by the Institute for Dignity and Grace, “Why We Care –Choosing the Right Home Care Agency” is available on Amazon ($17.99 and Kindle version for $4.99).

Everyone will eventually need some type of home healthcare services and choosing what form that care will take can be overwhelming. “Why We Care – Choosing the Right Home Care Agency,” provides readers with essential information in a positive way on aging parents, aging at home, and aging with dignity and grace.

Proceeds of the book go towards The Institute for Dignity and Grace.

Buy your copy from Amazon here.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/ B075SJ99P3/

To buy wholesale as gifts to your clients and industry partners, call us at 732-414-6155