home-care-caregiver-retention

Although recruiting A+ caregivers can be difficult, the hardest part has become retaining them. There are no guarantees when hiring a new employee, as some plan to keep the job and others continue looking for a “better” one. So, what can you do to help your caregivers be happy with their job and lower your caregiver turnover? Here are three suggestions that could help:

Provide Ongoing Training

Constantly letting your caregivers know your expectations and offering them training will show that you support their development as a caregiver. It also shows that you want your clients to have the best care.

Aaron Marcum, CEO & Founder of Home Care Pulse, says caregiver training brings four distinct outcomes:

  1. It allows caregivers to feel and act more professional.
  2. It sets clear and understandable expectations.
  3. It builds confidence in their abilities.
  4. It reminds caregivers to focus on client satisfaction.

One major problem caregivers face is a lack of confidence. Proper training not only makes them better caregivers, it also creates increased client satisfaction for your home care business.

Listen to Your Caregivers

One of the biggest contributors to caregiver unhappiness is a negative work environment. If a caregiver complains about a client being unprofessional, rude or violent, listen to them and act.

To help with these difficult situations try incorporating the following five guidelines:

  1. Do not keep a caregiver in a situation where the client is inappropriate.
  2. If the caregiver is a live-in aid, set strict guidelines for the client’s family members.
  3. Listen to caregivers who feel uncomfortable with a client, and make sure you fully understand the situation.
  4. Be willing to put your caregivers first, letting go of any clients who threaten your caregivers’ safety.
  5. Let your caregivers know you’ll be their advocate in difficult situations.

Give Recognition

The number one way you can boost your caregivers’ job satisfaction is to give them recognition for a job well done. If a client or co-worker comments on the hard work of one caregiver, pass that on to the caregiver and add your appreciation as well. Nothing makes employees feel more valued than positive feedback from their boss. Try writing a thank you note, posting the recognition on a weekly update, or making recognizing excellent caregivers as “Employee of the Month.”

By incorporating these suggestions, you can ensure the environment your caregivers work in is a safe and encouraging place. Making your caregivers happier will reduce turnover and save your company the thousands of dollars associated with training new employees. And ideally, if and when your employees do leave, they will remember working for your company as a positive experience.

8 Comments

  1. Steven Harrison August 26, 2015 at 1:38 pm - Reply

    I’ve said it elsewhere and I’ll say it again here: individualization is key. Treat caregivers like unique people, because that’s what they are. If they were appliances being manufactured in a factory, you could treat them all the same as they whiz down the conveyor belt. But if you want to hold on to your caregivers, and help them provide excellent home care, you have to understand their unique needs.

  2. Drew September 22, 2015 at 9:44 am - Reply

    Good communication with caregivers is essential to having a good relationship between your loved one and the caregiver. These are great tips, thanks so much for sharing!

  3. Alex Lane November 16, 2015 at 8:13 am - Reply

    Thank you for giving this list. We are just now about to have a home caregiver come help with our grandmother. I think for a couple of us it will be hard to trust that the caregiver is a professional and knows what they are doing. However, I know the situation will be worse if we keep cycling through caregivers because of not giving them a good work environment. I will be sure to present this to the family in preparation.

  4. Deanna R. Jones November 23, 2015 at 4:32 pm - Reply

    These tips could really help provide caregivers the work environment they need to feel happy about where they work. Listening to their concerns seems like a great place to start. Taking the time to understand their concerns with a client is a good way to find the best way to provide care for a senior patient while still retaining your employees.

  5. Hannah December 10, 2015 at 1:58 pm - Reply

    Great post. Work environments like this are exactly the kind of opportunity that keeps caregivers motivated and inspired, as well as happy with their career. Thanks for sharing.

  6. Pancho Cham May 4, 2016 at 9:28 am - Reply

    I was looking to hire some in home care to help with my grandfather, and after reading I feel that it could be a very good decision. I’ll be sure to get the help that love doing what they do, and I’ll make sure that they can handle difficult situations. This way I can be sure that my grandfather is in good hands, and that they won’t get impatient or frustrated with him.

  7. […] There are no guarantees when hiring a new employee but following these three simple will help Provide Ongoing Training, Listen to Your Caregivers and Give Recognition.  By incorporating these suggestions, you can ensure the environment your caregivers work in is a […]

  8. […] There are no guarantees when hiring a new employee but following these three simple will help Provide Ongoing Training, Listen to Your Caregivers and Give Recognition.  By incorporating these suggestions, you can ensure the environment your caregivers work in is a […]

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