In-home care services the quality of support provided to caregivers is crucial for maintaining the well-being of these essential professionals and ensuring excellent care for clients. However, with a growing demand for caregivers far surpassing the available supply, homecare agencies face significant obstacles in recruiting and retaining talented individuals. This shortage of caregivers highlights the importance of developing effective support programs that prioritize caregiver satisfaction and address their needs.
To learn more about what makes caregiver support programs successful and how agencies do this, we spoke with Laurette A. Foggini, who has much experience in this area. Laurette’s insights can help us understand how agencies can make caregivers happier and improve how they run their services.
Let’s explore Laurette’s insights to understand the key elements of successful caregiver support programs in-home care agencies.
Professional caregivers have many options. The demand for caregivers far exceeds the supply. A home care agency needs to treat good caregivers like gold – pay them a competitive wage, acknowledge their achievements, provide benefits, and address their concerns. Remember, it’s easier to find a new client than a great caregiver. Every member of the home care agency should connect with the caregivers and provide ways for the caregivers to improve their skills.
The best way to recruit caregivers is by word of mouth. The best thing one caregiver can say to another is, “You need to contact my agency! They provide the best pay benefits and treat us great.” Retaining good caregivers means understanding what motivates each individual – are they looking for certain hours, benefits, advancement? Don’t take anyone for granted. Take the time to understand their motivation.
– Laurette Foggini
Caregiver Apps are great, but they need to be easy. The home care agency staff should vet it to make sure it’s dummy-proof. Asking the questions and knowing the answers to: Can I log in offline? What happens if I forget my password? How do I report on shift activity – keep it simple.
Host caregiver events, remember their birthday and important dates in their life (anniversary, kids, marriage), and send or bring small gifts – it can even just be a card with a $5 gift certificate. It all makes a difference.
Training has to be mandatory and paid. No one likes to do it, so think of ways to make it easier. For example, if they work 24/7 (and many of them do), provide respite from a shift so they can do the training. Someone from the office needs to keep on top of expiry dates and coordinate outreach early in order to get caregivers in compliance. Rewarding/acknowledging those who excel in keeping things up to date doesn’t hurt either. Everyone enjoys positive recognition.
As you can see, Laurette A. Foggini’s insights provide a clear roadmap for enhancing caregiver support programs within homecare agencies. Caregiver agencies can nurture a supportive environment by emphasizing the importance of prioritizing caregiver satisfaction, acknowledging achievements, providing competitive wages, and addressing individual needs. Overall, this Expert Q&A was refreshing. We trust you’ll discover it as enlightening as we did.
Laurette A. Foggini is a compassionate leader in the caregiving field. With 16 years of experience in home care, Laurette has met with hundreds of families to help them navigate the complex world of aging and caring for loved ones. Her journey as a long-distance caregiver to her mother and sister guides Laurette’s empathic approach to supporting others. She holds current certifications as a care manager (CCM), senior fitness specialist (NASM), and a former senior advisor (CSC).
Laurette has written several books about caring and caregiving for children. Her books provide a heartwarming perspective on compassion and family bonds. Laurette shares her creative energy as an activity specialist with The Hummingbird Project, which is dedicated to helping those living with dementia experience joy and purpose. Originally from New York, Laurette has lived in Italy and Singapore. She is based in San Francisco, where she likes to hike year-round.
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