Washington Home Care Association

The Washington Home Care Association was formed in 2005 to advance the field of Home Care in Washington State and support member home care agencies. WAHCA is the state chapter of the Home Care Association of America (HCAOA)

Agency News

Tech Tips for Home Care Businesses – Save Time and Money

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As a home care business, you can benefit from utilizing software-as-a-service, known as SaaS, products to operate more efficiently. Learn about what SaaS is and some available products to help save your business both time and money.  

TechTarget defines Saas “…as a software distribution model in which a third-party provider hosts applications and makes them available to customers over the Internet.” SaaS falls under the umbrella of cloud computing technology. The primary benefit of SaaS products is that you will not need to retain a large, in-house IT department. Your third-party vendor will handle tasks like routine maintenance scans, system updates, and software licensing. TechTarget lists other benefits of SaaS, including flexible payment options and automatic software updates.

Microsoft Azure provides a more comprehensive overview of Saas. Services include hosted applications, development tools and database management, operating systems, servers and storage, networking firewalls and security, and data center physical plants/buildings. By using Saas products, you will be able to utilize sophisticated applications, such as Customer Relationship Manager (CRM), that you otherwise may not have purchased. With SaaS, you will only pay for what you actually use, as your service package will automatically scale based on the usage level.

SaaS products will be a good fit for your home care business since most allow employees to work from anywhere. Employees are able to access your business network from any device connected to the Internet. They can check email and submit paperwork from client visits from the comfort of their own home.

Below are descriptions of just a few of the SaaS products on the market today:

  • Google Apps for Business: This service starts at just $5 per employee per month. With Google Apps, all your employees will have a company email address. You will receive 30GB of storage per user with the Basic edition. You can upgrade to the Business or Enterprise options if you require more storage space. Other benefits include 24/7 live customer support, easy data migration, and mobile device management.

  • Office 365: Microsoft’s Office 365 offers three service tiers. The business essentials package is $5.00 per user per month and includes email and services like SharePoint. The business premium is $12.50 and includes everything in the essentials package plus applications like Word and PowerPoint. The business option is $8.25 and includes everything the premium does except for SharePoint and Microsoft Teams. All of the tiers require an annual contract.

  • Citrix GoToMeeting: This product offers online meeting hosting services. The starter package is  $14/month for 10 users, with features such as unlimited meetings, screen sharing, and mobile applications. The most popular package is the pro, which costs $29/month, for 150 users. It includes all of the starter package features plus meting transcripts. The final package is the plus for $39/month and goes up to 250 users. An additional feature is an inroom link, which connects to your existing conference room system.

  • Concur: Concur is an SAP product and offers many services, including expense and travel management. You can also utilize Concur for automated invoicing.

PC Magazine compiled a list of its top 50 SaaS products for Small Businesses. Check it out and see which of these might be a good fit for you as you look to operate your home care business more efficiently.

5 Easy Ways to Get More Referrals From Your In Home Care Clients

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As a home care provider, your number one goal is to provide a safe and consistent support system for clients that improves their quality of life. And if you can snag a referral from them in the process, well, that’s just icing on the cake.

Providing helpful, compassionate care is the single best way to get more referrals from your clientele. But if that isn’t pushing your business as far as you’d like, you can take some deliberate steps to up your home care agency’s chances of getting a good referral.

1. Ask for specific feedback and learn from it.

This one’s so simple you’d think every home care provider would do it, but in truth, most don’t reach out for feedback unless there’s a specific problem. Even when things are fine, speak with your charges and their family members about your performance. There might be small issues they’ve felt embarrassed to bring up, or larger problems they’ve put off mentioning. Use this feedback to improve your performance—both for your client, and for your own experience overall. This important first step will put you in good stead for your future referral efforts.

2. Contact your happiest clients.

In your home care career, you’ve probably had a few specific clients who have absolutely loved you. They were thrilled with your services and trust you as much as their own family. These are the clients you want to contact.

Reach out to these clients and ask them if they have any friends or relations who might need similar services. They should be happy to advocate on your behalf and likely have access to plenty of others in similar situations who may need the help of a trusted caregiver. When done correctly, these advocates become de facto members of your marketing strategy—solicit their help and watch the referrals roll in.

3. Use referral cards.

Give your clients some extra incentive to refer others. Consider sending out referral cards every 3-4 months that offer a service discount when friends are referred to your agency. This is a relatively low-cost and simple way to stay front-of-mind with your clients and encourage them to take the steps to securing a referral.

4. Work with outside agencies.

Of course, your referral efforts shouldn’t be limited to your existing clients. Look outside your agency to other local organizations that may benefit from your services:

·       Doctor’s offices and medical clinics

·       Churches

·       Community organizations

·       Senior centers

You get the idea. Your community is full of aging individuals who could use the help of qualified caregivers, but may not know where to look. Have your management team network with these agencies to get your name out there.

5. Take advantage of online marketing.

While your primary clients may not be big into the online world, their families certainly are. Get active on social media and start building your brand. Facebook is a great place to start—use your company page to send out digital referral bonuses, information, and requests for feedback.

Focus on Your Relationships

Don’t underestimate the importance of working on your referral strategies. One of the most significant reasons consumers choose home care agencies is because the agency was recommended to them by family or friends.

But don’t get so caught up in marketing that you forget your main goal: Providing great care. Referrals come from great relationships. And if you’ve made this concept a core part of your home care philosophy, you should have no problem getting people on board.