After the Pandemic: Roadmap to Private Duty Agency Success

In the middle of a pandemic – indeed, amidst a growing second wave of COVID-19 for many countries – it can be difficult to think about an “after” scenario, when the world returns to some semblance of normal. What a year. 

Yet therein lies the issue, as what we remember as normal in 2019 will not return to our industry as we know it. That’s not inherently a bad thing though: like all the waves of change private duty agencies have endured in recent years – from new payment models and government regulations to the growing shortage of skilled staff and issue of employee churn – it’s important to view what’s happening as an evolution. We’re all evolving together, and agencies face the task of adapting in order to continue to grow and provide their vital services to those who depend on them.  

To do this, it’s important to have the right tools in place to ensure a seamless pivot regardless of unforeseen events – pandemic or otherwise. This approach starts with innovative, intuitive software.  

Home care isn’t one-size fits all. Software shouldn’t be either. 

Just as there is no uniform approach to the delivery of home care, there is no standardized software that runs through the industry. A one-size-fits-all approach to technology simply doesn’t work for agencies, because of the many complexities and unique needs of each business.  

The roadmap to success, to prepare for whatever the future may bring, is to seek out and deploy software that is flexible and interoperable so that it can serve as the foundation of an agency to help scale as needed, shift with the times, meet emerging needs of clients and payers – and keep operations consistent throughout.  

This foundation ensures that agencies have solid footing on which to grow their operations and subsequently boost client outcomes, with all teams empowered to focus on providing the best possible care.  

Where to begin: a 2020 software buying guide 

While “change is the only constant in life” as they say, it can be challenging to get change right, straight out of the gate, when it comes to switching software across operations.  

For this reason, AlayaCare created a new 2020 Private Duty Home Care Software Buying Guide that explores 12 key areas specific to this industry that any new technology must be equipped to address.  

By holding any potential software partner accountable to the questions put forward in this guide, any agency will be best set up to create more efficient workflows for both caregivers and back office staff, establish greater connectivity across teams and clients, open greater visibility and access to data, and begin to exceed client expectations because of newer tools like family portals, remote monitoring and virtual visits.  

Negotiating and researching outside one’s comfort zone can feel daunting, but it’s important to embrace the uncomfortable and push ahead. With our new guide in hand, we’ve eliminated a lot of the guesswork so that any private duty agency is empowered to ask the right questions, scrutinize the details, and find the best technology to meet whatever the future may hold.