HCAOA The Voice Fall 2020

5 Fall 2020 MEMBER NEWS their current situation, and to encourage them to take cases was a critical process. • Start with an emotional appeal. We found out that when we talked with caregivers about the desperate situation of our clients and their families, they were more willing to reach out and help. • Boost their confidence. Many caregivers lacked confidence in their ability to care for clients with COVID. Offering some encour - aging words and assurances that the agency was taking measure to assure their own safety was critical to helping caregiver feel more self-confident. CRAFT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT EMPHASIZE CAREGIVER SAFETY Taking concrete action to assure the safely of clients and caregivers alike was a critical ingredient early in the COVID Crisis. Glenn Lane, Founder and CEO of Westchester Family Home Care in Mamaroneck, NY, and a member of our Top 7% Mastermind Group, offered some specific insights into the policies and procedures needed to assure caregiver safety. • Have Policies and Procedures for both COVID and non-COVID cases. • Assure that you have enough high quality personal protective equipment. Teach your caregivers how to use it to effectively prevent the spread of the virus. • Have enough willing caregivers to safely cover the cases. And have backups. • Manage their schedules appropriately during the case with the right duration of shifts and the right number of days for each caregiver. • Manage their schedules after the case, provid - ing time for isolation and rest. This approach to caregiver and client safety during COVID will go a long way to helping caregivers feel valued and supported even after this crisis passes. PROVIDE TRAINING FOR CAREGIVERS CARING FOR COVID CLIENTS Training for caregivers is always important, and always a challenge with a workforce that seldom comes into the office and seldom gathers in one place. Gerry Fiorigilio, RN, CEO of Family Caregiver Network in Pennsburg, PA, and a member of our Strategic Growth Mastermind Group, shared some insights on training caregivers who are caring for COVID Positive clients. • Help Caregivers Understand COVID. They need to understand the clinical elements of the disease, and how it is different from the Flu and other illnesses that their elderly clients my face. • Provide specific information on the symptoms of COVID, how is spreads, and how caregivers can protect themselves. • Teach caregivers how to properly don and doff Personal Protective Equipment, and how to assure that they are being properly protected. • Reinforce basic infection control procedures and universal precautions. Emphasize proper management of infected waste material. Part of this training and education process is to make sure that caregivers have the proper cleaning supplies and tools to assure a safe environment for their clients and themselves. DEVELOP A SYSTEM TO RECRUIT CAREGIVERS WHO WILL CARE FOR COVID CLIENTS Finding enough caregivers who are willing to care for clients with COVID is a major challenge. Developing a consistent system for recruiting was critical. Kunu Kaushal, CEO and Founder of Senior Solutions Home Care in Brentwood, TN, and a member of our Top 5% Mastermind Group, shared some insights on how he and his team reached out to caregivers. This system also applies to our efforts today to recruit the caregiver you need. • Position your company for recruiting. Establish your “recruiting brand” with uniform messaging, a compassionate tone, and appealing imagery. • Examine the message that your website communicates to caregivers and potential caregivers. • Craft your recruiting message carefully to match your projected brand message. • Speak to a “call to duty.” Make an emotional appeal to caregivers and prospective caregivers about the importance of the work we do in home care. “One of the lessons from COVID was the importance of compensating caregivers appropriately for the work they were doing and the risk they were taking. We have a saying at Leading Home Care and the Home Care CEO Forum; ‘The behavior that gets rewarded gets repeated.’”