Resolving Challenges in the Onboarding Process for Caregivers

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The employee experience begins long before new hires clock in for their first day. Onboarding is the first “real world” interaction new employees have with your agency and has the power to set the tone for the rest of your relationship.

For better or for worse, there is a certain wariness among caregivers that leads to systemically high turnover industry-wide. With nearly 80% of caregivers leaving their role within the first 100 days, employees must put their best foot forward and instill confidence in new team members from day one. 

While the home care onboarding process certainly presents a compelling opportunity, it also comes with its fair share of challenges. Understanding challenges in the onboarding process is the first step toward overcoming them, so let’s do a little digging.

Recruitment & Retention Challenges

With agencies scrambling to recruit caregiver talent, many are finding themselves on their back foot. They no longer have the luxury of being courted by job seekers; they must be the ones to attract new hires. With demand routinely outpacing supply these days, agencies may find themselves onboarding individuals who are less of a “fit” as they find themselves up against a wall. 

Even when agencies do hire new employees, the threat of turnover looms large. Staff may leave their roles for several reasons endemic to caregiving, from low pay to emotionally demanding work to a lack of professional growth opportunities. Others may leave due to personal stress or the need for a better work-life balance.

The ripples of each departure touch many corners of an agency’s business, including scheduling administrative work and, of course, going back to square one with hiring and retention. 

Inadequate Training & Development Plans

With agencies’ resources continuously spread so thin, caregiver training programs often leave something to be desired. It’s a struggle to properly prepare them for the complexities of their new job, leaving them under-equipped to handle a wide range of scenarios.

Whether interfacing with a client’s medical equipment or addressing their emotional needs, caregivers often feel less confident in the face of challenges. What’s more, improper training can impact the quality of care provided, potentially leading to dissatisfaction for both clients and their families.

Making sure you’re sending caregivers into the field with the tools they need to feel competent and ready is a must. Without these fundamental skills, they are essentially being set up to fail. A mosaic of training methods like hands-on workshops that simulate real-world interactions, e-learning modules, and peer mentorship programs will appeal to every type of learner, helping to avoid information overload and preparing them for their reality on the ground.

Difficulties With Compliance

Despite staffing shortages, agencies can’t hire just anyone to be a caregiver. During the vetting process, they’ll need to ensure candidates meet the necessary standards to provide safe, ethical, high-quality care while protecting the agency from potential liabilities. Failure to comply with regulations can lead to fines, reputational damage, and in more extreme cases, agencies losing their license to operate. 

The applicable legal requirements vary by region, but they often include certifications like CPR, first aid, and any other caregiver training programs mandated by the state in question. Caregivers may also need certifications to provide specialized care, such as assisting clients with dementia or managing certain medications.

Finally, conducting background checks is an important step for new employees working with vulnerable populations like the elderly and infirm. These checks typically include criminal history, driving records, and checking in with previous employers. 

Cultural Competence & Sensitivity

One thing that’s a little more difficult to screen for but equally important is cultural competence.  Candidates with this essential soft skill will be able to understand and honor each client’s unique background, perspective, preferences, and language, paving the way for outstanding care that feels personal instead of prescriptive.

Addressing biases during employee onboarding is a must if you want to create an inclusive environment. Part of each new hire’s initial training should cover recognizing and overcoming unconscious biases, showing them how to approach each client with an empathetic attitude and an open mind. These skills can be imparted by conducting role-playing exercises and reviewing case studies that highlight scenarios that highlight best practices.

Solutions to Overcome Challenges in the Onboarding Process

With so many challenges, it’s clear agencies should not tackle employee onboarding alone. Tailor-made technologies exist to help providers identify top talent, conduct a smooth onboarding process for new hires, and retain employees for the long haul.

AxisCare Mobile App

Using a caregiver mobile app is a great way to make team members’ jobs easier as they move from one visit to the next. Centralizing client data in a single hub gives practitioners instant access to essential documents and information in the palm of their hands, even while on the road.

Caregivers can also send real-time notifications to family members about their loved one’s care and handle otherwise time-consuming administrative tasks like submitting time sheets and adhering to EVV standards throughout each visit. 

Caregiver Satisfaction Survey Feature

What’s the best way to understand whether these improvement efforts are working? Go straight to the source, or course. Using your home care software to send out a Caregiver Satisfaction Survey allows agencies to collect real-time insights from their staff, all while demonstrating their commitment to employee satisfaction.

Through the caregiver app, agencies can send custom push notifications, define specific survey questions for staff, gather responses quickly to minimize disruptions during their workday, and receive specific feedback to quickly address and prevent caregiver turnover. 

Improve Your Caregiver Onboarding With AxisCare

Agencies have a lot on their plates these days. AxisCare is here to help relieve that burden as much as possible. We offer tailor-made tools for agencies that reduce manual paperwork, create fluid communication channels between stakeholders, and ensure you’re hiring the right people at the right time, all in the service of making each day more efficient. Request a live demo with AxisCare and our team will walk you through everything you need to get started.

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