All Business owners and managers can use proven methods to increase their profits and/or customer satisfaction rates.
Owners of home care agencies and other healthcare providers face even more intense public and client scrutiny since the health and well-being of human patients are at stake.
In the past, word-of-mouth was pretty much the only way that businesses had of drawing clients and keeping them satisfied. Today, most individuals have and use multiple media platforms that includes the Internet and various social media sites.
Home care agencies must target these places with their well-written and timed advertising strategies. Some examples of appropriate platforms include:
- Operate Business Website. Make it Interactive by Allowing Client Comments
- Launch a Twitter Account for Micro-Blogging
- Use LinkedIn, Google+ & Facebook Social Networking Sites
- Consider Photo-Sharing Ability Sites Like Snap-Chat, Pinterest & Instagram
- Post Videos on YouTube, Perioscope & Facebook Live
Remember to update these sites on a regular basis. To counteract negative types of comments about your business, great care should be taken when posting timely responses. Seriously consider hiring someone to handle these types of advertising platforms online, and use other traditional methods for both advertising your home care services and providing a method for the public to give their valuable feedback.
Consider messaging or calling the person if their contact information is known. Otherwise, send your contact info and encourage them to speak with you more privately or arrange a face-to-face meeting.
Learn to embrace public reporting regarding the care clients receive from your home care agencies. While positive reviews are always appreciated, negative reviews can also be used to continually assess and make changes that result in higher patient satisfaction and improvement in patient outcomes.
Read on for 7 proven effective ways to combat negative reviews about your home care agency.
Incorporate Patient Satisfaction Measuring Tools & Provide Patient Survey Options
Any type of healthcare institution or service must abide by strict state and federal rules that oversee health-related businesses. Unannounced inspection visits by health, safety and Medicare inspectors can be a positive or negative experience that has a great deal of impact on the business. Prepare for these events by taking these inspection and assessment details to heart.
Long-term care facilities, acute care settings, home care agencies and other patient care businesses are required to show accurate claims data, successful process measures and specific outcome measures that convey precise and detailed care plan process measures during each mandatory reporting period.
Respond Promptly to Any Negative Reviews Regarding Patient Care
Most people that get into the home care business do so because they feel a need and a drive to help others. Every healthcare service faces unique challenges for providing the very best patient care possible. One effective strategy to decreasing the number of negative reviews is to respond promptly to any negative reviews, and immediately begin to plan the resolution steps to resolve the issues. Always be polite, professional and compassionate when communicating with your clients.
Listen to Clients When They Post Less-Than-Satisfactory Public Reporting Platform Posts
Most clients that experience a less-than-satisfactory care experience in your agency simply desire to have someone in charge really listen to their concerns. The patients and their family members are under a good deal of emotional and mental stress, and those running a home care service do well to keep that in mind. When initial complaints are ignored, the client is far more likely to go on public reporting websites and social media platforms to express their anger, fears and other strong emotions.
Address Client Concerns & Find a Satisfactory Solution
Wise home care agency leaders will always promptly address any client or employee concerns. After, they will take positive steps towards an effective and satisfactory solution. Include the clients and employees in the making of these short and long term goals to improve future care and services.
Some ways to do this include having an anonymous suggestion box, holding regular meetings where everyone involved gets a say and utilizing revealing quality measures, claims data, incident reports, patient survey data and customized outcome measures in regularly scheduled reporting period deadlines.
Run a Transparent Business. Never Try to Hide or Ignore Your Mistakes
Healthcare providers whether they provide acute care services or long-term care should all strive to run a transparent business. Never attempt to ignore, hide or cast blame elsewhere when a mistake is made. Always admit fault when due, and keep clients and employees informed for better communication and understanding of how this issue will be resolved.
Work on Proven Ways to Retain Good Employees by Recognition, Rewards & Other Incentives
There is still a huge shortage of trained nursing assistants and nurses today that can negatively impact a home care agency. One practical strategy to reverse or show improvement in the number of good employees working at your care service is to make every attempt to keep your best employees. Every home care agency owner should work on proven ways to retain good employees by recognition, rewards and other incentives.
Below are some excellent and popular caregiver incentives a home care agency should consider:
- Praise from Supervisors
- Bonuses
- Gift Cards to Area Businesses
- Pay Raise
- Added Vacation Time & Other Perks
Being a caregiver is hard and requires the ability to perform physically demanding work. Many new employees become disillusioned fast due to poor job training and lace of mentor programs. Long-term employees can easily become overwhelmed by the added responsibilities that they must take on every time there is a large employee turnover.
Some proactive steps that home care agencies can do include:
- Commit to Mindful Hiring Practices
- Perform Thorough Background Screenings
- Have Clear Policies & Job Expectations
- Listen Well to Your Employees & Include Them in Care Planning Decisions
- Provide a Relaxed & Friendly Work Environment
- Consider Starting an On-Site CNA Training Program & Longer Orientation with Peer Mentor Programs
- Make Flexible Scheduling Options
- Promote From Within for Increased Loyalty & Future Career Opportunities
Transform Negative Reviews Into Positive Patient Outcomes. Use Assessment, Quality Measures & Patient Survey Tools to Track Improvement
With a bit of thought, a positive attitude and practical strategies to improve your patient outcomes, and overall better patient satisfaction levels can help to transform negative reviews of your home care agency into more positive outcomes.
To learn more about effective patient review methods and innovative ways to retain better employees, browse https://www.inhomecare.com.
