How to build a work force of reliable caregivers
How to build a work force of reliable caregivers
Agency’s turnover 59% below norm
By Judith B. Clinco, RNHome Care Consultant
President and Chief Executive Officer
Catalina In-Home Services
Tucson, AZ
In the May 1997 issue of Private Duty Homecare, I shared some of the things my agency — Catalina In-Home Services of Tucson, AZ — does to boost client satisfaction and retention.
But the other half of the home care relationship — the caregiver — is just as important. Building a stable work force of trained, reliable caregivers is absolutely critical to the success of a home care agency.
Many clients form close bonds with their caregiver, and it can be a shock to the client — and an invitation to switch agencies — when a caregiver leaves. And with every departing caregiver goes a chunk of your recruiting and training budget. How can you retain your caregivers in an industry where high staff turnover is the rule, not the exception? Here’s how Catalina does it.
Last month I mentioned that successful placements begin with the careful screening of both client and caregiver.
Just as important is the time we spend making sure the chemistry between client and caregiver will work. After building a detailed profile of the client’s needs — and attitudes about such things as smoking — we share that information with the prospective caregiver. During the briefing, we listen carefully to the candidate’s responses; what counts most for us is a sincere commitment to the job. If everything’s right, a placement might last for several years; a caregiver who is looking for a temporary — something to do until a better offer comes along — can do more harm than good.
We never pressure a caregiver to accept a placement. And, if we can’t locate the right caregiver, we’ll decline the job. There’s too much at stake to send anyone but the best.
Focus on flexibility
As an equal-opportunity employer, we always hire the best applicants we can find. And we make certain that midlife women — even women who have never worked outside the home — know they are welcome to work for us.For many, having an employer say, "We’re glad you came to us. When can you start?" is a new experience. We’re not altruistic; many midlife women have spent decades caring for their families and homes, developing precisely the skills and attitudes that in-home caregivers must have. And in many cases, our clients prefer midlife women as caregivers.
We build flexibility into our scheduling, too. Many of our caregivers can work only part-time, either because of other commitments or because they would pay stiff taxes on their Social Security benefits if their earnings are too high. We work hard to find them suitable placements.
Personal touches
It’s important to let caregivers know they’re appreciated. Some of the things we do:• We offer a competitive wage and benefit packages, including paid annual vacations. Each year we anonymously poll every other local agency to make sure we’re not being outbid.
• We award bonuses to employees who recruit new staff and clients.
• We hold all paydays in-house to help field and administrative staff meet and mingle. And we serve food!
• We throw birthday parties for staff and their families.
• As president and CEO, I’m on a first-name basis with every employee.
• We make sure our supervisors are committed to supporting and acknowledging our caregivers — especially new hires.
To retain, train!
An aggressive training program is at the center of Catalina’s drive to develop a professional work force.First, all prospective caregivers go through two four-hour orientation sessions taught by senior managers. The potential employees receive minimum wage during the orientation and are not formally hired until they successfully complete the program. This gives us another chance to assess their interpersonal skills and desire to learn.
But that’s only the beginning. We’ve designed our own 150-hour, 10-week training program leading to designation as a certified nurse’s aide (CNA). The program, approved by the state board of nursing, stresses meal preparation and other home care skills along with the medical training found in the standard CNA syllabus.
We’ve worked hard to make the training affordable. Students pay the $600 tuition themselves, but upfront costs are low: a deposit at the beginning of the course, with the balance paid in installments. And new CNAs who commit to working for Catalina for at least nine months after graduation get a hefty rebate. Classes meet in the evening so students can continue to work during the day.
Students who choose not to complete the entire syllabus can stop after 60 hours of training, qualifying as personal assistants (PA) — our term for caregivers trained to assist with hygiene but not to provide nursing care. PAs fill the gap between homemaker/companion and CNA.
They also can qualify as homemaker/companions by going through 30 hours of training over a two-week period.
We’ve created a videotaped training program, too. Little Things Mean a Lot, a set of four tapes used in-house, teaches basic housekeeping skills and how to take initiative in the home. Each tape comes with laminated cards that list tips and reminders, plus other materials. The complete packages also are available for sale to other home care agencies.
It all pays off
You might think Catalina’s well-screened, well-trained workers would be prime targets for recruitment by other agencies. But our workers repay our concern for their personal needs and professional development with outstanding loyalty — our turnover rate is 59% below the industry norm. Many of our employees have been with Catalina for a decade.Screening. Supervision. Professionalism. Training. The human touch. They add up to satisfied clients and loyal workers. Now that’s the way to help your agency grow.
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