4 Strategies to Improve Retention of Home Caregiver Employees

Taking care of older people is a huge responsibility, and people put their trust in a professional caregiver agency and team to take good care of their loved ones. Every reputable caregiver agency should have a team of well-prepared professionals to thrive in the industry. Building an amazing team is a great achievement for each business owner, but retaining them is equally important.  However, retention of home caregiver employees is one of the biggest issues home care agencies face regularly. 

There are several reasons for this situation, but the main ones are low salaries, no chances for future development and training possibilities, lack of empathy and connection between the employees and the agency, as well as not addressing the burnout employees often face. To avoid this, you need to create a strategy and an atmosphere where all caregivers have the possibility to express themselves and get the chance to improve their position and salary. 

Here are four strategies that can help you improve the retention rate in your agency. 

Increased salary and better training chances

A competitive caregiver salary will make your home care agency an appealing place to work. It will increase the effectiveness and productivity of your employees and put you one step above your competition. Also, apart from a great salary, providing your employees with the chance to attend quality training programs will help you increase the retention percentage in your agency. It doesn’t matter if your employees are medical or non-medical personnel, you should provide all employees with effective training programs suitable for their positions. 

Video training for home health aides, specialized training programs for caregivers who will treat patients with chronic diseases and dementia, and specific training courses for registered nurses are all amazing opportunities to show employees that you want them to continue to be part of your agency for a long time. All your employees want is to have a fair chance of proving their capability and worth. 

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Pay attention to employee burnout

Employee burnout, increased stress levels, and depression are huge issues that home care agencies have to face, and they need to come up with ways to help their caregivers overcome this situation. For instance, 30-40% of caregivers who take care of dementia patients suffer from stress and depression. Help your caregivers by providing them with the necessary tools and resources to do their jobs well and stress-free. 

Avoid giving them additional administrative responsibilities so they can spend less time filling out paperwork and more time taking care of patients. More flexible schedules will also assist caregivers in reducing their burnout.  You should also have office personnel who are skilled at working with caregivers and talk with them to discover what they require to execute their duties properly and stress-free. The main goal is to make them feel like they’re well taken care of and that they’re being heard.

Improve the communication process

Everyone in your agency should strive for more honest and open communication with each other. Make sure you, the business owner, as well as all your managers and HR, are available at all times to help caregivers with any issues they may face daily. They want to know that no matter the situation and issues they encounter, they can always come to you and have an open discussion. Any good retention plan must include excellent communication. 

For instance, organize open days during the week when your employees, one by one, can come and discuss the issues they face daily. In addition, discuss how they handle everyday stressful and unknown situations, what they want to change, and whether they are satisfied with their current situation. Create an honest work atmosphere with straightforward communication that will make your employees feel more at ease, and give them the freedom to come to you anytime they feel necessary.

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Support your caregivers

Developing a solid relationship with clients can dramatically boost caregivers’ retention. However, there are situations where the caregiver simply cannot connect and work with a client, so there may be recurring disagreements or unpleasant situations between the client and the caregivers. 

So, if you face such situations, make sure you show your full support to your employees and cut ties with the clients if necessary. You must help the caregivers if you want to keep the atmosphere of the team healthy and positive. 

Final thoughts

Building a team of professional caregivers and then retaining them is a daunting task, but a plausible one. You’ll need an open mind, a lot of energy, and hard work. So, prepare a well-thought-out retention strategy consisting of a better salary, and quality training, and make sure you pay attention to their well-being. This is an excellent way of having a team of people who feel more than happy to work in your agency. Listen to your employees, guide them, and together you will build a safe community for all elderly to feel safe in your hands.