Home care agency owners can no longer ignore the growing caregiver shortage the industry is experiencing throughout the country. The caregiver shortage is real and is going to cause problems for those who do not take preventive steps in this area of their business. A recent Washington Post article stated, “For years, experts have predicted that a rapidly aging population’s demand for services would outstrip the capacity of what is called the ‘direct care’ workforce: personal care aides, home health aides and nursing assistants.” The World Health Organization also states on its website that, “The global needs-based shortage of health-care workers is projected to be still over 14 million in 2030.”
In his recently published book, Conquering the Crisis – Proven Solutions for Caregiver Recruiting and Retention, home care industry expert Stephen Tweed has taken on this subject head-on. He outlines in detail the issues and questions that surround this nagging problem. We found the most valuable part of this book to be the actions section at the end of each chapter. Following the guidelines suggested in these sections could slowly start to turn a struggling agency into a more stable, even growing, home care agency.
But not all home care agencies are struggling with this problem, so what are they doing different? Tweed’s comprehensive look at this subject comes from his many years of experience in the industry, consulting with agency owners to help grow their businesses. Some of the suggestions might be painful to accomplish but none of the ideas in the book are on the wrong path. If his advice is taken step by step and methodically acted upon it could surely help improve agency operations.
Conquering the Crisis… covers subjects as strategic as company culture and as specific as topics like agency best practices in hiring.
If growing a healthy agency that will be viable for years to come is your goal, then it is time to get your ducks in a row. This book lays out a way to do just that.
You can pick up Stephen Tweed’s book, Conquering the Crisis – Proven Solutions for Caregiver Recruiting and Retention, here. And if you would like to learn more about the benefits of establishing a consistent company culture, contact one of our representatives or see more resources.