For homecare agencies, manual scheduling processes can hamper business growth. An agency that carries out its day-to-day activities through a scheduling software will have an edge over the agencies that handle operations manually. Manual scheduling can introduce errors, which affects an organization’s image in the long term.
Optimizing your scheduling process allows an agency to better manage caregivers’ schedules, deal with changing availability and callouts on short notice, and assign tasks without the need to leave voicemails and repeat the shift details with multiple employees. If everything is pinned down ahead of time and emergencies are controlled by a single click, the process is simplified.
Scheduling software is designed to help providers control the whole workforce, keep track of client information and schedule appointments. This matters because even a single missed appointment can lead to clients missing care needs and families rushing to adjust their plans to take care of their loved one, which creates an unpleasant client experience.
Managing Time More Efficiently
The best homecare software can drive efficiencies and address many field challenges, such as communication, caregiver response and scheduling. Here are six ways that scheduling software can simplify the process of managing caregivers.
1. It reduces task duplication.
Duplication of tasks happens when the process is done manually, hampering efficiency in your agency. Handling tasks with the help of software reduces the scheduler’s workload by roughly 80%, which can free them up for cross-training in other areas of your business. The software creates a platform where everything from time, location, name of caregiver and client information is available. Accepting or rejecting a shift only requires a click. From a manager or owner’s point of view, the software allows them to review schedules with a quick glance.
2. It allows you to easily update a caregiver’s status.
In a fast-paced world where things change at the drop of a hat, businesses can’t afford to spend time waiting for employees to respond to shift requests. A delay hinders the process of assigning tasks. The option of smart scheduling allows agencies to get real-time updates of the caregiver’s plan, approved shifts, open shifts and no-shows. Based on these updates, agencies can assign duties to a caregiver who is available.
3. It creates schedules quickly.
Homecare scheduling is considered a laborious task. Scheduling software makes the process run smoothly.
4. It eliminates pending shifts.
In the event that a caregiver fails to accept a shift, the software alerts the agency. Managers do not have to hustle to find who rejected the shift and who accepted. Technology allows agencies to reach out to several caregivers all at once, saving time and effort.
5. It increases coordination.
Needing to call to know whether or not a caregiver has accepted the shift disrupts coordination in your agency. You might have to wait hours for the answer, affecting workflow. By using software, caregivers and agencies can cut down administrative tasks and focus on putting their effort into offering quality care. Agencies simply select the name of a caregiver and assign the open shift, and the caregiver accepts or rejects it using a mobile app. This keeps coordination running between the employer and the employees.
6. It creates recurring schedules.
Many scheduling software products will alert the agency to create a recurring schedule, if necessary. Such smart features are not available with manual scheduling. Creating a recurring schedule by date, time, day, month, week or year can be done. This prevents employers from rummaging through paper files to locate client and caregiver schedule preferences.
Scheduling is an important task and should be done with efficiency as it drives other processes of the homecare business. If an agency gets stuck on the first task of the day, all other processes are halted. For instance, if caregivers do not respond quickly and employers fail to reach others, clients’ care needs will be affected. To prevent this, homecare agencies must adopt a comprehensive homecare software.
