The Concept of Home Health CareHome care, also known as domiciliary care, is health care provided in the patient's home by healthcare professionals (often referred to as home health care or formal care; in the United States, it is known as skilled care) or by family and friends (also known as caregivers, primary caregiver, or voluntary caregivers who give informal care). Often, the term home care is used to distinguish non-medical care or custodial care, which is care that is provided by persons who are not nurses, doctors, or other licensed medical personnel, whereas the term home health care, refers to care that is provided by such licensed personnel. (The following definition is applicable in United States and United Kingdom.) Home Care and Home Health Care are phrases that are used interchangeably in the United States, by both laypersons and professionals, to mean any type of care given to a person in their own home. Both phrases are used interchangeably regardless of whether the person requires Skilled Care by professionals or not. Home care aims to enable people to remain at home rather than use residential, long-term, or institutional-based nursing care. Care workers visit service users (patients) in the person's own home to help with daily tasks such as getting up, going to bed, dressing, toileting, personal hygiene, some household tasks, shopping, cooking and supervision of medication. There may be differences in other countries about types of services delivered. In the United States, a Home Care Patient might receive care from Home Health Aide workers only; or a combination of Skilled Services by a Licensed Professional and Home Health Aide workers. From the description of services for the United Kingdom, there are apparently large differences in the number of visits to a patient in the home (In the description below, care is given twice daily in the United Kingdom.) In the U.S., workers visit the home on a schedule determined in part by a Licensed Physician and in part by the type of insurance a patient has. Visits range from a few days a week, to every day. Visits are at minimum 2 hours' duration, but can range up to around-the-clock service in the U.S. (generally the longer hours are split between 2 or more workers). Home Health Care in the United States
Estimates for the U.S. indicate that most home care is of the informal variety with families and friends providing substantial amounts of care, including very high tech kinds of care as well as simpler assistance with bathing or dressing. For formal care, the health care professionals most often involved are nurses followed by physical therapists and home care aides. Other health care providers include respiratory and occupational therapists, medical social workers and mental health workers. Physicians may perform home visits also. To find such a physician, contact the American Academy of Home Care Physicians (AAHCP). In the U.S., home health care is generally paid for by private employer-sponsored health insurance or public payers (Medicare and Medicaid), or by private-pay (paid with the family's or patient's own resources). This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer) 1. Segment Your
Markets To make a lot of money in Private Duty, you need to segment your markets into manageable units. Then you need to focus on delivering services that meet or exceed the expectations of the key customers in each segment. We've identified four major segments. Each of these can be subdivided into smaller units. Your ability to define the segments and identify their purchasing patterns will be key to your success.
2. Craft Your Uniqueness
Walt Disney said, "To be successful in business, you must be unique. You must be so different that if people want what you have they must come to you to get it." What makes you so unique that customers must come to you to get what you have? There are seven sources of competitive advantage that you can use as building blocks. Pick one to be your Strategic Focus. Pick two more to be your supporting strategies. Create a unique approach to Private Duty home care in your marketplace, and your business will grow.
3. Find and Keep Top
Talent Then go out and find the very best home care aides and personal care attendants. Much of the self-pay portion of what we call Private Duty is providing assistance with the activities of daily living. Great home care aides are the ones who really believe in what they do, and who believe they make a difference in the lives of their patients - and they do! Many of you know that my son, Jason, lives in a wheel chair and uses the services of home care on a daily basis. Jason has become an expert on finding and keeping personal care attendants. He's able to find people who really care about him, and who are reliable. Jason is working closely with us in developing Leadinghomecare.com, and you'll find more ideas and information from him as the site develops.
4. Sit on the Sofa with
the Customer
As you set up your Private Duty business, make sure you have a capable person on the front line to go sit on the sofa with your customers. Many of our clients have set up a Care Manager position. This person manages the care of the self-pay patients. Many companies have actually created a revenue-producing product around the Care Manager service.
5. Package your Programs
and Services
Begin to think like a retailer. Look for ways to create packages like a bath service, a Rise & Shine or Fluff & Tuck service, or a new baby package. Have your Care Manager work with the family to identify needs, and then sell them a package of services. As the patient's care needs increase, so will the number of different services you provide.
6. Keep your Marketing
and your Recruiting in Balance
I've concluded that the best way to minimize this problem is to focus on recruiting. If you can find and keep the people, you'll be able to get the business. The reason many agencies have trouble in marketing their services is shortage of staff. The sales team is hesitant to put on a big marketing push if they think you won't have the staff to take the cases. There's nothing worse for a sales person than to have a sale and then not be able to deliver on the promises. Develop a highly effective recruiting and retention process. Then go out to the marketplace to find the patients who need the care. They're out there. And if you have the high quality staff to meet the needs, you'll automatically have some competitive advantage because your competitors don't have the people.
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