Do You Ever Feel Like A Dog At The Track Who Can’t Catch The Rabbit? Does It Feel Like A Never Ending Struggle In Your Home Care Agency?

Kenyon HomeCare Consulting • March 3, 2021
 We have all seen the dog races at the track. The greyhounds work so hard to get the rabbit and it just doesn’t happen. It can feel that way in the day-to-day at our agencies. You try to do everything right and yet clinical outcomes just aren’t there. You try to successfully recruit and retain employees, but they just don’t stay very long. Finally, you have tried to cut costs where you can and still you are struggling to make a profit margin. Maybe it is time to quit chasing the bunny and let a home care consultant take a look.

5 Reasons To Consider A Consultant:
Here is the thing. If you are reading this, then you are probably considering some help. Senior level consultants have a vast range of experiences to guide you to what your agency needs. Let’s looks at 5 different ways a consultant can help you reach your potential:

Recruitment/ Retention: 
Sometimes we have been doing recruitment the same way for a very long time. What was once successful may no longer be the case today. Our agencies currently are working with Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y, Gen Z, and Millenials all in the same workplace. To think that retention practices are the same today as when it was just the Baby Boomers and Gen X’s is not realistic.
Marketing/ Boosting Referrals:
 Many times agencies do not have a true targeted marketing plan. You need to analyze what you are doing today that really works and what doesn’t. Many times the same traditional marketing sources are targeted by every home health, hospice and private duty out there. If you don’t have something that truly differentiates you, then you might be wasting marketing dollars. Consider non-traditional referral sources within your community that may not know about what you have to offer.
Clinical Training: Have you lost a lot of money on ADR denials? Are clinicians not documenting the information you need yo cover yourself at audit? Are you missing dollars because Oasis is not being filled out accurately. Do all clinical disciplines function within full scope of practice to prevent extra visits being made unnecessarily? Are you a start-up with newer clinical staff and need someone to show the clinicians the documentation “ropes”.

Operational Flow:
If you are knee deep in the day-to-day, you may not see where operations can be more efficient. You may not know where or how to do things more efficiently. For example, how many employees have their “hands” on an admission until the nurse is ready to do the admit? Does the number actually hinder your ability to admit the patient sooner?

Outsourcing Needs: 
Sometimes, the most cost-effective and operationally sound decision in your agency is to outsource certain aspects of your business. In many agencies, ICD 10 coding is done in-house. This may be done by a non-certified coder who also functions in other roles within your agency. Outsourcing ICD 10 coding can often get agencies $500 or more per episode in reimbursement on Medicare patients when using certified coders. Same things goes for Oasis. If you don’t have any looking over Oasis and you don’t utilize a sweeper, you will often miss legitimate chances for reimbursement you are due for the patient. Based on your operational flow, billing may be done more efficiently and be more cost-effective if outsourced. You need to know and understand what opportunities are there for your agency.

Kenyon Homecare Consulting Can Help:
At Kenyon Homecare Consulting, we can help you function more efficiently and work towards better clinical and financial outcomes. Call us at 206-721-5091 or contact us online to see how we can help you reach your goals and maximize your potential. We have senior associates with expertise in all backgrounds including clinical, financial, billing, and operations.

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"Because your mother is dealing with advanced COPD, our caregivers are trained to recognize early signs of respiratory distress, manage energy conservation techniques during bathing, and ensure proper oxygen optimization." The latter approach instantly alleviates family anxiety. It proves that you see their loved one as a person with specific medical needs, not just a line item on a ledger, effectively neutralizing price sensitivity and shortening the time it takes to sign a contract. 5. Maximizing Lifetime Value (LTV) and Word-of-Mouth In senior care, the best marketing is a glowing testimonial from a relieved family. In-depth chronic disease education directly correlates with higher client satisfaction and longer length of stay (or care retention). Preventing Care Burnout: Caregivers who lack training get overwhelmed by the behavioral or physical symptoms of chronic diseases, leading to high staff turnover and disrupted care. Trained caregivers handle difficult symptoms with confidence and skill. The Ripple Effect: Stable, high-quality care leads to happy families. Happy families write powerful 5-star online reviews and passionately recommend your services to friends and neighbors, creating an organic, self-sustaining sales loop. Conclusion: Education as an Investment, Not an Expense In-depth chronic disease education for caregiving staff should never be viewed as a mere regulatory compliance box to check. It is a foundational business strategy. By investing in the clinical intellect of your frontline workforce, you feed your marketing engine with authentic, high-value content, arm your sales team with an undeniable competitive advantage, and build a brand reputation that commands premium pricing. In a crowded market, the most educated care team wins the deepest trust—and ultimately, the client. At Kenyon Homecare Consulting , we focus on high-quality home care, home health, and hospice services. 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