Not all home care software solutions will have the mixture of features and user-friendliness that will benefit your business. Whether you’re an established home health agency or just getting started, you’ll have unique needs for everything from scheduling to electronic visit verification. Whichever home care management software you invest in should support you in meeting these needs.

Keep reading as we explore the typical features you should look for, so you can find the ideal smartcare software for your agency.

Typical Features of Home Health Care Software 

When shopping around for home health software, check for these key features:

Robust Scheduling Tools

Scheduling for home health agencies is often a time-consuming and frustrating task. However, software can reduce the time you spend on this by automating most of the process — meaning all you need to do is sign off on a completed schedule.

Client Communication and Management 

Home health software can help you improve communication and patient satisfaction. Pay close attention to the client management features, including in-app communication, documentation sharing, and goal-setting. Some home health care software will also offer family access.

Note-Taking and Documentation

Care plans, visit notes, confidential patient information, electronic visit verification: you want your home health software to not only securely store key documentation but also make updating and accessing it a quick and easy process.

Ideally, the software will also have in-built expiry notifications so you can trust that all your documentation is up to date.

Accounting and Billing 

Home health software with accounting integration and billing features can simplify claims management, whether patients are funded via Medicare, private insurance, or private pay. This will reduce your back office’s workload and potentially improve your cash flow, as electronic claims are filed correctly and quickly.

Web-Based Software That’s Mobile-Ready 

For better security and flexibility, opt for a cloud based home care software solution with both mobile and web apps. This will allow your back office staff to use the program on their computers, improving your agency’s workflow, while your home health aides can access all the information they need on the go via their mobile devices. 

What to Look for in Your Home Care Scheduling Software 

If scheduling is your priority, look for a smartcare software solution that strikes a balance between automation and control. While AI-created schedules will save you time, you also want to be able to set scheduling criteria, amend the draft schedule as required, and have the overview you need to keep clients and caregivers happy.

With some home health software, you’ll be able to schedule entire care teams at a time and duplicate schedules for future shifts. Check to see if you can view clients’ care schedules and caregivers’ work hours. Can you also assign multiple clients and locations to a caregiver’s shift?

Client and caregiver matching is another essential feature of home care scheduling software, as is caregiver availability. The best software will allow staff to update their ideal work times via their phones.

Timekeeping, with electronic visit verification, will also enable your back office team to check that all scheduled staff have turned up for their shifts.

How to Coordinate Care with Software for Home Health: Essential Features

Home health software can facilitate empathetic, value based care by giving your care teams the tools they need on shift. In particular, for higher standards of personal care, your staff needs to be able to access key documentation on shift. This includes care plans and clients’ goals, as well as recent visit notes.

While you might have already taken into account the importance of secure client documentation storage, confirm that the software is easy to use for your staff. Is it mobile-friendly? Are the documents easy to read via the caregiver app?

Check if the program also functions as home care monitoring software: does it give you, and clients’ loved ones, the necessary oversight to confirm that clients are receiving the high-quality care they are entitled to? Can you share relevant information with family members and friends to put their minds at ease?

How to Select Your Home Health Care Software

Now that we’ve explored some of the key features of software for home health, you’re ready to begin your search for the right tool. But before you sign up for home health software, make sure to first identify your needs and priorities.

For example, maybe your priority is home care scheduling software or secure documentation management. Perhaps you need a software solution designed for larger teams, or one that will give you the oversight you need in your small, hands-on home health care business.

Once you’ve outlined your priorities, take out a free trial of home health care software. Test it thoroughly to ensure it’s user-friendly and meets home care agencies' needs. Ask other team members to trial it, too.

Try Software for Home Healthcare for Free

Point of care software can offer a complete solution to home health care providers' needs, helping you to effectively manage everything from visit notes to how to arrange care and private duty. You can save time, see greater efficiency across all your operations, and improve patient satisfaction.

However, not all home care software is made equal, which is why it’s important to evaluate your needs, compare features, and ask for a free trial.

At ShiftCare, our home care software’s intuitive scheduler will allow you to match clients and caregivers and create the ideal schedule within minutes. Accounting and billing integration will reduce your back office’s workload, while secure documentation management, note-taking, and communication will keep you compliant. It also comes with a mobile app for home health aides and clients, as well as an easy-to-use cloud based web app.

Try ShiftCare for free today.