Software can help agencies manage the many challenges specific to home care: diverse shift locations, a competitive labor market, strict HIPAA regulations and more. With essential features for the home care industry, it can streamline scheduling, integrate with accounting software platforms and save you hours of admin time.

Perhaps most importantly of all, the right software platform will lead to better patient outcomes. Let’s break down the benefits you can expect to see when switching to home care agency software.

Better Patient-Caregiver Matching

Good patient-caregiver matching in home healthcare is essential. When a patient trusts and likes their caregiver, it has a positive impact on their quality of life. They’ll be happier, more inclined to cooperate and more comfortable inviting the caregiver into their home.

There are many factors for home care agencies to consider when matching patients and caregivers, from the client location to clinical and language skills. A home care software platform can make it easy, however. 

You’ll be able to filter available workers to create an appropriate shortlist, and from there assign either a single caregiver or a team to each patient. Document expiry settings also make it easy to quickly vet caregivers and ensure that only appropriate team members are considered for each client.

What’s more, patient portals mean that clients and their loved ones can request their preferred caregivers. They can also contact your team directly to provide feedback in-app, whether they have concerns about compatibility or appreciated a caregiver going the extra mile. 

Care management software helps home care agencies quickly match patients and caregivers while ensuring that they’re putting the patient’s needs first. In doing so, it can help improve patient outcomes while also helping home care providers run a more efficient business.

Improved Documentation

A home care software platform will allow you to securely store, update and share documentation in a HIPAA-compliant manner. As well as protecting patient confidentiality and privacy, this can enable your home health professionals to provide higher quality care.

Patients will benefit from a more informed workforce. Instant sharing of patient records means your team will always be able to make care decisions based on up-to-date, accurate information. They’ll have the insights they need to understand a patient’s condition and recognize when symptoms require additional care. They’ll also have a deeper understanding of the patient’s personal preferences.

Improved documentation management will also allow home care agencies to track a patient’s condition over the long term. This can support better medical care planning, and in turn, improved patient outcomes.

Additionally, electronic visit records provide greater accountability. Home health agencies can use home care software to create a legal record of services provided, incidents and more. 

Greater Involvement of Family Members

When a patient’s loved ones are involved in their home care, they are able to better support and advocate for the patient. This can improve patient outcomes by reducing feelings of loneliness and ensuring that the patient’s needs are being met at all times.

You can use your home care agency’s software platform to share updates with patients’ loved ones, in addition to service delivery records, billing and payment information, care plan, goals and more.

More Personalized Care

In home care, no two patients are the same. Home health care agencies need to adapt to each client’s needs, preferences and housing situation. 

Fortunately, software can facilitate more individualized care. With detailed client profiles, goal setting and care plan management settings, home care agencies can ensure patients receive the care they need and want.

Software can also empower patients to advocate for their preferred care, from requesting their favorite caregivers to selecting family members and friends to have access to the client portal.

A More Engaged Workforce

When your home care workforce is happier, so are your patients. Fortunately, a home healthcare software platform can support your caregivers as well as your patients and back-office staff.

Home care software facilitates better agency management, which means an accurate and on-time payroll, scheduling that meets the needs of home health aides as well as patients, and improved internal communications.

What’s more, your home health aides will find that they have the support they need to do their job well. They’ll receive their shift times and locations with plenty of notice. And with patient documentation on their cell phones and templates that make progress notes quick and simple, they won’t have to stress about meeting a new client.

Your caregivers will experience less stress and find it easier to achieve work-life balance. As a result, they’ll be more engaged, motivated and positive at work. They’ll be able to give clients their full attention and energy. In turn, this will improve patient outcomes and allow home care agencies to thrive.

A Software Platform Built with Home Care Agencies in Mind

The right software will enable home care agencies to deliver better home health services. It will empower your agency to provide human-centric, quality-oriented care focused on each patient’s individual needs. What’s more, it will do so while cutting down your workload and keeping your caregivers happy. 

ShiftCare’s care management software is designed around the needs of home care providers like you. It has essential client and workforce management features, such as client-carer matching, scheduling and document sharing in real-time. The portal for clients and their loved ones means patients can always request the services they need, receive updates and select their preferred caregivers.

Discover how software can help you deliver the highest quality home care services. Try ShiftCare for free.