Why Selecting the Right Home Care Scheduling Software Matters

Your home health software should not just offer robust scheduling capabilities but also meet the diverse needs of your home health business.

Not all home health care software solutions will suit every agency. Some software will be better suited to larger home care agencies with a bigger budget. Others can help smaller organizations grow at a more affordable price.

Choosing the right software for your business is key to improving patient outcomes, supporting your caregivers, and optimizing your agency's workflow. It will help you reduce cost and stay HIPAA compliant, all while cutting down on the time your back office team spends on admin.

Does Your Home Care Scheduling Software Have These Essential Features? 

Ideally, the software you opt for will be a complete solution for your agency's needs. If it's going to help you provide better care while also streamlining your processes, it needs these key features:

Automated Schedules

Schedules for home health care are often incredibly complex. However, automating the process will save time as well as reduce the risk of accidentally scheduling someone who's unavailable. As long as all the inputted information is correct, it will cut out the risk of human error.

Drag-and-Drop Scheduling

Even though your home health software can produce a draft schedule for you, you might want to make some changes based on labor costs or holiday requests. That's where drag-and-drop scheduling comes in. It's as simple as clicking on a team member or client and adding them to a particular shift. You won't have to battle with drop-down menus or worry about accidentally adding the wrong person to a shift.

Split Shifts

With split shifts, you can add multiple clients to an individual caregiver's shift. This makes it easier for your whole team, as your caregivers know exactly what they have to do each shift and you can double-check that all patients have been assigned care.

Check that you can view individual workers' and clients' schedules, too. This feature makes it much easier to effectively manage your schedule. You'll instantly see if someone is under or over-scheduled, as well as if patients are receiving sufficient care.

Recurring Shifts

Once you've drafted an excellent roster, you don't want to have to manually recreate it each week. Make sure your software allows you to set up recurring shifts that you can then edit as required.

Group Shifts

Scheduling entire care teams at a time can allow for greater efficiency. Once you've set up the initial group and schedule, you'll be able to create new shifts in minutes — no matter how many people are on your team.

Visit Tracking and Verification

With electronic visit verification via caregivers’ mobile devices, you can confirm that clients are receiving the care they’re entitled to. Ideally, caregivers will also be able to add visit notes and expenses to the shift record.

App for Caregivers

A mobile home healthcare app will allow caregivers to check their schedules and set their availability. Plus, it can support them by providing all the client details they need to provide quality patient care in the palm of their hand.

Integration

The best home health software solution won't just handle scheduling. It will also integrate with your accounting, whether a client’s on Medicare or private duty. It will store patient information in a HIPAA compliant way. And it will be a client management solution that improves communication and patient satisfaction, so you can provide value-based care.

How Good Is the Customer Support? 

Your home care software is only as good as its customer support. Fortunately, this is easy to check. Look for positive reviews or a high customer satisfaction rating. Check how thorough the online help section is and if there are any webinars or other training materials. Ask if there’s an option for a dedicated account manager.

Does the Scheduling Software Use the Latest Technology?

Scheduling software based on outdated technology will struggle to provide the security features that your company will need today and in the near future. When investing in software for home health, you want to know that you can use it for years to come — not just until new legislation is passed or your operating system is updated.

Look for cloud based, mobile ready software. It’s worth asking how often the company updates both the web based software for your back office team and the mobile app for caregivers.

Can You Try the Software Before You Commit? 

The best way to know if home care scheduling software will really work for your agency is by trying it out. Although many companies offer demos, a free trial is a far better option. You’ll be able to explore the software at your own pace and test its full range of features, from accounting integrations to mobile app functionality.

Ask for feedback from your caregivers and back office team alike during the free trial. This is the best way to confirm that it truly is intuitive for the entire team.

Home Care Scheduling Software That Sets Home Health Agencies Up for Growth

Home care scheduling software can allow your business to thrive by creating efficient schedules that suit both your patients and your caregivers. 

ShiftCare's home care scheduling software features automated schedules, recurring shifts, group shifts, split shifts, and drag-and-drop technology for robust scheduling needs. It comes with a companion mobile app for caregivers, as well as a web app that will allow home healthcare providers to manage their business with a few clicks of a button. What’s more, ShiftCare has a 98% customer satisfaction rating.

To discover how it can support your agency in providing better care while also reducing your back office team’s workload, try ShiftCare for free.