The holidays are before us, the biggest referral season for care managers. Families see each other and realize the gravity of their parents or family members situation and call many more care managers. But you have to staff up with caregivers to meet the onslaught. You will need more great caregivers and if you are a stand-alone practice with no home care division, you need to partner with a gold standard private duty home care agency. Here are some must-have tools to make this happen so you get concierge care for new clients.
When a geriatric care manager without a private duty home care agency, partners with a private duty home care agency for staffing – they also partner with the agency staffing coordinator. That person feeds them the right food so they can grow. The tools to get the best care providers who meet the needs of each case.

1.First Tool
The GCM must create a relationship between themselves and the staffing coordinator, just like in marketing or love and marriage. No relationship – no referrals, a divorce or in you getting fired by the clients representative.
To sweeten that relationship, tell the staffing coordinator what you want – in writing. Create a form that is a care provider order – like a prescription, with exactly what you want for each client like:
Driver,
Speaks Mandarin
Lifting
Overnight
Can cook Thai food

2. Second Tool
Each time you change your care plan, send the care plan changes over to the staffing coordinator so they can train the care providers in the job changes.
Example problem new dairy allergy” solution “nondairy at meals” problem cataract surgery,” “do not allow to bend over for 2 days”

3. Third Tool
Before you partner with a PDHC, read the staff coordinator of description. Know what they presently do and then add what they need to do to partner with you. Make sure the director of the PDHC approves of this and the staffing coordinator buys into it. Working with you puts an extra layer of duties on the staffing coordinator. Will they do an exceptional job– because that is what you need.

4. Tool 4
Formalize your relationship with the staffing coordinator.
Define how you let them know your staffing care needs- a phone call, paper order or  both are needed
How does the staffing coordinator let you know about staffing changes and problems?
How do you let them know about staffing issues example care provider late when you get there, not preparing non-dairy meals as you order in your care plan?
¬ Create a checklist of reasons staffing coordinator must contact you
¬ Example
¬ care providers is sick – replace
¬ care providers permanently replaced
¬ care provider having problems with a client you need to know
¬ How will they alert you in care providers receiving counseling and discipline?
¬ care provider having problems with family you need to know.

Remember you are only as strong as your weakest link. If the care provider does a poor job- your client’s family may fire you. This is why you need the staffing coordinator at the PDHC to do an extraordinary job. Use the finest tools to work with the private duty home care agency so you do lose your own case because of poor staffing from your partner home care agency.

Join me in my new Webinar

5 Ways to Tame the Turbulence of Holiday Meltdown in Aging Families   

During the busiest season for care management referrals-

You Will Learn:

• How to give hope to frantic children who call, after seeing their aging parent struggling with the rituals
• How to sell services during intake, to desperate adult child callers
• How to use GCM tools to contain Holiday chaos
• How to use financial forecasting to prepare for growth during the holidays
• How to work with both dysfunctional and long-distance families who call during the holidays
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