5 ways of reducing repetitive tasks through home care software solutions

As Adrian Shauer, CEO of AlayaCare, expressed in episode 35 of the HomeHealth360 podcast home care agencies now have the tools to finally win the war on repetitive tasks.   

According to a survey conducted by Home Health Care News, 57% of home care agencies reported that they spend up to 3 hours a day on administrative tasks such as data entry, tracking patient records, etc. Home care providers who work in rural areas often must travel long distances to get to their clients, leading to added time spent on repetitive administrative tasks related to travel. 

In our recent blog, 4 ways to improve home care inefficiencies with technology, organizations are struggling to keep up with repetitive tasks and inefficiencies that can be costly in terms of time and resources.  

To prevent these mundane tasks from slowing down operations and giving time back to providing quality care to clients, here are 5 ways home care software can help reduce repetitive tasks for your business: 

1. Automating staff scheduling and management 

With software solutions, agencies can reduce errors made by performing tasks manually and improve accuracy ensuring compliance with regulations and policies. It also helps allocate caregivers and staff more efficiently by matching their skills and availability with client needs, reducing the need for any last-minute visit changes and cancellations.   

By providing real-time updates and alerts to caregivers and clients without needing repetitive phone calls or emails, automating scheduling can improve communication. Automation additionally increases productivity by reducing mundane manual administrative tasks allowing staff to focus on client care and other work priorities.

“In the past, we had to drive an hour and a half to get to the client’s home, to review the paper chart, to figure out what was going on and what’s our next step. So, in terms of client outcomes, we may not even need to make that drive. We may be able to talk quickly through whatever issue is over the phone once we have an understanding of what their teaching has been, and where their situation stands. In terms of client success, that has been extremely helpful.”

– Dylaina Wood, Director of Business Development & Project Management, Access Health 

Overall, agencies can expect better employee satisfaction because it can provide better transparency and flexibility in scheduling, and reducing stress and unpredictability from manual scheduling.  

Hear how First Day Homecare improved their scheduling inefficiencies by using AlayaCare’s employee finder and shift offer tool: 

Interested in learning more? Check out  4 Tech solutions on how to optimize daily home care scheduling and routes. 

2. Mobile access to client information 

Almost everyone has a phone on their person, that includes caregivers. Having mobile access to client information can help caregivers stay up to date with real-time information and input any new information regarding their visit right into their mobile device.  

A home care software that provides a caregiver mobile app can provide home care agencies with many benefits, including reducing repetitive phone calls and paper-based communication with back-office staff and clients. With real-time updates on care plans, medication schedules, and other important information, during on-site client visits, caregivers can improve the quality of care and reduce the risk of errors. 

Caregivers can manage their schedules, track their hours worked, and submit timecards more efficiently while on the go. This also reduces the administrative burden on the home care agency and improves accuracy since caregivers can have access to patient information such as care plans, medication lists, and medical history. 

By providing caregivers with greater flexibility, control, and support in their work, a caregiver mobile app can reduce stress and burnout ultimately improving employee retention. 

Home care agencies can reduce many manual repetitive tasks, like paper documentation, emails, calls, and more, by having the necessary tools at their caregivers’ fingertips.  

See how Avivo’s staff member Mitzi used AlayaCare’s mobile app to reduce manual tasks and inefficiencies: 

3. Simplified electronic billing and invoicing

Manual billing and invoicing can be one of the biggest pain points, especially because they can consist of many repetitive tasks taking up valuable time and increasing costs for home care agencies. By investing in home care software that provides billing and invoicing tools, an agency can take the time saved to focus on more important tasks and client care.  

With electronic billing and invoicing, agencies can ensure accuracy and reduce human errors, which will ultimately improve compliance with regulations and help your agency get paid faster.  Overall, speeding up the payment process and reducing the time between service delivery and payment receipt can improve the agency’s cash flow. 

Having the ability to streamline financial reporting with home care software reporting tools can help your agency track revenue, expenses, and other metrics providing better visibility and control over your financials.  

Leverage electronic billing and invoicing to help your home care agency improve efficiency, reduce costs, and improve financial performance.  

See how Privatus Care Solutions saved 10+ accounting hours monthly by streamlining billing and other processes: 

4. Electronic charting and documentation

If you’re sensing a theme here, automation within home care software solutions can provide home care agencies with many solutions to costly and time-consuming repetitive tasks. One of the most complained about repetitive tasks by care providers is documentation.  

With electronic charting and documentation within home care software, all the information caregivers need is in one place. By minimizing data entry and improving report generation with automation, we can increase the accuracy of clinical document efficiency. With up-to-date and accurate information, caregivers can provide more personalized care, improving client safety, and thus enhancing client care.  

 Home care agencies can expect better data analysis with electronic charting and documentation since caregivers and back-office staff can collect, store, and analyze client data enabling the agency to identify trends, measure outcomes, and improve client care.  

See how Acclaim health reduced 90% of paper processes by streamlining and automating workflows such as charting, billing, and more: 

5. Analytics and reporting

As mentioned in each of the 4 tips above, home care software solutions that reduce repetitive tasks can store all relevant and accurate client, staff, and business information and data. With this data, agencies can use analytics and reporting tools provided by home care software to identify patterns and predict events thus enhancing the 4 tools above optimally.  

Analytics and reporting tools can help home care agencies identify opportunities for improvement such as client outcomes, caregiver performance, and business operation process efficiency, enabling home care businesses to make data-driven decisions and implement necessary changes more effectively.  

See how MedTec used data reporting to help grow and improve efficiencies in their business: 

 Home care software solutions can reduce repetitive tasks by automating various time-consuming and costly administrative and care-related processes, such as staff scheduling, caregiver on-site processes, billing and invoicing, electronic charting and documentation, and analytics and reporting. Overall, home care software can help home care agencies work more efficiently and effectively, improving the quality of care provided to clients. 

Interested to learn more about how technology can help reduce repetitive tasks in your home care organization?

Watch our webinar on 3 ways to supercharge your home care business in 2023.