How EVV Can Help Home Care Agencies Recruit — and Keep — Top Staff

December 13th marked the one-year anniversary of the 21st Century Cures Act. Of its many pursuits was one element that has had a definitive impact on the delivery of home care: Electronic Visit Verification (EVV). 

By this time next year, EVV will be a required step to provide proof of services rendered for Medicaid programs. This new requirement, of course, was provoked by fraudulent billing practices that have become endemic in the United States.

By now, it’s likely most home care agencies have wrapped their heads around EVV and what they’ll need to do to meet the new mandate. Rather than view it as a hurdle, it’s handier to approach EVV from an optimistic perspective.   

As we’ve discussed in the past, mandates aside, EVV is inherently good for business. Or, at least, it can be. At AlayaCare, we believe wrapping efficient EVV practices within an all-in-one technological solution to home care is the ideal way forward.   

Such an approach also sets the stage for agencies to proactively deal with a major issue affecting the industry: the recruitment and retention of staff.

EVV can bolster staff satisfaction 

For at least a decade, staff recruitment has been considered a top challenge in the home care industry. Second to that: retaining qualified staff. This is especially important, since the number of qualified staff is not keeping up with demand for services.

While there are many factors at play when it comes to securing qualified staff, there’s no question that alleviating the demands on caregivers’ time can go a long way in bolstering job satisfaction. That is where the right technology can help.

Yet, specifically when it comes to EVV, there are many benefits that can make an agency particularly attractive, including:

Mindful of safety: Many caregivers, particularly those working in remote areas but also for some in urban centres, often travel extensive distances or into unfamiliar neighbourhoods.  Being able to offer peace of mind that the home office can check in and verify location in real-time is a subtle, but real, added perk for top talent.

Respectful of time: With demands on time already high, any measures to limit paperwork and redundancy are more than appreciated. EVV can boost efficiency between visits, permitting caregivers to access real-time scheduling changes, prepare for the next client, and sidestep wasted time if visits are moved or cancelled. Embedding EVV in a full end-to-end software solution also allows caregivers to document their visits in real-time, at the point of care, enabling seamless tracking of activities. 

Progressive: An agency that embraces the very latest in caregiving best practices and technology is that much more appealing for recruits and current staff, who may appreciate knowing that they’re working with the best. EVV can therefore act as a timely vehicle to demonstrate that an agency cares about its people and its clients.      

This is an opportunity for agencies to prepare for growth and efficiency in the long run, rather than simply ticking the requirement boxes when the calendar lifts to 2019. 

Contact us for more information or request a demo to see the possibilities.