One of the industries that is always going to be a need for, is that if care home and in-home care. With an aging population, the need for this is unlikely to go away anytime soon. So for entrepreneurs looking for a new business venture, or people looking for stable careers, it is a definite option. As with anything, though, it will take a lot of hard work and determination, as there is no ‘silver bullet’ that will make it a success. However, if you have a vision, and want to make a difference to people’s lives, then that is a great foundation on which to start a home care or in-home care business. It is all about the care and the people at the end of the day, so that should be your focus.
There are no one or two things that are guaranteed to make your services outstanding. However, there is a combination of a number of things. These should span across your branding, your business, and with the people that you employ. So with all of this in mind, here are the following tips for those looking to get into care home, in-home care, or those wanting to improve what they already do. It will only be a worthwhile business if you can provide an outstanding provision.
Take time to care
No matter how many patients you need to see in a care home, or visits that you have to make in a certain day, you need to allow plenty of time for each person. Although they may be your tenth call that day, they won’t know that. You should treat them with as much expertise, respect, and manners as you gave the first person that day. Be there just for them, and take the time to care. Sometimes setting a certain amount of time for an appointment can make a difference, although some flexibility is required as some patients will need more time for others. For in-home care especially, you could be the only person that speaks to in person that day, so give them some time, and it will help to provide an outstanding caring service.
Be flexible and responsive
You have the ability to see what needs are, and then adapt and care for those changing needs. For example, you may have a client that has dementia, and they may have started to show a little reluctance to get bathed and dressed each morning. You could get frustrated and angry, or you could talk to their family, and other care workers, to find a solution. In this example, you may find that they’d prefer to bathe in the evening, so that they’re ready for bed afterwards. All it takes is a conversation and some flexibility, and then the routine is changed. It means you are providing a really personal service, which is a step on the way to providing an outstanding service.
Training and Support
Whether you are planning to go into caring alone, with a small number of clients, or you will be employing a team, you need to make sure that there is some training and support. For one thing, it is an industry that can be stressful for some, and even a little distressing when you get close to patients and you see their health decline rapidly. So support is needed there, for mental wellbeing to start with. But training is also a must if you want your team to provide an excellent service. Offer training to your team (or yourself). Keep up to date with the latest information and legislation in the industry, and look for courses that could help. Anything from manual handling to how to use an ambulatory EEG is important, if you want to provide an amazing caring service. Ensuring that you and the team have the necessary skills to meet clients’ needs is a must.
Go above and beyond
When you are looking for staff for the business, you really need to look for the ones that are caring and full of compassion, as they are the ones that are likely to go the extra mile for clients. Care home and other caring provisions are subject to inspections, depending on where you live, and you’ll want to have your inspection report full of all of the good things that your team have been doing to make a difference. From getting to know the clients’ interests, and doing things accordingly, to getting to know the family and the little quirks that the person has, can all make a difference.
Encourage reflective practice
Using reflective practice is something that the whole team can do to improve themselves, as well as the offering as a whole. When there is feedback, whether it is good or bad, it can be used to help to improve things, which is what all companies should be aiming to do. Some clients may fall out with the carers, and because of things like dementia and ill-health, this can and does happen. As a result, it is important to make sure that things like this are reported, so that that client could work with another carer, for example. It means the caring gets done, but shows you’re being proactive in making a difference, so that their needs are met and the service is a personalized one.
It’s all about relationships
To sum it all up, it is all about relationships. It is the kind of business where people need to be at the forefront, unless you’ll be having someone else take care of the caring and day to day running of things. Although relationships seem so obvious, it really needs to be emphasized. The staff and the clients need to have a positive relationship if you want it to work well as a business that can be successful. People value the kind of relationships that they have with caring staff, and you want this so that they will speak positively about them. All of these elements together can improve or create an excellent caring business.
