Home care registries like yours sit at a unique vantage point in the continuum of care that isn’t as expensive as a home care agency while experiencing improved caregiver longevity.
In this blog, we’ll discuss how you can capitalize on the value proposition of a caregiver registry in your sales and marketing efforts:
- Put the client and family in control of care.
- Ease financial burdens on both families and caregivers.
- Fast placement and turnaround times for referral partners.
- Cost transparency for referral partners.
Put the client and family in control of care.
Contrary to traditional home care agencies, caregiver registries put the client and family at the center of the relationship.
Once the match has been made, clients pay a registry fee, and they remain in charge and in control of the relationship. Clients can fire and hire as needed to meet their needs on a continual basis, communicate with the caregiver before officially starting care for a proper onboarding process, etc.
This is what makes your registry unique to those of your competitors. Make sure to mention the perks of working with a registry in your marketing materials:
- Client and family-led care
- “Nothing about you without you” (this is a modified version of a phrase that is used by the disability community to advocate for civil rights)
- Build your care team around you
Michael Assimon, Owner of Griswold Care Pairing of Central New York, shared that “most people are comfortable with this model of care. In talking with our community and meeting with families, they are more concerned about their connection with the owners/admin team and the relationship they build with the caregivers. They are less concerned, however, with the model of care. Family members have a lot on their plate, want to ease the burden, and have peace of mind.”
Ease financial burdens on both families and caregivers.
According to Home Care Pulse, caregiver turnover is primarily due to low pay rates. With 77% caregiver turnover (primarily in-home care agencies), providers need to do as much as they can to entice caregivers to seek work from them over their neighboring competitors.
When marketing to families, mention that working with a caregiver registry eases financial burdens on both ends. “Caregiver registries, on average, pay higher than agencies do. They have more margins to work with. As a result, registries rely on families to negotiate rates directly with caregivers, allowing them to work together on mutually agreeable financial (and other) terms,” shares Julio Barea, Vice President of Sales at Ally.
This mutually beneficial relationship leads to enhanced client and caregiver satisfaction. Assimon adds, “Caregivers usually get paid more than other models and clients appreciate that. After completing some market research, we know that the pay is well above the minimum wage. We also have low numbers of caregivers leaving our network. ⅔ of caregivers have been with us for 4 years or more.”
The exact figures differ from registry to registry, but make sure to share with families the cost-benefit of working with a registry. Here are some sample points to work with:
- The New York Times’ new series “Dying Broke” illustrates the stories of many families experiencing financial crises due to paying for long-term care. You can lean into reliability and affordability here.
- Genworth’s Cost of Long Term Care Survey shows the cost of care year-over-year, and assisted living costs are now more affordable than traditional home care. Compare these rates to yours and share those insights with your prospective clients and their families.
In these next two points, we’ll address home care marketing and sales points for referral partners.
Fast placement and turnaround times for referral partners.
Traditional home care agencies rely on somewhat long wait times to ensure schedule compatibility and may have to put up a job posting for a specific client depending on their needs. As a home care registry, you’re able to provide referral partners with sensible options that are immediately available.
If you’re just starting out, and need some ideas for where to go for referrals in your community, here are a few:
- Physician’s offices and clinics
- Hospitals
- Urgent cares
- Social services and organizations that engage with people in need of care
That’s not an exhaustive list, but enough to get you going. Speaking of going, faster caregiver referrals close the loop on a client’s needs quicker without driving up costs that families will pay for out of pocket.
Here are some value propositions that you can use:
- Home care referrals without the wait
- Call today. Care tomorrow.
- Care matches that work with your team’s timeline.
Cost transparency for referral partners.
Another point that you can drive home with community or power partners is cost transparency. Home care agency costs can vary based on a variety of factors, like:
- Zip code
- Level of care need
- Specialty training
As a registry, you can share collateral that specifies your referral fee(s), and how families work with caregivers to negotiate rates. Community partners across the healthcare spectrum might not understand how expensive home care costs can be, the burden that places on families, and the adverse effects that come as a result of not being able to afford care.
Personalize your pitches for each type of referral partner you visit, but here’s an example:
Physician’s offices are only seeing patients once a year for their annual check-up. The other 364 days a year, they rely on clients or family members to take note of daily changes, maintain medication lists, and identify signs of decline.
Caregiver registries can match families in need of care with a caregiver in their area that can:
- Accompany the client to doctor’s appointments
- Follow-up on any treatment plans or exercises
- Ensure that clients are eating a proper diet and drinking enough water
Physicians are also familiar with the impact of one’s environment and social interaction. Most healthcare outcomes are derived from non-medical factors, and cost doesn’t have to be a barrier for their patients and families to access care. Families will also have access to clock-in and clock-out, and care note information via electronic visit verification (EVV). These systems securely store client information while only billing clients for services rendered at proper times.
“Physicians are becoming more understanding of the services that home care agencies and caregiver registries provide. It’s up to us as an industry to ensure that we pull up a seat to the table, especially with the immediate impact that caregivers have on patient outcomes,” Barea added.
Market your registry today and generate sales for 2024.
You have the power to grow your agency through strategic marketing and sales techniques. Whether you’re picking up the phone with a panicked spouse looking for relief or touching base with a local power partner, using these tips, you can grow your registry going into next year.
Ally has a powerful suite of features that can amplify your marketing and sales efforts. One example is the ability to tag referral sources and generate reports based on which referral sources get you the most revenue. That functionality ensures you tap into referral partners that are investing back into you.
If you’re looking to make a change in the new year with a registry management platform built just for home care registries, check us out here.
