Understanding the Demand for an Increase in Home Health Clinicians
Employment of home health and personal care aides is forecasted to grow 41% from 2016 to 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This projected growth rate is significantly higher than the average for all occupations as it reflects the expected increase in demand for home health care based on the aging of baby boomers and the expanding size of the elderly population. As reported by CNBC, the nation is “on the edge of a crisis,” said William Dombi, president of NAHC. “We are not prepared for what’s coming. Our concern is that the demand is going to outstrip the supply unless we see some dynamic changes occur.”
Given the continued demand for home health services, agencies are highly focused on recruiting and retaining qualified staff team members. The median caregiver turnover rate skyrocketed to 82% in 2018, according to this year’s Home Care Benchmarking Study by market research and education firm Home Care Pulse. A recent study from ElevatingHOME and the Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA) highlighted that factors such as retiring home health nurses, a lack of applicants, and growing patient needs contribute to agencies’ ability to attract and maintain skilled team members. In a HomeCare article, Danielle Pierotti, RN, PhD, CENP of ElevatingHOME and VNAA, shared that “a good home health employee is resilient, adaptable and able to solve unique problems in challenging environments. It is critical that home health providers are knowledgeable and confident in the basics to safely problem-solve unusual situations.”
Using a Communication Platform to Position an Agency as an Employer of Choice
A virtual care communication platform can innovate the way an agency’s clinicians can operate, thus attracting interest from clinicians at competing agencies or those at a crossroads in their nursing careers. By enabling nurses to use Synzi’s HIPAA-compliant video to augment or replace some of the in-person visits, an agency can relieve some of the driving stress experienced by visiting clinicians. Using Synzi’s award-winning technology also helps an agency position itself as innovative and future-focused – which can attract high-performing clinicians who are seeking a better opportunity to deliver cutting-edge care to more patients.
The Synzi platform can also help boost clinician satisfaction. New and existing clinicians will value the flexibility in being able to conveniently provide care throughout the region they serve without having to be “behind the wheel” for most of their workday. Clinicians will also have greater access to an agency’s educational sessions from anywhere, at any time, by using the video functionality for on-the-job training and coaching. By helping clinicians use a real-time communication platform to connect with patients and colleagues, an agency can quickly become the employer of choice in a highly competitive area.