Welcome, Reader,
Welcome to this issue of Home Health Care Today, the leading electronic newsletter for home health care and hospice executives who want to grow their business and get ready for the future. Every other Wednesday, we bring you strategies and insights that will help you take your agency to new heights.
For ideas to grow your Private Duty Home Care business, subscribe to Private Duty Today, the bi-weekly newsletter for non-medical home care CEOs. Your complimentary subscription is available at www.privatedutytoday.com.
Private Pay: Hot Trend In Home Health Care~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~One of the hottest trends in strategic thinking for CEOs of home health agencies is to explore the opportunities in private duty home care. Over the past year, we've received dozens of calls from owners and CEOs of Medicare Certified Home Health Agencies who are looking for detailed information on the private duty sector.They're asking core questions about the fundamentals of the business, the growth potential, and the profitability. For many, there is great excitement about the potential. For others, there's caution and uncertainty.
One thing is for sure. Private duty home care is a very different business from home health care. The clients are different. The referral sources are different. The payment process is different. The marketing is different. The intake process is different.
Our experience working with many home health agencies trying to provide private pay home care is that most agencies fall victim to . . . The Four Big Barriers to Success.
The Four Big Barriers that get in the way of successfully operating a private pay business within a home health agency are:
- Lack of entrepreneurial leadership
- Overcoming the medicare mindset
- Overcoming the nursing mindset
- Overcoming the back office integration mindset
Lessons from Benchmarking Research
As a result of our 2009 Benchmarking and State of the Industry Study, we learned several things about private pay in home health agencies:
- Private Pay businesses in home health agencies tend to be larger than independents or franchises
- Private pay in home health agencies tends to be less profitable than independents or franchises
- Private pay in home health tends to grow more slowly then independents or franchises
- Those home health agencies that separate their private pay business from their home health business are measurably more successful than those that try to integrate the businesses
This list comes from our observation and our experience. We want to back it up with more facts and data, so we are launching a new survey of home health agencies. We'd appreciate it if you would participate.
How Many Home Health Agencies Have Private Duty Home Care?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Based on research conducted for the 2009 Private Duty Benchmarking and State of the Industry Report, we estimate that there are 15,000 companies providing non-medical, private pay home care in America. That's an estimate based on several different data sources, including state licensing roles, franchise company reports, and market research.One question that we are still unclear about is the number of Medicare Certified Home Health Agencies that also operate private duty home care businesses. We know that there were 9,475 certified agencies in March of 2009. We don't know how many have private duty, but we want to know. We also want to know about the financial and statistical benchmarks of private duty companies affiliated with home health agencies.
Participate in the 2010 Private Pay in Home Health Industry Survey
To help us answer some of these questions, we'd like your help in completing our 2010 Private Pay in Home Health Industry Survey. This online survey is designed to answer some of the questions you, too, may have about this rapidly growing trend.
If you are a leader in a home health agency, please complete this survey whether or not you have private duty. If you do, we'll send you a complimentary copy of the summary report of the survey results.
It's a simple process:
We'll send you a copy of the summary report within eight to ten weeks, by email.
- Go to our web site at www.leadinghomecare.com and download the survey worksheet.
- Collect the information from your agency records.
- Go to the online survey and submit the data.
- Fill in your contact information.
Complete the 2010 Private Pay in Home Health Industry Survey
Using Telephony To Automate Your Home Care Business~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Successful home care businesses are growing rapidly because they have put in place the people and processes to operate efficiently. One of the most productive tools you can use to improve efficiency in your home care business is to use telephony for time and attendance tracking for home health aides and private duty caregivers.Telephony uses a computerized telephone system to let you know exactly when a caregiver checks in with a patient or client, and when they check out. You can automate your plan of care and have an automated record of the services provided during that shift.
When the caregiver arrives in the patient or client's home, she picks up the telephone and dials a toll free number. She enters the client or patient ID number and her employee number. At the end of the shift, she picks up the phone again, calls the toll free number, and clocks out.
The system can be programmed for the caregiver to answer voice prompt questions about the care provided that day.
Almost instantly, you receive a computerized record of the visit that can be integrated with your billing and payroll programs to speed up the process, save time, improve accuracy, and reduce cost.
Over this past few years, we've gotten to know Hank Schwab at The Phone Works in Collingdale, PA. Hank's company offers a state-of-the-art telephony system that is sure to make your life easier. If you have any number of home health aides or non-medical caregivers serving your patients or clients, you'll want to explore using telephony as part of your back office automation.
For more information, Call Hank Schwab at 800-655-6515 or visit his web site at www.personnelreporting.com.
Click here for more information on automating with Telephony
Join Stephen Tweed, Dr. Tray Dunaway, and Elizabeth Jeffries, RN in San Antonio for Home Care & Hospice Business Builders Workshop~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sales and marketing professionals from home health agencies, hospices, and private duty home care companies from across the country will gather in San Antonio, Texas for the annual Home Care & Hospice Business Builders Workshop.
Save the dates of September 15, 16, and 17, 2010 to join Stephen Tweed, Elizabeth Jeffries, Dr. M. Tray Dunaway, and Andrea Zabinski for the most focused, most interactive, most effective sales and marketing conference of it's kind in the country.
Started four years ago as the home care sales professional workshop, this three day conference has grown into the most focused, most interactive workshop of its kind in the home care and hospice industry. If you have responsibility for sales, marketing, public relations, or business development for a home health agency, hospice, or private duty home care business, you'll want to be in San Antonio in September.
The workshop will open with a powerful keynote presentation by Dr. M. Tray Dunaway, a physician and surgeon who is also a professional speaker and an expert on how home health agencies can build stronger relationships with physicians. Then you'll hear from Stephen Tweed, CEO of Leading Home Care, and Elizabeth Jeffries, RN, CSP, CPAE. New to our faculty this year is Andrea Zabinski, founder of LTC Admission Coach, and creator of the Fast Trac Leads Customer Relationship Management system.
Go to your calendar right now and put a hold date on September 15, 16, and 17, 2010 for the most powerful sales and marketing workshop in home care.
Today Is The LAST Day For Conference Hotel Rates In Nashville~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If your home health agency operates a private duty home care business, or if you are thinking about starting a private duty business, you'll want to join us in Franklin, TN, just south of Nashville, on August 12, 2010 for The Academy for Private Duty Home Care
Join us on Thursday, August 12, 2010 at the Marriott Cool Springs Hotel in Franklin TN for The Academy for Private Duty Home Care. You will receive all of the strategies and insights you need to grow your private duty home care business.
A special thank you to the Tennessee Association for Home Care, our home care association sponsor for the Academy for Private Duty Home Care in Franklin, TN.
If you're a member of TAHC or want to become a member and receive their member's special discounted pricing for the Academy, click on the link and go to our web site for full details.
Call today to register for the conference and to reserve your hotel room at the discounted conference room rate!
1-800-368-4052
View Your Personal Invitation Video~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Please take a moment to view a personal invitation from me to you in this video.
Take The Gamble Out Of Home Care~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The National Private Duty Association (NPDA) announces the 9th Annual Leadership Conference, March 2-4, 2011 at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. The theme is Take the Gamble Out of Home Care with much of the Conference focusing on helping owners, managers and administrators increase production for their agency. New to the 2011 Conference, is a Clinical Track for attendees seeking private duty clinical instruction.
The NPDA invites you to share your knowledge, experience and expertise with conference attendees. The Leadership Conference provides sessions that appeal to the seasoned home care business professional as well as those new to the industry. Presenters will receive one free night at the hotel and registration to the conference, including all meals provided with the conference registration.
Speakers are being sought for all levels of expertise relating to the following topics:
- Clinical Track
- Financial Management Track
- Lead Generation Track
- Operational Management Track
- General Track - Other topics specific to private duty home care
To submit a proposal, download and complete this "RFP submission form". All proposals must be submitted to the NPDA office no later than August 1, 2010. Presenters will be notified by October 1, 2010 of their presentation status. For further details, please contact:
Lori Rebuck
Membership Services Manager
National Private Duty Association
941 East 86th Street, Suite 270
Indianapolis, IN 46240
317-663-3637lori@privatedutyhomecare.org
About the Author~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Stephen Tweed, CSP, is Chairman and CEO of Leading Home Care ... a Tweed Jeffries company. For over 25 years he has been a recognized leader in strategy and leadership development for home health care & hospice companies and associations. He is the author or co-author of seven books, five of which were written specifically for the home care industry. He has served on the boards of directors of three not-for-profit home care agencies, and has served as interim President & CEO of a $25 million home care company.
Stephen is a past-President of the National Speakers Association, a 3500 member international society of experts who speak professionally, and currently serves and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the NSA Foundation. He is also the father of an adult son who is physically disabled and uses the services of home care on a daily basis.
Permission to Reproduce~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Permission is granted to healthcare publications, associations and companies to reproduce this article in your publication, or to distribute copies to your leaders, on the condition that you reproduce the credits and contact information as follows: "Reprinted with permission from Home Health Care Today. Copyright 2010 Stephen C. Tweed. To receive a FREE subscription to this newsletter, log on to www.leadinghomecare.com."
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Contact Leading Home Care~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~email: stephen@leadinghomecare.comphone: 1-866-209-5101~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
