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Q U A R T E R L Y FALL 2022 MSRP $19.95

NON-MEDICAL HOME CARE LIABILITY INSURANCE CLAIMS IF YOU WANT TO THRIVE IN 2023, LOOK AROUND THE CORNER OPERATING AN AGENCY In A Post Pandemic World

THE ROAD TO

PART 2

The Evolution of a BAD BOSS to a GREAT LEADER

3 Tips for Marketing Under Pressure

HOME CARE AGENCY TRANSFORMATION: A PERSONAL JOURNEY

What Could Derail Your Next CHAP Survey?

$10 Million Part 3

PICTURED: STEVE “THE HURRICANE” PRESENTING A BUSINESS GROWTH AWARD TO FRANNIE SCHMIDT

Contents 06

If You Want to Thrive in 2023, Look Around the Corner - by Rob Blatt

The Evolution Of A Bad Boss To A Great Leader Part 2 - by Nicole Peretti

3 Tips for Marketing Under Pressure - by Alex Winningham

Non-Medical Home Care Liability Insurance Claims - by David Dickey

The Road To $10 Million, Part 3 - by Steve “The Hurricane”

Operating An Agency In A Post Pandemic World - by Michael Gonzalez

Home Care Agency Transformation: A Personal Journey - by Franny Schmidt

What Could Derail Your Next CHAP Survey? - by Stanley Rynkiewicz

Welcome Evolve. Adapt. Transform. Thrive. Are you ready to create an amazing business and life? Home Care Evolution Quarterly is for those home care business leaders who inspire to continuously learn in the industry. We exist to help you stay up to date on new trends and data from vetted contributing authors, all of who are experts in this industry. This magazine is dedicated to helping YOU be on point in your: ● Sales & Marketing ● Operations ● Recruitment & Retention ● Financial & Multiple Revenue Streams In this issue of Home Care Evolution magazine, the contributors and I provide you with current topics, breaking ideas, & practical strategies you will use to gain better ideas and solve bigger problems for new levels of success. If there is a topic that is important to you that you would like to see in a future issue, please contact me directly. Sincerely,

Steve Weiss

Steve “The Hurricane” Weiss Owner Home Care Evolution 848-444-9865 steve@homecareevolution.com www.homecareevolution.com

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

If You Want to Thrive in 2023,

Look Around the Corner Rob Blatt, Co-Founder and CEO, envoyatHome, Inc. Rob Blatt is the Co-Founder and CEO of envoyatHome, the care industry’s leading digital caregiving service. Rob is a Wharton alum and earned both a BS and MS in Computer Engineering from Boston University. He’s the Philadelphia Ambassador for Aging2.0 and a recognized expert in data driven care, holding a US patent for the innovation in envoyatHome. Rob is a sought after panelist, speaker, and content contributor. You can reach Rob at rob@envoyatHome.com or via LinkedIn. Learn more about the power of data in caregiving at www. envoyatHome.com.

Senior care is one of the few industries that has yet to enter the digital age, leaving today’s business models ripe for disruption. Industry disruption can eliminate even the most successful incumbents from a market, but those who anticipate and adapt early not only survive, but thrive in their new world. How do they do it? Savvy businesses look around corners for the subtle signs of transformation that promise to change the fundamentals of their industry. Here are the technology trends aiming to disrupt the senior care industry. CARE SERVICES DETERMINED BY DATA Client generated data enables healthcare to replace the status quo with highly customized services at dramatically lower prices. In care, personalized data is the revenuegenerating byproduct of smart technology in the home. Business models that cannot access client data to drive customized services are at risk for disruption. Sheila Ohstrom of Senior Home Care & Alzheimer’s Solutions is a certified Teepa Snow trainer and avid user of client generated behavior data. “Data allows me to fully understand a client’s behavior during the overnights and when they’re home alone. My conversations with families about risks are now fully evidence based, easily justifying higher care intensity to reluctant decision makers.”

The future is not these single use devices, but the software that intelligently curates devicegenerated data to tell the patient’s whole story - a story that drives earlier interventions by an integrated and coordinated care ecosystem. These interventions will show up as health, wellness, safety, and independent aging services. Data promises to dramatically lower costs while giving providers the opportunity to develop disruptive revenue generating services, including in the private pay domain. The service provider with the best client-generated data will win the revenue race, leaving data-less businesses watching from the sidelines.

Around the corner - Integrated care networks are coalescing around data-informed business Data for the sake of data, however, models that can quickly identify is an expensive proposition. This patient needs then immediately partially explains the lack of industry and efficiently deliver services. traction for senior care widgets and This includes independent aging gadgets like voice assistants that services from their own brands. shout medication reminders to an They will target private pay clients empty room, fall detectors that with the comorbidities that make don’t prevent falls, and cameras that them well-known to the healthcare nobody is watching. ecosystem.

CARE TECHNOLOGY IN THE HOME While healthcare at home is an old idea regaining momentum, how it’s delivered is brand new. Integrated healthcare players are acquiring downstream services so they can monetize the patient at every point in the care supply chain, including senior care. Control of the entire continuum of care is possible through technology in the home that digitally connects the patient to services. At the CNA/HHA end of the care continuum, integrated players see opportunity for dramatic efficiencies that can lower costs and increase revenue. For example, Advocate Aurora’s 2021 acquisition of Senior Helpers has a primary goal to support independent aging. Kimberly Lecorps is an RN and expert in connecting patients and their caregivers to services via technology. “Family caregivers and the loved ones they support see care technology in the home not as an intrusion, but as an asset. Technology supports better decisions at all levels of care. It’s an important addition to traditional clinical data and the patient narrative,” says Kimberly. No longer relegated to the consumer gadget aisle, new business models that connect the patient’s home to

“The service provider with the best client-generated data will win the revenue race, leaving data-less businesses watching from the sidelines.” - Rob Blatt

services via technology are becoming mainstream. Technology offers continuous, 24x7 “virtual visibility” to patient needs, an impossible task for labor. Meeting the goal to initiate interventional and preemptive services via software is imminent. This new business model all but assures that the company who makes the home “smart” will monetize the resulting services, including aging at home support. Around the corner - The integrated health services model connects technology with service delivery. Savvy businesses won’t delegate the smart home wellness and aging support infrastructure to service providers who are incented to deliver services from their own portfolios. Instead they’ll control their destiny and take the lead, whether to grow their businesses or enhance an exit strategy. THE GIG ECONOMY IN CARE Gig Economy companies are technology firms cloaked in a services

wrapper. Known as marketplaces, they match buyers and sellers with speed and precision. In home care, marketplaces are no longer the murky underworld of questionable credentials and cash transactions. CNAs and other home workers are moving to marketplaces in droves. OliverWyman reports that demand for home health care workers has risen 60% over pre-pandemic levels. 41.2% of home health workers plan to work fewer hours, and 29.4% plan to take more per diem jobs. Joshua Littlejohn is Product Manager for Nurse Experience at IntelyCare, a gig economy healthcare staffing firm. “The primary reasons we see healthcare workers at all levels join the gig economy is a desire for scheduling flexibility, work life balance and better pay,” says Joshua. He explains that software democratizes the shift assignment matching process, ensuring that health care workers are satisfied with each job despite the transactional employer relationship.

Both care workers and care buyers profit from the gig economy. Workers enjoy higher pay, flexible scheduling and generous benefits. Consumers no longer consider marketplaces the supplier of last resort. On the contrary, marketplaces are increasingly prized for their consumer convenience, flexibility and choice. Around the corner - Competition from the gig economy will force caregiver recruitment and retention costs higher. Consumers will be less willing to accept artificial limitations like minimum shifts or prepaid contracts that compromise choice, flexibility or convenience. Disruption is a cruel paradox. A new business model can quietly sneak up on a comfortable incumbent, yet once the new status quo arrives, it’s hard to understand how the signals were missed. In senior care, the subtle signs of disruption are all around us. If you want to thrive in 2023, look around the corner.

The Evolution of a

BAD BOSS TO A GREAT LEADER - Part 2

Nicole Peretti Nicole Peretti is the Executive Director of Hurricane Marketing Enterprises, and co-founder of the nonprofit The Institute for Dignity and Grace. She graduated from Rowan University with a degree in Business Administration, with a specialization in Marketing. She oversees all day-to-day operations of both businesses, ensuring they are run properly. Nicole is also a business coach, and has worked one-on-one with many clients, who are typically home care business owners, all over the country. She works closely with them to ensure they are using best practices and operating their companies with integrity and a focus on proper patient care.

n the last issue, which included Part 1 of this article, I told you about two bosses I had earlier in my life. One was Geoff Massimini, who I consider to be the best boss I ever had, and the other was Kristine Banks (shudder), who was the absolute worst boss I had, as well as anyone else who ever worked for her; I would bet. In this continuation of the topic of leadership here in Part 2, I will share more about who I am as a manager and how I have evolved.

To this day, I continue to actively work to improve how I interact with my team based on putting myself in their shoes. It’s like a football team that watches a game’s recording repeatedly to analyze and recognize all the things they did right and wrong, working to help them learn and improve. There was a scene just a few months ago in our office where I had left all my things (water bottle, phone, notebook) in the conference room because I knew we were having a meeting in about 20 minutes, and I was getting prepared. I don’t believe that I was ever a truly Thankfully, I trusted Geoff entirely One of my staff saw my things there “bad boss,” but I will admit that many and knew that if HE believed I could and brought them to me in my office, times over the years, I would exhibit do it, I probably could. He was right. which was a lovely and helpful gesture. some of the qualities of a bad boss. (If Decades later, I fully understand and Instead of simply thanking her, as I knew you haven’t read part 1, I do suggest can see that Geoff was a developer of I should have, I told her, “Thank you, but you look there for these qualities and people. He knew how to encourage and I left everything in there for a reason, other great info). In my early years recognize people in a way that allowed and now I just need to bring it all back.” as a manager, I know some of the his team to find their strengths, believe UGHHHHH!!!! My stupid mouth! qualities I regularly exhibited from the in themselves, and rise to the occasion. I There was no intent to be mean or rude, lousy list were: micromanaging, always am a developer as well. and what I said was the truth, but did I focusing on what was wrong, and not need to put that on her when she was being transparent with expectations Before selling Cutco and meeting trying to be helpful and do a nice thing? to my team. Over the years, through Geoff, I had a few jobs while in school Nope. I regretted it instantly but didn’t practice and experience, I have grown and thankfully had pretty decent have a chance to speak with her again into what I humbly consider to be bosses. I modeled behaviors I remember until the next day, when the first thing a great boss and good leader. It is a liking as an employee and tried to avoid I did was apologize and own that I was rather lengthy journey, with many doing the things that had made me feel rude, and tell her she didn’t deserve to twists and turns, but it is something inadequate or uncomfortable. This is the be spoken to that way. Good leaders I have given much thought and most straightforward concept, but so are constantly learning from their own effort to. As I continue to learn and many people neglect to do it or stick to mistakes and working to improve. If you transform, and with many more years it over time. want and expect your team to grow… of experience, someday, I will become you also need to grow! a GREAT leader. Think about your worst boss(es) and how they made you feel as an employee. For days after this incident, I reflected I first became a manager in November Based on my experience with Kristine, on what caused me to react that way 1998 when I was just 19 years old. I was I often felt confused about my role and in the first place. When I “went back to working for Geoff still at the time, and expectations, under pressure as if my watch the tape,” I thought about all the he promoted me to Assistant Manager job was always at risk, undervalued and other things going on in that moment to in his office. It was exciting and scary! I unappreciated, and very often, I felt learn how to be better prepared in the felt I could handle the tasks associated bullied and even scared of her. I knew future, to know what triggered me at that with being an Assistant Manager, but I then and now that I NEVER want moment, so I can either avoid it entirely was not entirely sold on my ability to lead, people on my team to feel those things or react differently next time it happens. I and that was a BIG part of what this new at work. Now think of your past’s best often do this process for many situations role would entail for me. I had always boss(es) and how they made you feel. in my life, and it’s one of the best been very shy, timid, and introverted. What made them so great?

practices I can suggest for leaders who want to improve. Remember, hindsight is 20/20, and we can always learn from our past. In this specific instance, I was in the middle of a conversation with MY boss, I had to prepare for a meeting with outside people coming to the office shortly, I had several other tasks on my plate for the day, and at least 50 different things running through my brain, including a complaint from a client and an injured member of my team. In my head, at that very moment, there was chaos. Had this exact thing happened just 15 minutes earlier or later, I may not have reacted the same. It’s important to understand these things and truly dig deep to discover the root cause(s). This is how I am always working to become a better leader.

ARE YOU A GREAT LEADER? In Part 1, I listed some qualities of good bosses. A great leader is almost always a good boss, but some additional skills and qualities set them apart from other good managers. Managing and leading are two different things, and quite often, great leaders may need or want someone else on the team to handle the day-to-day management of activities and people. One indicator of outstanding leadership is recognizing your weaknesses and taking action to improve. Great leaders • Are authentic and self-aware •Put effort into their personal development •Have a vision and inspire others

•Embrace change and are adaptable •Exhibit patience and empathy •Are ethical with high integrity •Develop and empower others •Encourage strategic and creative thinking •Like experimentation and taking calculated risks •Are critical thinkers and decisionmakers As a young manager, I was told and heard from many sources some questionable advice on leadership. Often this came from books or articles on the subject. Still, I also listened to this from presenters at management training meetings and conferences with the various companies I worked for over the years. It was repeated frequently,

so I believed it to be the right way to lead, but it always felt wrong. Much of this advice followed a basic theme that leaders should be untouchable. Getting too “friendly or familiar” with staff was terrible, and people only want to follow leaders they want to emulate, so you should appear to be amazing in every way and hide the rest. To some extent, I do understand why these are commonly held beliefs with management and leadership training, and there are pieces of these and specific scenarios where they work. Still, in general, I tend to do the opposite. I’m not trying to sway a nation of people to be on my side. I simply need a small team of people to get on board with the goals we are working to accomplish, be respectful and helpful to each other and the clients, and be effective at getting the job done. I get in there with the team and do the work. No task is below me, and all tasks are essential to the healthy functioning of the business. I am direct and honest, even with bad news. I don’t sugarcoat things, but I usually try to soften the blow a bit when needed. My team knows who I

am because I always show them who I am. They know what I care about, what sets me off, and how I feel about nearly everything. They know they can count on me because they have repeatedly seen me show up for them. As a more established manager, I now recognize that managing a team is VERY similar to parenting children. I encourage, guide, care, discipline, and teach with goals in my head and love in my heart. I am honest, empathetic, and transparent. Doing the RIGHT thing and the fair thing in every situation is most important to me. I feel I have a good relationship with everyone on our team, and for those who are comfortable with opening up to me, I am equally as open to them. I look out for and protect the team, but I also push them to do better, learn new things, expand their limits, and reach for the stars. I’m the biggest cheerleader on the team, but we all know when it’s time to put our noses down and get the work done. I look forward to seeing my team every day, and I’m so proud of all they have accomplished. Whether they have worked with us for a short time or many

years, their contribution is appreciated, and they have a safe and stable home with us where they are empowered, encouraged, and respected. This is the environment I have created as a leader, and I see the return on that work ALL THE TIME. Remember, like parenting, many different methods and styles are effective, so find what works for you, your business, and your goals. Becoming a great leader is a fantastic goal, and no matter where you fall on the scale now and where you hope to be someday, embrace the journey. Take pleasure in the bad days as they are all learning opportunities. Try to see the good in all your people, even if it’s just one thing. Look back on your experiences and work to improve a little at a time. This is a transformation process…like a caterpillar to a butterfly, you can begin as a boss with bad qualities and emerge as a great leader. All it takes is self-awareness, reflection, practice, and time. It won’t be overnight, but with focused effort, you can grow into the great leader you envision.

3 Tips for Marketing Under Pressure

Alex Winningham Business Coach, Hurricane Marketing Enterprises Alex joins the Hurricane Coaching Team with a decade in the healthcare industry. Starting in Assisted Living, she learned the value of listening. Each family would come in with different circumstances, and her job was to listen, affirm and guide them to the right choice. Experiencing what it is like from the inside of a community brought her the insight she needed when she transitioned into home care. Joining the home care world as a marketing representative, she quickly climbed the ranks in the industry. After just six months, she volunteered to co-lead a networking group of 65 people and helped grow it to over 300 people after a few short years. She became a master networker, dynamic speaker, and “go-to” girl in the senior care industry. Her passion for health & wellness encompasses meditation, holistic modalities, yoga, infrared sauna sessions, and developing a growth mindset through daily education and self-reflection. When Alex isn’t working, she enjoys time with her (almost) teenage son, two chihuahuas, and friends. She believes all people can have the life they desire. With determination, consistency, and an open mind, anything is possible.

s I prepared to write this article, I asked myself… What is the definition of transformation? According to Merriam Webster, it means an act or process, for instance, transforming or being transformed. Other words that came up when looking at transformation are shift, transition, adjustment, modification, remaking… the list goes on and on. When I started my career in sales nearly a decade ago, I only wished I knew how much transformation / adjusting / modification / shifts would be required of me to get to the “top.” I was selling alarm systems, my first real sales gig, and my job was to go door-knocking to tell people about the fantastic security this company could offer. It was a warm day in the summer of 2013, and the air conditioning was like a cool breeze keeping me locked inside my car. For what seemed like hours, I sat there, staring at the block of houses in front of me, wishing people would just come out to hear what I had to say. Once I finally got out of my car, knocked on 10 doors, went home, took a bath, and lay on my couch. How many sales did I make? I’m sure you don’t have to guess. Zero. Whew! Glad that was over. Only to realize… This is what every day would look like in the land of sales if I kept doing what I was doing. So, I decided to change. Fast forward six years, and I was a part of the top sales team for the United States in healthcare, winning awards, accolades, and major respect in the industry with my team Touching Hearts at Home Denver with Stacey Tabor and Franny Schmidt. We grew 47% in less than

two years through applying a few fundamental principles. First things first, when the chips are down, all hands have to be on deck. Have you ever come into work on a Monday morning, and up to half of your clients are gone? Yeah? Me too. When this happened, we overturned every “stone” to get our employees working as quickly as possible. What do I mean by stones? So glad you asked ;) A stone is anything that can produce sales. We had our office staff start by calling any prospect who never converted and every client who was no longer on services to see how they were doing and check-in. For me (the marketer), my job was to reach out to every account I had a relationship with as efficiently and effectively as possible. I did this creatively with the help of my team by going out into the field with specific employee profiles to “sell” to my referral sources. For example, if we had a male, bi-lingual, strong care provider who just became available, I would make sure my referral sources knew that he was open for work and ready to go. Mentioning that he was one of our best employees and most likely going to get picked up for a case quickly created urgency and produced referrals. There are

so many different approaches to “turning over stones.” Think creatively with your team and come up with ideas together. Many hands make light work! Secondly, be coachable. One of the hardest things I learned while going through the sales journey was to accept that my way isn’t always the best. I learned to be ok with being wrong and trying different approaches. Hiring a coach was the best thing I ever did. Having had many different types of coaches over the years, they each taught me something valuable and tangible. The more I learned, the more I realized how much wisdom there is to be had in applying simple yet effective principles. If life has taught me anything, I must be open-minded with a life-long student approach to every situation. I read somewhere that we have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Ask great questions and be wise enough to be quiet and listen. The people around

us can teach us great things if we are willing and honest with ourselves about where we are and where we genuinely want to be. Lastly, but quite possibly most importantly, is your state of mind. One of my first coaches, Joe Gregory, said, “Alex, you cannot

continuously outperform your emotional state.” This meant that if I did not change my emotional state, there was no possibility of achieving the outcomes I really wanted. It is my perspective that our beliefs create our thoughts, which create our behaviors, which create our actions, which create our results. Say what?!

I told Joe, “ So you’re telling me… that if I change my beliefs about myself and the way I do business, I can achieve greater results?” YES! Mindset. Is. Everything. Practicing gratitude, meditation, positive affirmations, visioning, and a healthy lifestyle to keep my mind in a state of “flow” is most likely why I feel so happy today. We attract what we believe, so I’ve learned to believe in myself and the Universe / God to take care of the details and guide me towards my best life. Today, I am the person I have always wanted to be and am excited to become even more; for the people around me and in the future. So, if you are still thinking, “I get what you are saying, Alex, but I just don’t like marketing and am not a salesperson,” don’t worry; I used to say the same thing. You CAN do this! It’s only a matter of time, effort, and attitude. Don’t let the comfort of the air conditioning in your car (wink, wink) keep you from the satisfaction of changing thousands of lives through your company. I promise you, it’s worth it, and so are you.

“First things first, when the chips are down, all hands have to be on deck. - Alex Winningham

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99%

of nonmedical home care liability claims are one of the following: - Car accident - Client fall or other injury - Damage to a client’s property - Theft of a client’s property

ON-THE-JOB CAR ACCIDENT Most home care agencies provide some level of transportation to clients, or have employees that drive from one home to another. On-thejob driving should terrify every home care agency owner. An easy scenario to illustrate the risk: An employee is driving a client to an appointment and runs over a pedestrian; the pedestrian is dead and the client is injured; the employee is at fault. The dead pedestrian’s family hires a smart attorney who then sues both the employee and the employer for damages sustained. The client also sues for damages. The caregiver files a workers compensation claim (we will cover that in a separate article) and thinks her employer should fix her car. You now have a problem and likely some questions. 1) Do I have insurance to cover this? Make sure your insurance package includes Hired and Non-Owned Auto coverage. It can be expensive, but so is covering this out-of-pocket. 2) Do I really have to fix my employee’s car? Nope. The automobile insurance on the vehicle being driven (no matter if

it is the client’s car or the caregiver’s car) is primary, meaning first in line to pay a claim, and it is the only insurance that fixes the car. 3) What can I do to prevent this? Consider waivers prior to transporting clients (waivers of all kinds are posted here: www. homehealthins.com/resources). They don’t hold up, but can help in certain circumstances. Have a standard for an acceptable driving record. Our recommendation is no more than two moving violations in the last three years and no DUI/DWI/Reckless in the past seven. Make motor vehicle record checks a normal part of your hiring process, and don’t hire caregivers that miss this standard. Verify that insurance is in place on any vehicle being driven on-thejob. Remember, you sit in excess of the liability limit in place on the primary automobile insurance. You want to make sure you are excess of something. Fun fact: In an insured group of 3,000 home care agencies, over 20 years, auto accidents are #1 in claims dollars paid every single year. They don’t happen much, we have between three and twelve auto claims a year, but when they do happen they tend to be huge. CLIENT FALL OR OTHER INJURY A replacement caregiver (the regular called in sick) left a client on the front porch steps, because she (the replacement caregiver) forgot her coat inside. It was cold with light

snow falling. The caregiver was only gone for a second. An instant, really. And when she got back the client was at the foot of the stairs in a heap. The care plan cited the client as a fall risk and instructed that a caregiver always be within 3 feet of the client except when the client was sitting or in bed. Uh-oh. Fun fact: Client was wife of famous (deceased) actor. Damage to a client (of any type, not just falls) is always a professional liability claim. Any reasonable home care insurance package will include professional liability. Prevention? 1) Remind caregivers to know the care plan and stick to it. 2) Hoyer lift glitch is a common claim, mostly due to failure to buckle properly. Train excessively when deploying Hoyer lifts. 3) It is always better to send a replacement caregiver than to send no one at all. But, a replacement caregiver protocol should be followed to make sure the replacement knows the plan and is reasonably qualified to provide services. DAMAGE TO A CLIENT’S PROPERTY Most property damage claims are simple – caregiver was cooking in the kitchen and started a fire, or caregiver flushed wipes down the toilet resulting in backup and water damage, or caregiver moved the sofa and scratched the floor. And they cover the entire spectrum from minimal to catastrophic.

“But, but, but our client agreement holds us harmless for damage to a client’s home”! That’s fantastic, but it is not typically the client that makes claim; it is the client’s homeowners insurance carrier. Big homeowners carriers (State Farm, Allstate, Travelers) have entire buildings full of staff dedicated to subrogation (a fancy word that means ‘blame someone else and collect money’). They know how to walk through your hold harmless clause. Fun Fact: Our biggest property damage claim ever occurred on the grounds of a convent. A caregiver lit a votive candle for a retired nun, and placed it on a table in front of an open window. Wind moved the drape to the candle and the whole place burned to the ground. No one was hurt, thankfully, but the building replacement cost was more than $900,000. Damage to a client’s property is always a general liability claim and any reasonable home care liability program will include this coverage. Make sure, however, that there are no devious sub-limits for damage to a client’s property – we have seen some pop up in various programs. Prevention? Most property damage claims occur because caregivers make boneheaded decisions. Homecare Agency Owner: ‘But Janice, why did you leave the stove on when you took a personal call at work?’ Janice: ‘Because it was an important call!’ Homecare Agency Owner: ‘But why

not turn the stove off, and then take the call?’ Janice: ‘I forgot.’ It is tough to lose control around this level of incapacity. THEFT OF A CLIENT’S PROPERTY Caregivers are coming up with increasingly inventive ways to steal from clients. In simpler times, caregivers took stuff – antique silver sets, cash, pain pills, coin collections. And while that still happens, increasingly we see theft of intangible items – caregiver uses client’s bank account to pay student loans (for three years); caregiver convinces earlydementia client to buy her a brand new car; caregiver takes out credit card in client’s name. For those that like to doomscroll, Google ‘Caregiver Theft Los Angeles’. Fun fact: Recovery of stolen items is most often found at the pawn shop closest to the caregiver’s home. Master criminals these are not.

employee theft. Key points: 1) Look for a 3rd party theft endorsement that extends coverage to theft from a client’s home. 2) Make sure the 3rd party theft endorsement does not require a conviction of the caregiver in order to pay the claim. 3) A typical insurance limit is $25,000 per employee. Consider a higher limit, particularly if services are provided in a major metropolitan area. 4) If using independent contractors, make sure your crime coverage extends to them. Best practice prevention: criminal history check upon hire, in at least the last three known residence counties, and a standard of not hiring anyone with a felony of any kind, or a misdemeanor theft or elder abuse conviction.

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Did you know 99% of home care claims are one of the following: car accident, client fall or other injury, property damage to a client's home or employee theft from a client? Many insurance carriers know this, and purposefully sub-limit or exclude these four categories.

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The Road to $10 Million,

Part 3 Steve “The Hurricane” Weiss, President & CEO of Home Care Evolution

Steve “The Hurricane” Weiss is a dynamic and entertaining public speaker, known for his expert knowledge in all things sales and marketing. From a young age, Steve has been driven to succeed and excelled across vastly different industries. Steve founded Hurricane Marketing Enterprises in 2012 with a goal to help other business owners around the globe. Steve’s passion is to lead business owners on the path to find people in need of their services and convert these prospects into clients. His company’s mission statement is to help business owners increase their census, revenue, and profits. Through his programs and presentations, he has guided thousands of individuals to grow their organizations and continues to help them blow away the competition. With his dedication and hard work, Steve has developed a foolproof program that enables start-up companies to quickly get ahead of the competition while helping existing businesses experience an explosive transformation. Many of his clients double and even triple annual revenue in as little as 6 months.

For the third quarter issue of Home Care Evolution Quarterly magazine, as promised, this is part 3 of “The Road To $10 Million.” And in this article, I’m going to discuss things that we need to do from a recruiting standpoint so that we will be able to recruit enough caregivers to generate more than $10 million in total annual revenue. THE NUMBERS: First, let’s have a look at the metrics and the numbers behind getting this volume of caregivers. How many applicants do we need to have apply for a job if I want to generate over $10 million in revenue? Based on the data from the 2022 Home Care Pulse report, you would need to have more than 1000 applicants apply to work for your company every year. From these 1000 applicants, you will then need to progress more than 40% through to an interview (Approx 450), to then have about 200 to 215 caregivers work for your company. 200+ caregivers hired and working for you full time, will generate over $10M in revenue. RECRUITMENT EFFORT: To be able to generate almost 1000 applicants, you will need to have an entire recruiting department or recruiting division of your organization. It could also be a separate entity that focuses on recruiting in and of itself, independent of the rest of the operation of your home care agency. In this operation or division, you will have a division or department manager, a managing supervisor who oversees all things recruiting in your organization. This supervisor will be able to assist in the future of recruiting, making relationships at schools and

universities, and then managing and supporting all the recruiters within. This person also will have to pick up responsibilities of the recruiting role when someone is a call out or someone is on vacation or they take a leave of absence, or if you must terminate someone and you have turnover at the position. They should be able to jump in and do recruiting temporarily until the organization gets made whole. Underneath this person, you should have at least three full-time recruiters. It’s safe to say that if you have one recruiter, that person should be able to generate about 200 to 250 applicants a year. Therefore, in order to generate 1000, you would need to have the manager and then three or four additional recruiters. That’s from a leadership and development of staff necessary to succeed. RECRUITMENT SOURCES: Moving on to the actual recruiting itself, the best five referral sources for caregivers based on the 2022 Home Care Pulse report are: • Indeed.com • Employee Referral Bonus Program • myCNAjobs • Reputation/Word Of Mouth • Social Media Advertising INDEED - Let’s start with Indeed, which most of you are using. There

are several ways to do it. What most of my top clients who are doing over $10 million in revenue are doing with Indeed are they have a combination of paid ads mixed in with the free ads. They pay for the higher levels of service, where you can have one of your recruiters comb through caregivers who have posted their resume, and then they actively contact these caregivers, trying to bring them in the door. This is the most effective way to utilize Indeed. EMPLOYEE REFERRAL BONUS PROGRAM - Now over the years, I have seen people do $50-100 bonuses, where the caregiver has to work for three months, and then they get the bonus. I say that is too difficult. Make it easy to attain. The easier it is for somebody to attain the bonus, the more likely you’re going to have to pay the bonus. The more likely you pay the bonus; the more likely people are going to be willing to refer their friends and family to work for you. You want to pay this bonus, so remember that. I recommend making it 40 hours or 80 hours. Once that new hire has worked 40 to 80 hours for you, you pay it to the caregiver. The second part of this, make the bonus worthwhile. Cost of living has gone up dramatically these last two years. And as a result, $50, $100 is not very exciting. What I

recommend doing is paying $250 or even as high as $500 for every caregiver that meets the minimum hours mentioned. That is such a high amount of money that caregivers will be more willing to refer and do so frequently. Last, you need to over promote this with your caregivers. Send it out in your newsletters. Every time you have a phone conversation, you end the phone call reminding people of it. Send it in text messages regularly. Recognize people when they’re getting the referral bonus. Take pictures, post it on social media. Every single time you speak to a caregiver, even on a field visit to drop in to check on them, make sure you promote your employer referral bonus program. Until you have caregivers asking you to “STOP”, you’re not promoting it enough!

myCNAjobs - My advice is to make sure that when you do work with myCNAjobs, take a look at their library of how to get the maximum return on investment. MyCNAjobs does an extensive training on their software to teach you how to get your return on investment. Where most people go wrong is they don’t utilize the tools that myCNAjobs offers, which shows you ways to maximize getting caregivers and keeping them working for you. So, when you use myCNAjobs, remember, it’s more than just a job posting site. It’s a job posting site with resources that help you to be able to maximize your return on investment, which will help you to generate more leads and keep those caregivers working for you. WORD OF MOUTH - This is all about what you are doing to retain your caregivers. Make sure that your

caregivers have meaningful work while maintaining a good balance between the schedules that they’re working for and their ability to be with their family. Do your best to offer competitive wages. Have perks and benefits. Above all else, offer field support by having people come in the field and offer them support on a regular basis. I teach people how to create the care coordinator position, as I talked about in the last issue of Home Care Evolution Quarterly. The care coordinator is a field supervisor. Agencies that have field supervisors tend to keep their caregivers working for them longer than agencies that don’t. As a result, the agencies with field supervisors also tend to attract more caregivers working for them than the agencies that don’t because when the caregivers know they have field support, they want to work

for those agencies. This results in having a better reputation and that reputation is worth its weight in gold! SOCIAL MEDIA - when it comes to social media, it can be difficult as there are so many platorms to choose from. Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are only a few. In my opinion, Facebook is the only one to focus your effort on. The other platforms are good, but “There’s only so much money to go around”. You will find professional caregivers on LinkedIn, for example. The drawback from LinkedIn though is any caregiver that’s savvy enough to have a LinkedIn profile and use it regularly is going to cost you top dollar. This is a very experienced caregiver who deserves the higher compensation. So, unless you’re paying the top 25th percentile in your marketplace, you may need to look elsewhere.

Facebook with their boosting post and advertising department, they’ve really vamped it up where you can now get somebody on the phone who can help you with setting up your Facebook advertising. You can target certain demographics. You can target people who are caregivers. You can target people who are not caregivers, but they work certain type of positions in other industries, and you might be able to get them to transition over into the home care space. There’s a lot of things you can do with the targeting. And people who are on Facebook, yes, they’re using Facebook for personal connections, but as they’re scrolling through and they’re thinking and they’re seeing all these other ads for things that they want to buy, it also makes them think about what they can and can’t afford, and then the need for resources and a job. So, as they’re scrolling through, if they see

your ad, they might contact you and that’s a great source. So this is what it takes. You now know how many caregivers you need to have apply for your company. I’ve discussed the five best recruitment sources based on the latest Home Care Pulse data and why each one of those sources are good and how to maximize it. Finally, we talked about setting up a recruiting division within your organization to help you to get these 1000 applicants. In the final part of “The Road to $10 Million, Part 4,” we are going to talk about the sales and marketing effort it takes to generate the referrals necessary so that you can generate $10 million and beyond.

OPERATING AN AGENCY In A Post Pandemic World

Michael Gonzalez It all started in 2008 when my grandmother started declining rapidly from chronic diabetes and dementia. One of the most painful experiences in my life turned into motivation to assist others in keeping their loved ones at home safely. Since that summer we have become one of the most trusted and respected home care agencies in DuPage and Will counties. After 1000 living room consultations and 800 clients later I am most proud that we have earned the trust from our communities. As the leader of my agency, I remain humble of the fact that no one client is the same and that everyone brings a unique challenge. One thing I will say about our team is that we care about the welfare of Older Adults and work hard to take the worry away from families when keeping their families at home safely. https://www.homehelpershomecare.com/dupageandwill/

unning a home care agency for the past 14 years has been a blessing for me and my family. Entering the industry in the summer of 2008 I allowed my naivete to carry me through the initial doubts of running my own business. Since I opened doors, our company has grown through the Great Recession of 2008, a highly saturated market, high stake competitors, and four different U.S. Presidents. We grew right through an underperforming economy, hundreds of surrounding competitors, and policies deemed unfriendly to home care agency operators. It seemed we were insulated by most threats. Then the pandemic rattled our world like never before. Businesses were forced to shut down, families huddled together inside their homes, and we isolated ourselves from each other. Home care and other essential businesses never stopped. After looking back at 2020 and most of 2021, it was business as usual. Besides offering protective gear to our employee base, it seemed like things were normal. However, as generous unemployment benefits started to be offered and the traditional labor force did not return to work immediately, we began to feel the repercussions of the pandemic starting to catch up with us. We’ve had to pivot in some ways to change with the new times but also remain faithful to tried and tested practices to continue. Here are a couple of ways we have adjusted to our new reality. QUALITY SERVICE Families and clients still expect quality service and competent caregivers. Despite families being more flexible and understanding of the hiring challenges, they still expect that their loved ones are treated well with someone who is well trained. Reliability is still crucial and with a shrinking labor market to pool from, agencies must find innovative ways to still deliver

in a tough market. The biggest contribution in our growth in 2022 has been the institution of Lead Caregivers. Our Lead Caregivers were some of our top performing caregivers. They get paid guaranteed 40 hours per week and are paid $1-$2 more than our highest paid caregiver. The main objective of the Lead Caregivers, besides filling in when a current caregiver calls off a shift, is to help the agency grow their billable hours. The first function of the Leads is to be “under studies” on the most challenging cases. In this tight labor market, you might be lucky to staff some of the most challenging clients who face late-stage dementia, Parkinson’s, ALS, balance issues, or transfers that require adaptive transfer equipment such as a Hoyer lift. These are some of the most vulnerable clients that not only require a highly competent caregiver but reliable coverage. The reality is that caregivers still call out due to sickness, personal emergencies, or COVID exposure. When these circumstances occur, you cannot just place these cases with just any substitute in your caregiver pool. Especially if the routine is very specific and there are many nuances to learn. Here is where a Lead

Caregiver is invited to do a shift or two so that when they are needed, they are ready. The second function is to utilize them to start new clients. We explain to new clients (and referral partners!) that we can start “same day” or “next day” when we receive a call from a family in crisis. In these challenging times, most agencies panic when a family needs services ASAP. Their tone over the phone is not one of confidence that they can staff the case promptly. Imagine when they come across your office, and they hear an agency that can

confidently say “We can start you now!”. They are more likely to sign up with you and willing to pay your higher bill rates. Having Leads in your team allows you to be one of the higher charging agencies in the area because you can deliver. Charging high allows you to pay high which is a nice segway to my next theme: hiring top talent. CAREGIVER HIRING AND TRAINING In 2021, hiring began to get very scary. Caregivers weren’t coming back in droves. It felt like we were trying all sorts of gimmicks to entice them to return. One of my least favorites was trying sign on bonuses but that didn’t move the needle at all. What did move the needle was higher wages. Every three months we kept increasing our pay rates almost .50 cents. Pre pandemic we were paying on average $14 per hour. Post pandemic we are offering an average of $16-$18 per hour. Aside from higher wages we have

also turned to automation to sort out desirable applicants faster and more efficiently. Services that can either screen caregivers for you or set up automated text messages to communicate with them is one of the greatest benefits that have come out of the pandemic. By outsourcing some of the mundane aspects of recruiting, it allows you to revisit the job description of your current staff bogged down by busy work. It frees their time to be more efficient and effective in hiring the right staff for your agency. We’ve been able to free our staff to focus solely on interviews and training. Moving in the direction of providing hands on training makes more sense in a job profession that requires hands on assistance. Summary The formula of operating in a post pandemic world is clear. The ripple effect of increasing pay rates allows you to hire in this tight, competitive market. The one-two

punch of starting cases quickly with your Lead Caregivers and then handing them over to their longterm caregiver gives your office less anxiety, more confidence, and an increase in billable hours. Matching the increased pay rates with increased bill rates allows you to justify to potential clients and referral partners that you are worth the higher costs because you can deliver quality services to our Older Adult population. That has always been and will continue to be good business.

“Families and clients still expect quality service and competent caregivers.” - Michael Gonzalez

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Home Care Agency Transformation: A Personal Journey

Franny Schmidt

Touching Hearts at Home – Denver Metro is locally owned and operated, combining the experience of owners Stacey Tabor and Franny Schmidt with the resources of a national home care company that has been providing non-medical companionship, caregiving, and homemaking services to seniors, adults with disabilities, and families battling illness since 1996. Our mission is to help seniors and people with disabilities enhance their quality of life and remain in their own homes for as long as possible. We do that by providing companionship, personal care services, assistance with daily living activities and homemaking services. We are committed to training our caregivers and providing the best in care to those affected by Alzheimer’s Disease and all forms of Dementia. We are proud to be one of the Alzheimer’s Association of Colorado’s Leaders in Dementia Care. Leaders in Dementia Care recognizes a commitment to training staff in order to better care for those affected by Alzheimer’s Disease. Stacey and Franny have lived in Colorado for over 15 years and feel privileged to serve families in Denver, Douglas, Adams and Arapahoe Counties. After spending a number of years in the technology industry, Franny and Stacey started Touching Hearts at Home with a desire to do meaningful work in their communities and enrich the lives of others. Both have witnessed first-hand the incredible benefit that caregiving and companionship can provide to those battling illness and to their families. www.touchinghearts.com/denvermetro

FORWARD BY BRETT SCHMIDT: he past eight years have been full of chaos and fun. It started with lots of phone calls in the middle of the night about caregivers not showing up for their shifts and now lots of opportunities as a reward for hard work. My mom is a fast-moving woman; you either get on and enjoy the ride or get left behind. When she asked my nine-year-old self if we should go on a trip to London or start a company, I can only assume that she was not expecting the latter. So, then she took off. Everyone knows when you put Franny and Stacey together, things get done. They quickly built an intensely successful company and reaped the rewards. (I also indulge in the rewards in the form of retail therapy.) Aside from the enjoyable parts of my mother being a successful businesswoman, I have also learned much from the less-than-good parts. If you want something, work hard to get it. Making sacrifices is worth it. If someone says you cannot do something, it is because they are scared of what will happen when you do. Anything can be done in heels. Our relationship is far from traditional, but she is my best role model, my biggest supporter, and most importantly, my best friend. THE HOME CARE AGENCY OWNER – TRANSFORMING YOUR BUSINESS

Stacey Tabor and I started Touching Hearts at Home – Denver Metro in the spring of 2014 and were licensed by the state of Colorado in October. We did not have any prior professional healthcare experience. Still, we knew non-medical home care was a growing opportunity with the onset of the “Silver Tsunami,” and we wanted to provide meaningful work in the communities where we lived and where our children were growing up. Our business development and marketing careers – both in technology – allowed us to understand how vital process development is to a new business. We took a small business loan and a giant leap of faith.

2014 – 2015

The first year of our business felt like we had been hit by a Tsunami. We had set a very high monthly revenue

target for the 12-month end. In addition to the typical challenges of starting an agency – getting that first caregiver hired, getting that first client signed, marketing like crazy, and basic agency operations – we spent a considerable amount of time reviewing our business systems and technologies. The scheduling software we initially used was clunky and very costly; it was based on telephony charges where the caregivers had to call to clock in and out. Communicating client information and schedules was difficult, which presented a challenge in this ever-changing environment. We utilized a caregiving profile system to determine the likelihood someone would work out for our team, which slowed our ability to hire employees. We quickly moved to cloud-based scheduling software and dropped the profiling system, relying on our experienced office team (ok, it was just Stacey and me) to make the determination. To date, we’ve gone through 3 payroll companies! We continue to demo,

evaluate, try, and quit new systems and technologies as a normal business process.

2015-2018

We were experiencing exponential growth and had hired several office employees with our growing team. Sometimes mistakes were made. Often trying to fit a square peg in a round hole or put out a fire. Mid-year 2017, we engaged with Steve and Hurricane Marketing Enterprises. Steve and his coaches had a solid program for how to develop relationships with important referral partners and how to convert the incoming inquiry calls. Side note – we ended up joining his Elite Academy group (formerly known as Mastermind) a year or so later and have been grateful for the collaboration with the other owners. Although we were running full steam ahead with our marketing efforts, it was also important that we focused on the development and, more importantly, the documentation of the process for every aspect of our

business. Much of what we had was in our heads and needed to be shared in a manner that someone coming in off the street could understand and follow. So, we documented, and documented, and documented. This can cause its own “scope creep” or, in our case, “Google Drive creep,” but that’s another story. As a practice, we regularly review our processes. This includes state regulations and compliance, our employee handbooks and caregiving guides, and our own internal policies and procedures and quality management program. We are always looking for a better way to do business.

COVID-19

I don’t know where to begin. Anyone in our position understands the challenges and the heartbreak COVID-19 presents to our business and the families and clients we serve. I’m sharing what we did early on, perhaps differently, to grow during this time. We got creative, we streamlined, and we doubled down. When families weren’t allowed to visit their loved ones in a community, we hired and trained them as caregivers, so they became essential workers and were allowed in. We reviewed every caregiver and client schedule to eliminate any potential cross-over from client to

client. This exercise was beneficial as it uncovered that we could do a better job minimizing client team members. We temporarily put onhold clients who were not meeting our newly implemented minimum weekly hours requirement. (We hate the “minimum” word and share instead “part-time schedule of 20 hours a week”). Our goal was to prevent caregivers from seeing several different clients a week and keeping our families safe. We were fortunate to get a sizeable PPP loan and applied every penny and then some to hiring caregivers and paying caregivers while out sick. Initially, it was a hit to our margin, but we

immediately raised caregiver pay and offered hazard pay for those willing to serve a COVID-positive client. Clients were moving out of AL and back home or forgoing a typical rehab stay to be home and accessible to their families. Our census grew, and we raised rates.

2021 AND BEYOND

The right people make all the difference. I believe this is the greatest transformation a business can make. I wrote mistakes previously made in hiring. We accept

there will always be turnover in our organization (and sometimes a need to replace team members on the bus to hire for a different skill set as we grow) and use this as a learning opportunity. Our focus as a mature agency is to engage and develop the right team for where our business is now and where we want to take our business in the future. Stacey and I can now take time off, knowing the agency will run smoothly in our absence. We are working less in the business and more on the company strategically planning for

the next five years. We recently started a non-profit organization as a legacy to our daughters, Katherine Grace Tabor and Brett Hannah Schmidt. The Grace Hannah Family Foundation will provide funds for our employees looking to further their healthcare education through CNA and nursing schools. We are grateful we took the leap and the opportunity to serve many in our community. The transformation will continue, and growth will follow.

What Could Derail

YOUR NEXT CHAP Survey?

Stanley Rynkiewicz Rynkiewicz Health Care Consulting LLC is a CHAP Certified Consultant and can help you prepare for State or Accreditation surveys whether you are a new start up or an existing agency. Call us today at 215.804.9766 or contact us online to learn how we can help you with a successful survey outcome.

urvey time is always stressful for home care agencies. You and your staff work every day to provide quality care and monitoring, but it does not mean something won’t slip through the cracks.

Below are the items listed by CHAP as most-cited deficiencies (in bold) during the previous year and some tips I’ve seen that can help avoid these situations:

TOP 10 CHAP HOME CARE DEFICIENCIES FOR 2021 1. HCPC.9 Staff provide personal care services per the current service plan. Tips: Educate aides to follow the Aide care plan assignment. Reinforce that the Aide must notify the Supervisor or assigned responsible staff member prior to making any changes. Ensure the responsible staff member is revising the plan in real-time, as changes occur. Audit to ensure compliance. 2. HCMG.8 Staff personnel records include evidence of meeting the qualifications of their job description and competency and evaluation per organizational policy and procedure. Tips: Ensure hiring and ongoing personnel checklists are up to date. Utilize tracking systems to ensure compliance. Audit personnel files quarterly. Ensure aide competency and supervisory visits are compliant. 3. HCIC.3 It is required that staff have access to PPE and use standard precautions appropriate to: The client, care/service provided, CDC and the state or county health department. Tips: Ensure ongoing training on revisions by CDC, public health,

etc. Don’t assume staff know about changes or will read an email you send out. Review competencies for handwashing, bag technique, donning and doffing PPE, etc. either through in-person training or via Zoom. As a leader, you should supervise some home visits to ensure compliant infection control techniques. Audit for compliance. 4. HCPC.5 It is required that policy and procedure defines minimum plan content, to include: how often services are provided. Service plan policy and procedure complies with applicable law and regulation. Tips: Ensure your policies state that your Aide Care Plan includes how often services are provided based on the needs of the patient. Educate aides that they must follow the frequency that is included in the plan. Audit for compliance. 5. HCPS.7 It is required that professional care services provided are consistent with the client’s plan of care and orders of a physician or other licensed practitioner and state law. Tips: Ensure all staff clearly understand that care requires a physician order and nothing can be done without a physician order. Educate clinicians on following

physician orders and updating as those orders change. Audit visits for compliance. 6. HCIC.4 There is a TB control plan that requires staff be screened/tested per local/state law or per policy. In the absence of Organization-defined risk or local or state law, the Organization screens/tests staff per current CDC guidelines. Tips: Ensure all current local or state law or regulations and CDC guidelines are known by everyone in the agency. Ensure your policy is current to regulations. Audit regularly to ensure that your policy is being followed. 7. HCCC.1 The Organization has a Client Bill of Rights addressing the following: The client has the right to: Receive information about the scope of care/services the Organization provides and any limitations on those services; Be free from mistreatment, neglect, or verbal, mental, sexual, and physical abuse or exploitation, and the misappropriation of client property by anyone furnishing services on behalf of the Organization; Refuse care/service. Tips: Ensure your policy has all items addressed in the standard. Ensure all client rights and responsibility forms and documentation complies with

the CHAP policy. Educate clinicians that all items must be communicated to the patient and/or caregiver where applicable, and documented as a standard part of their visit protocol. 8. HCPC.15 It is required that policy defines the process to end personal care services, whether if client-requested or Organizationinitiated, including: documentation of the reason for stopping services and the date services are stopped. Policy complies with state law. Tips: Ensure your policy for discharge and transfer is up to date. Educate clinicians on the DC/TX policy. Audit your Discharge and Transfer summaries regularly for compliance.

9. HCPS.5 It is required that Organization policy defines: Minimum plan of care content to include scope and frequency of care and intervention; Drugs and treatments to manage client symptoms; Medical equipment and supplies needed in care delivery.

Tips: Ensure that Management and Staff understand the Agency Policy and are trained at least annually. Audit to ensure everyone in the Agency is following the policy. If your policy is stricter than regulations consider revisions.

Tips: Ensure that your Plan of Care for each patient is current with all medications/treatments/equipment and is revised as necessary. Educate clinicians on the requirements for the Plan of Care. Reinforce physician notification for any discrepancies. Audit plan of care/interim orders to ensure compliance.

A home care agency’s business is as unique as the community it serves. States CHAP SVP of Accreditation, Teresa Harbour, “Having an accreditation partner that gives you the flexibility to use your strengths, instead of giving you more hurdles, helps you succeed. At CHAP, your differentiators – professional services, personal care, companion care, or all three, define your accreditation process, saving you time and money.”

10. HCEP.2 There is evidence that staff are trained in the emergency preparedness plan and understand their responsibilities.

“Why We Care – Choosing the Right Home Care Agency”

his book, which already reached bestseller status on Amazon, is designed to help the millions of individuals and their families who must navigate the challenges of caring for aging parents and outline their options. “Why We Care” provides essential insight into choosing a home healthcare agency from those in the industry, along with stories from real people who found solutions to help their parents age in place with the dignity and grace they deserve. “This book was written so that we could tell the story about home healthcare for people who need it and the families who have to make that decision,” said Steve “The Hurricane” ™ Weiss, co-author of the book, co-founder of the Institute of Dignity and Grace, and CEO of Hurricane Marketing Enterprises. The book was co-written with home care agency owners and professionals, Haytham Najjar; Lynn Marie Houghton; Sandra Dougherty; Vikki Kalitsi; Judy Loubier, PT, CSA CDP; Nicole Peretti; Krista Gaul; and Kunu Kaushal, CSA. Published by the Institute for Dignity and Grace, Why We Care – Choosing the Right Home Care Agency is available on Amazon ($17.99 and Kindle version for $4.99) Everyone will eventually need some type of home healthcare services and choosing what form that care will take can be overwhelming. “Why We Care – Choosing the Right Home Care Agency,” provides readers with essential information in a positive way on aging parents, aging at home, and aging with dignity and grace. Proceeds of the book go towards The Institute for Dignity & Grace.

Buy your copy from Amazon here. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/ B075SJ99P3/ To buy wholesale as gifts to your clients and industry partners, call us at 732-414-6155