We’ve all heard the Silver Tsunami is coming, Boomers (1946-1964), by 2030, the number of adults aged 65+ will increase from 46 million to 74 million in the United States! The caregiving profession faces an immense challenge – how to attract, engage and retain quality caregivers to care for those needing care now, and those who will need care in the future. High turnover rates, 77% in 2022*, plague the industry, with many caregivers leaving due to burnout, lack of support, and minimal career advancement opportunities. This not only impacts the quality of care delivered, but also the home care business’s financial health. However, there is a solution – the CareCrown app.
Caregiving has always been an essential part of our society. In 2015 we had a much-needed, however disruptive law change. The US Department of Labor, and the application of the Fair Labor Standards Act to Domestic Service, Final Ruling removed the exemption to pay minimum wage and overtime. The Federal minimum wage then $7.25, and now, so this was long overdue and necessary. However, it created a lot of noise and chaos with caregivers, who had to figure out how to manage multiple jobs, calendars, and supervisors overnight. Home Care Operators had to double their hiring and recruiting efforts to meet the same demands of their existing clients. This created an immediate shortage of professional caregivers. Caregivers suddenly needed to work for multiple companies to care for their families. Some clients were able to pay overtime, but not most. Most home care agencies were not able to absorb those costs.
When there is a challenge, some people get creative! At CareCrown, we realized the need for incentives to re-dedicate caregivers to one agency, helping them to earn additional income, based on their individual performance. The goal was for them to work for only one agency again AND be able to meet personal and family needs.
The dust has settled, and companies have increased wages to minimum wage and beyond. Since then, caregivers are deservedly seeking a minimum hourly rate of $15 plus benefits. These wage and benefit increases are just not enough. The livable wage for a home health care worker is a base of $21-$23 for a single person caring for themselves and one child.
Home care providers continue to increase wages. There is a limit to how much a provider can increase wages however, as they find that families are not able to afford care at home if rates continue to rise.
In 2018 we experienced historically low unemployment rates of 3.9% in the US, some metro cities were lower, especially in Health Care. Then… 2020 COVID-19 pandemic enters! The unemployment rate jumped to a level not seen since the 1930’s – and stood at 4.9% in October 2021, compared with 3.5% in February 2020.
As we age and demand for caregiving services grows, there’s an increasing need for dedicated, well-trained, and motivated caregivers. However, one of the significant challenges that many caregiving service providers face is engaging and retaining these professionals. High turnover rates, low job satisfaction, lack of engagement, and burnout are unfortunately common in this sector. Not to mention other employers poaching caregivers by offering just $0.25 more per hour, exacerbating the turnover problem even more. But with the right tools and strategies, these challenges can be addressed effectively. This is where the CareCrown App can become an extremely valuable tool.
The CareCrown team saw an opportunity to grow how they attract, recruit and retain professional caregivers in an even more engaging and fulfilling way. CareCrown was born!
With automated features for day-to-day activities, recognition of milestones, birthdays, and anniversaries, CareCrown transforms the caregiving experience, all leading to improved retention. By “Caring for the Caregiver”, home care companies can reduce turnover costs while elevating quality of care and improving their financial health.
“Caring for the Caregiver”
“I am so impressed with how you treat and look out for your caregivers! It’s so refreshing.”
– Trisha N.
“Very well-organized App for work! I love this work app very much!”
– Jasmin C.
“CareCrown makes it almost fun to clock in and out.
Stormi M.
Recognizing and rewarding hard work is integral to job satisfaction. The CareCrown App has automated features that allow service providers to acknowledge and incentivize the activities and responsibilities we need and want for quality care. Home Care managers are notified of performance achievements and can send a message of recognition directly to the caregiver.
By automating and streamlining processes that attract, engage, reward, and retain caregivers, CareCrown helps home care companies recruit top talent more efficiently, while Caring for the Caregivers!
“What got you here won’t get you there.”
“We need to change and evolve the cadence of innovation, and change has to accelerate in order for us to continue to succeed”. Marshall Goldsmith
Are you ready to differentiate yourself from competition?
Book a CareCrown demo today.
