In Conversation with Bob Roth to Bring His Insights on Adapting for the Future of Home Care

In the rapidly evolving home care landscape, agencies play a crucial role in delivering personalized, compassionate care to individuals and families. To meet the challenges and seize the opportunities posed by an aging population, rising home care costs, and advancing technology, agencies must continually adapt their strategies.

First, they must leverage technology. Embracing digital tools like telehealth, remote patient monitoring, and electronic health records can streamline operations, improve communication, and enhance client care.

Second, they must invest in staff development. By providing ongoing training and education, agencies can ensure their staff can handle complex care needs, including dementia, palliative care, and chronic disease management.

Third, they must prioritize client-centered care. Focusing on the individual needs and preferences of clients is essential for building trust and delivering high-quality care. This may involve incorporating client-centered care models, such as person-centered planning.

Lastly, collaborating with healthcare providers, payers, and community organizations can help agencies expand their reach, access resources, and improve care coordination.

By addressing these areas, home care agencies can position themselves as leaders in the industry, providing essential support to individuals and families while contributing to the overall health and well-being of their communities.

To shed some light on the same, we interviewed a home care industry expert to bring his perspective on adapting for the future of home care.

Let us now delve into what he has to say about adapting for the future of home care:

Question 1: What is Cypress HomeCare Solutions’ approach to recruiting and retaining high-quality caregivers?

At Cypress HomeCare Solutions, our commitment to recruiting and retaining top-quality caregivers is grounded in our 30-year legacy as a trusted leader in the home care industry.

Our reputation is built on excellence, and that starts with selecting caregivers who meet the highest standards of professionalism and compassion—the same level of care we would want for our loved ones. This ensures that every caregiver we bring on board is not only skilled but also dedicated, compassionate, and trustworthy.

Yet, recruiting exceptional caregivers is just the beginning. Retaining them is equally important. At Cypress, we prioritize building authentic relationships through ongoing communication, ensuring our caregivers feel supported and valued as part of our team.

We invest the time to get to know them, understand their unique challenges and concerns, and celebrate their personal milestones, whether it’s the birth of a grandchild or a long-awaited vacation.

Question 2: How does your agency collaborate with other home care agencies in the area?

At Cypress HomeCare Solutions, we firmly believe in the importance of collaboration with other home care agencies in the community. As Peter Ross, CEO and Co-founder of Senior Helpers, aptly said, “Our fellow home care agency owners are our friendnamies.”

While we may compete in the same market, the growing demand for quality home care services requires us to join forces to ensure the highest level of care for those in need. No single agency can meet the full spectrum of demand on its own, and by collaborating with our peers, we can collectively provide better coverage and support to the communities we serve.

By working with other reputable home care agencies, we can ensure that our clients receive the care they deserve, even when one agency is at full capacity.

A shining example of this spirit of collaboration is the Safe Home Care Coalition (SHCC), which we helped form over 10 years ago alongside five other agencies: Visiting Angels – Scottsdale, Home Instead, Adult Care Assistance, Sunland Homecare, and Homewatch Caregivers.

The coalition was established to address a vital need—to educate the healthcare public about the critical differences between various home care models. Not all home care companies operate the same, and the SHCC has been instrumental in clarifying these distinctions.

The coalition’s advocacy is centered on helping the public, particularly those responsible for the care of vulnerable older adults, understand the differences between two primary models of in-home personal care: the Employee-Based model and the Registry model.

The employee-based model, which our agency and the other coalition members adhere to, offers higher levels of oversight, safety, and accountability. Our collective goal has always been to ensure that families understand these important distinctions, so they can make informed decisions when choosing care for their loved ones.

The success of the Safe Home Care Coalition was so impactful that the Home Care Association of America (HCAOA) purchased and endorsed this model for implementation nationwide. It has since been used to help communities across the country raise awareness about the importance of selecting the right home care agency.

In conclusion, collaboration among home care agencies is essential for meeting the growing demand and ensuring that every client receives quality care. By aligning with agencies that share our core values, we not only strengthen our services but also contribute to a more informed and well-served community.

Question 3: What types of technology does Cypress HomeCare utilize to improve caregiver oversight and client communication?

At Cypress HomeCare Solutions, we leverage a range of advanced technologies to ensure effective caregiver oversight and seamless communication with our caregivers and clients.

In today’s home care industry, any agency of substance is utilizing an enterprise software solution tailored specifically for home care. For us, this software plays a critical role in overseeing operations and ensuring accountability, starting with one of the most important tools: Electronic Visit Verification (EVV).

EVV is a vital component for monitoring caregiver time and attendance. It provides real-time verification that caregivers are arriving on time and completing their assigned shifts. This ensures that our clients receive the care they need as scheduled and gives us the confidence that our caregivers are where they need to be.

Another key aspect of our enterprise software is its ability to integrate and track the care plan directly within the system. This means that when a caregiver clocks out of a shift, they are required to confirm that all assigned tasks outlined in the care plan have been completed.

This technology allows us to maintain a high standard of care, even in a field where direct, on-site supervision is often absent.

The nature of home care is unique in that caregivers are among the few professionals who work without constant on-site supervision while earning a livable wage. This makes the role of technology even more critical for ensuring that caregivers are both supported and held accountable for their responsibilities.

Communication with our caregivers is another essential component of our operation, and it is also managed primarily through our enterprise software solution. While we use traditional phone systems for more personalized contact, we also rely heavily on messaging through the platform to maintain consistent communication with our caregivers.

We understand the importance of maintaining an authentic connection with them, so we emphasize a regular cadence in our outreach. We also utilize text messaging when appropriate but are always mindful of maintaining compliance with PHI and HIPAA protocols to protect personal health information.

In addition to these standard technologies, we’ve partnered with an innovative start-up called Sensi.ai to further enhance oversight. Sensi.ai provides acoustic monitoring devices placed in clients’ homes, enabling us to detect whether a caregiver is on-site and identify and predict any potential escalations in real-time.

This cutting-edge technology allows us to address issues proactively, providing an added layer of security and peace of mind for both our clients and their families.

By utilizing these technologies, we’re able to improve caregiver oversight and enhance communication while ensuring compliance with industry standards and providing the best possible care for our clients.

Question 4: How does Cypress HomeCare Solutions measure and ensure client satisfaction?

At Cypress HomeCare Solutions, client satisfaction is the cornerstone of our mission, and we take a personalized, hands-on approach to ensure that every client receives the care they deserve. By maintaining direct communication and oversight with our clients, their families, and referral partners, we foster a proactive and responsive environment that allows us to address concerns and make necessary adjustments to enhance the overall care experience.

Our process begins with regular contact, ensuring that our care team engages frequently with clients, their family members, and other key stakeholders involved in their care. This open line of communication keeps us attuned to any changing needs or concerns and ensures that everyone involved is aligned in delivering the best possible support.

Supervisory visits are another crucial element of how we measure satisfaction. We conduct these visits at least every couple of weeks to evaluate the quality of care provided and to nurture a positive, productive relationship between caregivers and clients. These visits allow us to check in on the client’s well-being in person, assess the care environment, and address any concerns directly with both the client and caregiver.

In addition, we emphasize the importance of daily care note reviews. Each caregiver documents their activities and the client’s condition in detail after every shift. By reviewing these notes daily, we can monitor the consistency and quality of care, swiftly addressing any issues that arise. This regular oversight not only helps ensure client satisfaction but also upholds high standards of care across the board.

We also believe in fostering long-term relationships with our clients. By building trust and maintaining connections, we can ensure our services consistently meet or exceed expectations. We actively encourage feedback at every step of the process, empowering clients and their families to share their thoughts openly, enabling us to make necessary adjustments.

Ultimately, our goal is to create a personalized, responsive, and high-quality care experience for each client. Our hands-on approach allows us to achieve this in a way that third-party surveys often cannot.

Question 5: What are some of the unique challenges Cypress HomeCare Solutions has faced as a home care provider, and how have you addressed them?

Over the course of our 30-year history at Cypress HomeCare Solutions, we’ve encountered numerous challenges as a home care provider, each one presenting unique opportunities to adapt and evolve.

One of the most significant lessons we’ve learned is the importance of operating a dynamic organization rather than a static one. The mindset of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” simply doesn’t work in home care—especially in today’s fast-changing environment. By embracing innovation and constantly refining our approach, we’ve stayed relevant and forward-thinking in an industry that is rapidly evolving.

One of the biggest challenges we face today is the rising cost of care. In just the past five years, the cost of services has increased nearly 50%, while the supply of qualified caregivers is shrinking. This presents a tremendous challenge, especially in the face of an aging population.

By 2050, the number of Americans over the age of 65 will double, and the population over 85 will nearly quadruple. These demographic shifts will place unprecedented demands on our healthcare system, especially home care.

Compounding this is the fact that our birth rate is not keeping pace with population growth, which means the caregiving workforce will become even more strained in the coming decades.

To address this, we’ve been proactive in refining our caregiver recruitment and onboarding processes. Through collaborations with tech providers, we’ve implemented workflow automation tools that have drastically reduced the friction in onboarding new caregivers.

In fact, in just the first six months of working with these tools, we’ve saved over 40 days’ worth of work hours—equivalent to nearly one full-time employee (FTE). By utilizing digital encounters and leveraging technology, we’ve made it easier for caregivers to enter our onboarding funnel while maximizing the efficiency of our recruiting team.

Another key challenge is finding ways to offset rising service costs while still providing the highest level of care. To address this, we’ve partnered with Sensi.ai and other technology providers to offer a “wraparound” service that gives families peace of mind without any additional costs.

We bear the expense of these advanced technologies ourselves, so families don’t have to. This allows us to provide added value and ensure clients and their loved ones receive the highest quality care without undue financial strain.

We’ve introduced “care on demand,” otherwise known as fractional caregiving, which enables clients to receive care in flexible 15-minute increments. This innovative service model has proven particularly successful in our partnerships with Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) in the Phoenix metropolitan area, allowing us to meet the growing demand for short-term, high-quality care in a cost-effective way.

Traditionally, most home care agencies, including Cypress, required a minimum of four hours for services, which often exceeded what clients truly needed. Many clients simply require a bit of assistance rather than a lengthy visit. Examples include standby assistance while showering, help with meal preparation, support in getting to the dining area, tuck-in services, or transportation to appointments. By meeting our clients where they are, we prioritize their individual needs, which is essential for any home care agency’s success.

Finally, maintaining and evolving our culture during these times of remote work has been another focus area. At Cypress, we believe that our caregivers are our most valuable asset, and we take great care to ensure they feel respected, heard, and appreciated.

Even as we embrace technology and remote work, we remain committed to staying connected with our employees and caregivers in meaningful ways, fostering a sense of community and support across the organization.

By addressing these challenges head-on and continually evolving our approach, we’ve positioned Cypress HomeCare Solutions to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape while ensuring the highest standards of care for our clients.

In Conclusion

As the home care industry faces a rapidly changing landscape, agencies like Cypress HomeCare Solutions are at the forefront of adapting for the future. By leveraging technology, investing in staff development, prioritizing client-centered care, and fostering collaborative partnerships, Cypress is establishing itself as an industry leader.

Bob Roth emphasizes the significance of building authentic relationships with caregivers, cultivating a culture of support and recognition, and utilizing innovative tools to enhance oversight and communication. This multifaceted approach enables Cypress to deliver exceptional, personalized care while effectively addressing the evolving needs of clients and the broader community.

Cypress’s adaptability and forward-thinking strategies serve as a model for home care agencies aiming to thrive in the years to come.