Caregiver Stories

In Conversation with Tena (Miller) Scallan to Bring Her Insights on Changing Home Care Scenario in 2023

One year ago, demand for home care was on the rise. Home-based care emerged as a political priority, with labor shortages as a significant roadblock.

Amid this momentum, home care experts expected 2022 to be a year for the upsurge in reimbursement rates and newer windows of opportunities, enabling agencies to compete for better talent.

The current scenario may continue. Thus, agencies in 2023 must focus on what they can control in a quest for sustainable growth.

To shed some light on the same, we interviewed a home care industry expert to bring her perspective on the current scenario of non-medical care to light.

Let’s get started with knowing what our expert thinks of the home care industry:

Question 1: How do you see the home care industry in 2023?

In 2021, I worked in my own business, which I had to give up because of the growing problems in caregiving. A shortage of knowledgeable caregivers, ever-changing rules & regulations in AHCA, and a lack of services made me switch my career to a private caregiver. I wanted to discover the loopholes in the industry and get a fresh perspective on both sides of the fence to help everyone with caregiving.

However, things have changed in 2023. The home care industry is on a path of steady growth, primarily due to the aging population and increasing demand for in-home care services. With advancements in technology and medical care, seniors can now live longer and maintain their independence but still need assistance with activities of daily living.

I believe the home care industry will remain a growing sector that provides essential support to seniors and other individuals needing in-home care services.

Question 2: What do you think about the caregiver shortage, and what should our industry do about it?

The caregiver shortage is a global problem. It’s no secret that the caregiver shortage is worsening. Low pay, demanding labor, and high turnover are some factors responsible.

Caregiver shortage is primarily because caregivers feel overworked and need more time. Long hours cause burnout, leading to caregiver shortages. If caregivers work 6-8 hours a day at most, they will feel better about their jobs.

Caregivers are essential. For agencies of all sizes, ensure showing support and appreciation to workers as it leads to loyalty. Agency leaders can improve retention with just a little expense and effort. Appreciation-themed cards, gift baskets, recognition boards, or professional development opportunities go a long way in combating the caregiver shortage.

Question 3: What advice would you give to someone interested in becoming a caregiver?

Becoming a family caregiver needs a tremendous amount of patience. Every caregiving situation will be different, so preparation is the key.

As an expert, my advice is to curate a plan, research client needs, get organized, and know what it takes to complete the activities of daily living.

Question 4: What were the most challenging issues you faced as a caregiver, and how did you overcome them?

Caregiving can be difficult because caregivers sometimes have to provide care to strangers. Caregivers have compassion for changing behavior, which also means tuning in to the elderly’s distress and a desire to alleviate it.

Some common caregiving challenges I faced as a caregiver are:

• Isolation
• Caregiver Burnout
• Financial Strain
• Lack of Support

Some ways in which I overcame caregiving challenges and helped others do that are:

• Caregivers must be empathetic as compassion isn’t a ‘hard skill’ like time management. Caregivers must know how to master it.
• Caregivers must have excellent written and verbal communication skills, even if it involves communicating through traditional means like writing and speaking with clients.
• Observation is the key, as they will require to talk to and listen to the elderly. Sometimes, they may be unsure about what’s going on with their health, or seniors may try to hide something, especially if they’re afraid of revealing any deterioration in their condition.
• Be aware of the client’s environment and ensure that you take care of potential hazards for fire, tripping, etc.

Turning a keen eye to details and becoming aware of their surroundings can help caregivers combat challenges easily.

Question 5: How did the pandemic impact your work?

The pandemic brought about a lot of nervous time for caregivers and seniors. Additionally, the pandemic made me want to keep family caregivers who could not have private caregivers informed about caregiving aspects.

Thus, being an expert, I advise new caregivers to learn as much as possible and stay connected with all home care entities.

Wrapping Up

Growing your home care business can be significantly challenging, especially when you need to move in the right direction.

Our expert, Tena, believes that you must start by recognizing what’s sabotaging your way forward and then implement these steps, one at a time. According to her, this is the best way to make your business pick up and gain a competitive edge over the others in 2023 and beyond.

We hope you found this expert Q&A as insightful as we did and had something to take away from it.

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