When you buy a senior care business with Visiting Angels^®, you can benefit immediately from the trust our brand has built. Ultimately, though, you won’t retain clients or gain word-of-mouth recommendations unless you hire the right caregivers.

When you open a senior care business, you’ll need a team of caregivers you can truly count on to provide compassionate, high-quality care. After all, these professionals will be working directly with your clients and their families from day to day.

As you embark upon this new business venture, never forget what’s at stake for the families you serve. Hiring a care professional is a big step for many households, one that may be accompanied by guilt, worry, and other complex emotions. Not only must your care team be able to meet the specific care needs of every client, but they must be able to instill confidence and build warm, trusting relationships with the whole family.

Attracting and Retaining the Best Caregivers for Your Senior Care Business

Caregiving is a physically and emotionally demanding profession with a high potential for burnout without the right support.

The demand for in-home senior care has surged in recent years, in line with the aging U.S. population. Meanwhile, the pandemic placed even greater strain on an already overextended workforce.

As the owner of a Visiting Angels senior care business, you’ll be able to offer a wide range of services, from personal care to palliative care. Offering this type of comprehensive care means you’ll need caregivers who can handle these different types of services. Each service offered requires a different availability, skill sets, and levels of sensitivity, among other factors.

So, how can you go about finding the best care professionals for your team? Then, just as importantly, what can you do to support them in their role?

Competitive Compensation

Given the increased need for senior care and the recession-proof nature of this field, caregivers may have more options to choose from as the industry expands. Demonstrate that you value your employees right off the bat by offering competitive compensation and benefits.

Not only will this attract highly capable care professionals, but it can also boost staff retention. Lower turnover means less time and money spent on recruitment and re-training.

Robust Training

If new hires don’t feel adequately prepared, they’re more likely to provide poorer quality care, or to leave their role entirely. It’s in your best interest as a senior care business owner to provide the tools and training your team needs.

Flexible Scheduling Options

Enforcing overly long hours is a surefire way to drive your care team to the brink of burnout. It may also put off potential new hires. Just as your clients will value flexible scheduling, prospective employees will be drawn to greater control over their schedule

Clear, Honest Communication

Make it clear you fully support your caregivers. Celebrate good work and reiterate what a difference your caregivers are making for the clients they serve. Be proactive by scheduling regular check-ins with your team instead of waiting for them to come to you. Invite them to be open about any challenges and concerns, so you can take any required action early on.

Above all, don’t be dismissive of your care team’s struggles. Caregiving is difficult but incredibly meaningful work. Do what you can to accommodate your team. If you’re unable to do so, be open and honest about your reasoning.

How Visiting Angels can Support You and Your Care Team

To attract and support the most capable caregivers, you need the right support from your franchisor. Visiting Angels is a highly regarded senior care franchise with more than 20 years of experience in this space.

As the owner of a senior care business with Visiting Angels, you can count on the following support in hiring, training, and retaining quality care professionals:

Extensive initial training upon purchase of your business
A year-long continuing education process on building and operating your business
One-to-one consultations and regional meetings to discuss operations
Hiring materials and other resources available via intranet
A 24-hour call center for any questions or clarifications
Advice from a wide and highly engaged network of fellow franchisees

Interested in owning your own senior care business? Call Visiting Angels today at 800-365-4189 or request more information online.