We are selling service and client experience. Not fear.

I read a troubling editorial today that attempted to spread fear amongst senior citizens and their families. The editorial states that pricing should be simple and customer focused. I whole-heartedly agree. It goes on to say that agencies who “distinguish personal care from homemaker services are wrong-headed.”

However, is it fair to a client who receives companionship and light housekeeping to pay as much as a client who requires lift and transfer assistance? Is it fair to a client who only requires a trip to the beauty shop and help buying groceries to pay the same as a client who requires diaper changing and bed baths? Doing crossword puzzles versus bed sore prevention and repositioning? Distinguishing the two levels of care is not an attempt to increase margin. It allows an agency to provide a higher wage to the more highly skilled caregiver.

Look at it from a caregiver’s point of view. One available shift requires difficult physical exertion, bed bathing, feeding, grooming, diaper- changing as well as laundry, light housekeeping and meal preparation. Another shift requires light housekeeping (taking out trash, vacuuming, putting dishes in dishwasher)and preparing a sandwich for lunch. If both cases pay the caregiver the same, which would they be more inclined to accept? The easier case of course.

Distinguishing the two levels of care is not a penalty. It is a service. It allows families who are in the most need to get the proper caregiver. These families know the difference, and don’t care if they pay a little more per hour to make sure the caregiver that comes to care for their mother or father is skilled, capable, and feels fairly compensated.

At Senior Care Management Solutions, we will NOT send a caregiver to a client whose skills cannot match the needs. “Other agencies” send any warm body with a heartbeat and a pulse in order to capture revenue. This type of behavior is what “angers” and “surprises” clients because the agency can’t build consistency.

We personally talk to each and every new client. There are never any surprises regarding the way we administer our rates. We follow up with existing clients regularly in order to assure the client experience is superlative. At Senior Care Management Solutions, we build relationships with referral partners and with families. We don’t sell fear. So fear not, you will not find another agency in the Greater Memphis Area and Northwest MS that provides a more personal, customer focused client experience than we do.