Study Finds Improved Outcomes for Clients and Staff

Clients with memory loss present the potential for higher lifetime client values for home care businesses. Although life expectancy for dementia clients varies, on average, people live for 3 to 10 years after diagnosis. As symptoms progress, clients require a higher level of care but can remain in the home until end of life.

Home care agencies report that more than 50% of their client base has some form of mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Memory loss, confusion, and other dementia-related symptoms present caregiver challenges for in-home care and companionship – resulting in higher rates of caregiver and client turnover.

The top reason families move their loved one from the home into a facility is behavioral issues. By engaging clients with music, photos and familiar experiences, our caregivers were able to help clients live comfortably in their homes as long as possible.

Sue HeinleSue Heinle, Visiting Angels

The following Connect App case studies resulted from situations where the franchise had made the decision to terminate client services. They could not justify continuing services due to excessive levels of caregiver churn/turnover.

Before formally ending the contracts, the franchise agreed to try Connect for the purpose of mitigating or eliminating some of the behavioral issues. A Visiting Angels franchise, located in Pennsylvania, used Connect to determine its efficacy. Here are the results from two case studies:

CASE STUDY 1

The agency documented 22 formal complaints of physical or verbal aggression, including hair grabbing, furniture throwing and anger outbursts. After they began using Connect, they provided care for an additional 20 months, resulting in $137,939 of revenue with minimal turnover or behavior issues.

Summary of Client Revenue by Month(October 2015 - November 2018)

CASE STUDY 2

In the second case, 75 caregivers either quit or refused to provide care, and 26 caregiver complaints were recorded. After they began using the app, caregivers provided 24/7 care for one year resulting in $187,129 in revenue before the client passed away. Only 10 caregivers were removed from the case and there were only 3 reported incidents.

This Visiting Angels study demonstrated a dramatically increased client length of stay and lifetime value. According to a benchmarking study by app developer, Home Care Pulse, the average lifetime value of a client is between $15,000 and $20,000. The average value of a client in the study was over $150,000.

Caregivers noticed that introducng the Connect app helped with client mood management. His favorite activities include:

  • Listening to personalized music playlists
  • Watching footage of live concerts or musical events
  • Exploring YouTube videos of heavy machinery (connected to past profession)
  • Viewing photos and videos from his children and grandchildren
Summary of Client Revenue by Month(May 2013 - March 2018)
CaseStudyGraph2A