You know by now that choosing a Home Care Software solution that works for your agency can be a daunting task. How do you know what the best home care software solution will be? At the risk of oversimplifying something this important, there are three considerations you should make before you choose a vendor. We would strongly encourage you to look beyond software features for your preliminary analysis and identify no more than five companies to obtain additional information.
#1: It’s not just about technology. Research the vendor:
First, thoroughly research the home healthcare software company that is providing the product or service. Companies like Software Advice and Getapp (owned by the same firm) are not enough. These online comparison services, while convenient, make their living by charging fees for software companies at the top of the result and they generally deal with feature comparisons rather than more important issues. Much like Google Ads, they work with clients and charge them appropriately for clicks. Customer reviews are important but these are often paid for as well. We suggest calling your local homecare or CDPAS association and inquiring directly from members who provide visits in your program area (CDS, Community Based, Private Pay, etc). A good old-fashioned phone call is a good place to get reliable feedback and then use the web to validate your findings.
#2: Support and Service
This may seem trite, but just ask any of your potential home care software vendors and they will likely tell you they have the best support in-home healthcare software. When you speak to your contacts at your associations, or from a referral, make sure to ask long and hard questions about the way they were treated and are supported by the vendor. If a company is converting from a manual-based system, support becomes a critical and an absolute necessity to have. Does your prospective vendor have a good reputation for providing great customer service in home healthcare software? It is not enough to say it. Do they have a good reputation for providing it? How much experience do they have and how many of their customers would say that customer service is a strength of the vendor? As you grow you will want a vendor who knows how to take care of you and responds with flexibility and understanding when you need them the most.
#3: Infrastructure and Flexibility: Avoid vendors who try to be “everything to everybody.”
There seems to be an attitude in software that each home care technology vendor has the answer to all your needs. Most will say they have a full “turnkey solution.” There are many that do offer a wide range of features and would be considered an enterprise-level solutions. But beyond affordability, this is a bit like buying a car with every feature available in car manufacturing. Would you spend money buying a car with everything on it? While it seems important at the time, we bet you would not buy that car, knowing you are paying extra for those features. Is the vendor flexible? Will they turn features off and not charge you for them? Are they willing and able to adapt to your needs or requests? Technology moves at light speed and you want to align with a company that is dedicated to listening and adapting to technological advancements and the needs of its customers.
In closing, purchasing Home Care Software is not a fast process or one that should be rushed through. Write out your requirements and then research those companies from your personal trusted sources. Then, test their willingness to serve and listen to you. Reach out to us at CareTime to see if our home care software solution is a fit for you.
Happy shopping!
