With the wealth of home care agencies in today’s market, it can be difficult for clients to find differentiating factors when they’re searching for care. When doing a general Google search for home care agencies, one can quickly see that all agencies claim to be the best at what they do or have the most experienced and compassionate caregivers. What sets an agency apart these days isn’t just what they do, it’s how they do it, and how they communicate their efforts that set them apart as a quality service.

Quality is a prime differentiator in a highly-competitive business, especially when that business is as important and as intimate as caring for another person. But how does a home care agency demonstrate the quality of their care before getting the chance to provide it? One way is through accreditation. When an agency accomplishes accreditation, that designation serves as an announcement to clients, patients, hospitals and influencers that the agency has gone above and beyond to adhere to quality standards – especially when there is no licensure or no standards in the state where the agency provides service.

Why should your agency up its game and get accredited?

The Community Healthcare Accreditation Program (CHAP) offers some fabulous reasons on their website, including:

• Validation by objective, external review: While potential clients can only know what you or other clients tell them about your services, accreditation provides an objective non-biased third-party review that ensures that your policies and procedures are compliant with current state and federal regulations and industry standards of practice. These reviews are performed by industry professionals who can also coach and educate your staff to help your agency achieve a higher level of service.
• Performance that goes above and beyond: According to CHAP, “In today’s competitive market, if you are the best and can prove it, customers will choose you. Simply meeting the minimum standard may put your organization in the game, but demonstrating performance that voluntarily earned recognition from a nationally recognized body for exceeding the minimum standard improves the structure and function of the organization, positioning it for growth and long term viability.”
• Marketing differentiation and greater recognition from clients: Meeting the high standards of a respected accrediting body is a great marketing differentiator for your agency. Promoting accreditation through your marketing efforts communicates to current and potential clients that your agency strives to provide premium service. Additionally, more and more, consumers are looking for proof of quality as they select a care provider for themselves or loved ones, and accreditation provides that proof.
• Compliance with state and federal regulations: Industry regulations are constantly changing and accreditation provides a solid framework for easy updates to practices, policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated commitment to quality and continuous improvement: Putting a loved one in an agency’s care is a huge decision for many families, and above all they want to know that the agency they choose is always striving for better care solutions. Becoming accredited demonstrates that your agency not only provides quality care now, but is dedicated to ensuring quality care in the future.

Upping your game in today’s industry is all about demonstrating quality to potential clients. Join corecubed President and CEO Merrily Orsini and CHAP’s Senior Vice President of Accreditation, Barbara Muntz, on Wednesday, March 26th for the 6th and final installment of our Home Care Partnerships for Marketing Success webinar series to learn more about becoming accredited, and how that can enhance your marketing efforts.

Need help marketing your agency’s accreditation and other achievements in a way that gets results? Contact the aging care marketing experts at corecubed to find out how we can help you differentiate and get success from showcasing your quality achievements.