How to Reduce No-Shows and Improve Home Care Visits

In UK homecare services, reliability is everything. Missed visits (or no-shows) disrupt daily schedules and significantly impact the wellbeing and trust of anyone receiving care.

In particular, a missed visit can have serious consequences for more vulnerable clients who live alone, have a chronic condition or suffer with cognitive impairments such as dementia.

Making sure home care visits happen exactly as planned is crucial, both for maintaining the quality of care services, and for building confidence with clients, so that everyone feels secure and well-supported.

Luckily, practical, easy-to-use rostering software and handy accountability apps, (like the ones offered by TagCare), can make a big difference in helping home care agencies stay on track and improve reliability.

Streamline & Simplify Schedules with Rostering Software

Juggling carer schedules can be a real headache for homecare agencies, right? Thankfully, rostering software makes scheduling a breeze and is a straightforward, practical solution that simplifies this process.

Rostering software automates and neatly organises appointments, cutting down on human errors that can lead to missed visits and no-shows.

Plus, the rostering app can easily handle last-minute changes, immediately alerting home care assistants about their upcoming duties and the latest updates.

Key features include:

• Automated schedule updates, so fewer mistakes happen
• Real-time alerts and updates for care staff
• Simple, user-friendly interfaces that everyone can use

“Our carers can now easily scan in and out of visits, access care plans and visit notes, ensuring a seamless and quality care service. This was really important to meet our local authority’s KPIs.” – Simon, All About You Care Services

With rostering software in place to manage schedules, domiciliary care agencies can improve staff efficiency, allowing carers to focus on the important bit – looking after people they support, rather than worrying about their complex schedules.

Personalised Care Plans: Building Trust with Clients

Great care starts with getting personal. Personalised care plans mean every home care assistant knows exactly what health-related tasks need doing, and how clients like things done.

Clear, detailed and regularly updated plans mean fewer misunderstandings, less confusion, and ultimately, fewer missed visits or reduced quality of care.

Effective care plans should include:

• Clear guidance on specific health-related tasks.
• Notes about clients' individual routines and preferences.
• Easy-to-access emergency contacts and response instructions.

“TagCare is very person-centred towards the user. Whatever we want to see, however we want to see it, the team will adjust the programme so we’re looking at the data exactly as we want it. It’s about us and the TagCare team are always so responsive to our needs.” – Lisa, Birchwood Homecaring Services

Personalised plans offer peace of mind for clients and families, knowing carers are equipped with the detailed knowledge they need to provide excellent, dependable care and support.

Accountability Apps: Stay Transparent and Reduce Errors

Another practical tool to reduce no-shows and improve the quality of care visits is the use of accountability apps. They track care visits in real-time, logging when carers arrive and leave and noting what tasks have been completed.

This increased transparency means carers can easily prove that visits have taken place, while agencies can quickly spot and address any potential issues.

Reasons for a care visit being missed can be logged and tracked to help prevent the same thing happening again in the future.

Accountability apps help by:

• Providing real-time instant updates on care visits.
• Improving communication within care teams.
• Quickly and clearly documenting all completed tasks.

“The system offers so much – care rostering, planning and monitoring – as well as its own app, so carers can update the system simply, from anywhere.” – Fay, ProFad Care Agency

With these apps, homecare agencies can clearly demonstrate their commitment to reliability, reassuring clients and their families that quality care is always delivered as promised every step of the way.

Meeting Care Quality Commission (CQC) Standards

For UK home care providers, staying compliant with Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards is a must.

The CQC oversees and regulates care quality and their inspections are thorough, to make sure services are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

Inspectors may ask specific questions, such as:

• “How many scheduled visits were missed in the past 28 days?”
• “How many scheduled visits were 15 minutes duration or less in the past 28 days?”

By building CQC standards into everyday practices, homecare agencies can easily meet their legal requirements and significantly reduce missed or late visits.

Easy steps to compliance include:

• Understanding and following the CQC inspection checklist.
• Regular ongoing staff training in line with CQC guidelines.
• Proactive monitoring and keeping clear compliance records.

Consistently meeting and staying on top of these standards helps agencies build a strong reputation for reliability and excellence in the home care sector.

Practical Tips for Reducing Missed Visits

Here are some easy, practical tips for domiciliary care agencies to further reduce missed care visits:

• Regularly review carer schedules and anticipate potential conflicts and clashes.
• Train carers on clear and effective communication, especially for last-minute changes.
• Set clear guidelines for how to report and manage absences.
• Keep open, transparent communication with clients and their families about schedules and any necessary adjustments.

By proactively tackling these areas, care agencies can dramatically boost reliability and trust, so clients consistently receive the care they need and deserve.

Let's Make Your Home Care Visits Easier - Starting Today!

Improving the reliability of your home care services doesn't have to be overly complicated.

At TagCare, we’re about easy-to-use, intuitive domiciliary care software solutions that streamline and simplify rostering, boost accountability and make sure you’re compliant with CQC standards.

Since 2000, we’ve supported hundreds of home care agencies just like yours to reduce no-shows, improve the quality of care visits, and build stronger, trusting relationships with your clients.

Ready to make things easier and better for your team?

To see how TagCare could transform your home care agency's efficiency and reliability, book a free demo on 01254 819205 or email us at howcanwehelp@tagcare.co.uk — our friendly team is here to help every step of the way!