3 key benefits North Country achieves after getting the right home care software – An ROI case study

Managing home care delivery can be a complex process; agencies rely heavily on software to manage their daily operations, which include scheduling appointments, tracking visits, managing client information, billing and invoicing, and more. Having the right home care software can greatly improve the efficiency and productivity of the agency, which in turn translates to improved revenue, cost savings, and overall better outcomes for clients. 

North Country Home Services (NCHS), a licensed home care service agency located in upstate New York, achieved significant success in its operations following the implementation of AlayaCare Cloud, an all-in-one home care software solution.  

NCHS had previously utilized another home care software for billing and client-related processes, but they found the software difficult to adapt to the constant new changes and regulations that come with being a licensed home care services agency. They were concerned that further use of that software would lead to compliance violations and after assessing their needs, NCHS chose AlayaCare’s software platform for its productivity improvements and proactive compliance management.  

Here are three key benefits that NCHS has experienced since adopting the right home care software for their organization: 

1. Improved productivity  

NCHS had experienced significant productivity issues due to their previous software solution where nurses and coordinators were forced to manage two separate systems and were required to use paper forms to report on certain processes during home visits. The lack of mobile capabilities also often resulted in nurses being unable to enter data in real time, leading to inefficiencies and miscommunication between staff. 

Since the deployment of AlayaCare Cloud, NCHS found a significant boost in productivity for nurses and coordinators now utilize one system for all client-related processes; with the additional Caregiver Mobile App, nurses can now easily upload patient data on the go, leading to better productivity and workflow management practices. 

Time spent on client-related tasks was also significantly cut by 10 percent translating to increased efficiency and reduced costs for the organization. For example, a report conducted by Nucleus Research revealed that NCHS saved over $78,000 annually by reducing manual data entry and streamlining administrative processes.  

As a result of the time-saving benefits since deployment, NCHS was also able to reduce coordinator headcount by 20% (10 to 8 full-time employees [FTEs]), resulting in over $100,000 in annual labor cost savings, while automating data entry and maximizing staff time.  

Productivity is higher than ever before since NCHS changed software systems to one that customizes its workflows to fit their needs, no more using two separate systems to manage operations or using manual paper processes during home visits, the agency now has more time and resources devoted to something that truly matters: providing exceptional care. 

2. Improved compliance  

Prior to implementing AlayaCare, NCHS relied extensively on paper forms and manual data entry to track their client visits, which led to a wide range of errors that ultimately resulted in a significant portion of their client visits being ineligible for reimbursement. They also needed a platform that was compliant with the electronic visit verification (EVV) regulations in the state of New York, in order to be eligible for reimbursement by the state. Being a licensed home care services agency, NCHS also deals with constant new regulations and compliance standards, and in 2021 new regulations in the state of New York would have required them to make substantial changes in their previous software in order to meet compliance standards. Because of this constantly changing regulatory environment, NCHS chose AlayaCare based on its reputation rather than risking re-configuring its existing technology deployment. 

AlayaCare’s end-to-end solution allowed NCHS to seamlessly capture EVV data with incorporated mobile GPS-based tracking while remaining compliant with federal and state requirements and other compliance needs. They leveraged smartphone GPS data to provide accurate and audit-friendly time and attendance, while also providing a reassuring security tool for their nurses during home visits. 

This advanced approach to data tracking has allowed the agency to increase the state reimbursement rate of its visits by an impressive 12 percent. As a result, the state reimbursement rate for the agency has now surpassed 95 percent. 

Instead of taking a risk to re-configure their previous technology deployment that had a high potential of not adapting well enough to regulation changes, NCHS put their faith in a more compliant and trustworthy software to prevent compliance violations. 

3. Reduced bad debt 

With their previous software, NCHS was facing several challenges that caused significant issues with their billing processes, such as its difficult navigation and limited visibility hindering administrators’ ability to keep track of outstanding invoices. As a result, NCHS frequently accumulated bad debt every year, which seriously affected their bottom line. 

Since deploying AlayaCare, the situation at NCHS has improved significantly as the platform’s capabilities enabled administrators to have full visibility and control over billing processes which allowed them to eliminate the manual data entry that was contributing to inaccuracies and inconsistencies in the billing process.  

In just 8.4 months, NCHA achieved an impressive 172% Return on Investment (ROI) and saved over $178,000 annually. This outcome truly exceeded expectations and marks a significant accomplishment for the organization. 

Ultimately, the implementation of the software platform led to an impressive reduction in their bad debt by 84 percent, resulting in an annual increase in revenue of $19,000, according to Nucleus Research. 

“It’s not fun to go to the board or to your bosses and tell them ‘hey, we tried a new product, and we spent a lot of money. It didn’t work.’ This was one that we were pretty confident that we could go back and say, ‘yeah, you’re right, it worked’. It took some time to get set up. You know, there’s obviously a level of effort that you have to put in to get any new system running. But we were rewarded with cost savings afterwards.”  

Chris Czadzeck, Director of Operations at NCHS, said during the webinar How North Country Achieves 172% ROI with Home Care Transformation,

The reduction in bad debt has had a knock-on effect on NCHS’s overall operations. With improved billing processes, the agency has improved its financial outlook, which has given the team more financial control and planning capabilities, which would ultimately result in better decision-making in the general operations of the organization. 

Switching from one software solution to another can be a difficult decision to make, but after analyzing their needs and looking at which platform would provide the solutions they needed it was in the end worth the effort and investment. With an impressive 172% ROI, 84% reduction in bad debt, increased productivity and improvements in operations, and improved compliance translated to optimal client care and improved their bottom line. All in all, it’s safe to say that investing in such a forward-thinking solution will allow NCHS to continue thriving in the ever-evolving world of home care.