Using Volunteers to Help Your Home Care Franchise

According to a recent study, one of the complaints most frequently offered by elderly clients of home care services is that their care providers do not exert themselves to help those clients. They may request to have their fingernails painted, their shoulders massaged or their hair trimmed, only to be turned down.  The care giver says he or she does not have the time or is not comfortable providing that service, but the clients feel that they are not appreciated or special.

This should be taken seriously by all elderly care franchise owners.  Owners must figure out how to enhance their services to help their clients feel they are valued and their needs are being met without forcing their employees to perform services they are not comfortable doing.  One way to solve this problem is to tap into the community and seek out the help of willing volunteers. By building up a pool of trustworthy volunteers to provide some special services for your clients, you can meet everyone's needs at little expense to your company.

There are networking tips to help you recruit community volunteers. These are different networking techniques than you use for building clients involved in home care franchising. You are not seeking new clients. You are soliciting caring people with some spare time who can provide an hour or two each week to make your elderly clients feel appreciated and happy.  Your goal is to meet their emotional needs as well as you meet their physical needs.

First, reach out to other businesses in your community. Speak with hair salon and barber shop owners and see if anyone can offer an hour each week to cut seniors' hair. See if nail salon personnel can spend time offering manicures. Second, train your care givers on how to give simple hand and shoulder massages. Bedridden elderly people can particularly benefit from a hand massage. It also releases endorphins that can lift the spirits and improves circulation.

Third, ask other friends for help. See if your snow removal company will include the driveways of your elderly clients in their routes. Check with your lawn care company to see if they can solicit some volunteers to help mow lawns. Fourth, begin an Adopt-a-Grandparent Program at your local high school. This type of community service will enhance students' college applications and build strong friendships between the young and the old.  It can certainly lower depression in your clients. The teen girls can paint fingernails and style hair. The teen boys can play video games and cards, and possibly even help the gentlemen shave.  The teens and seniors can play games, work puzzles, work on scrapbooks and read. Your clients will feel happier and more valued and appreciate your services again.