Nurse Triage Medical Answering Service

The Balancing Act of Hospice: Services, Staffing, and Costs

There is nothing easy about being a medical health professional, it can not only take a toll on you physically but also emotionally. Among all medical personnel the need for more self-care is high but even more so with hospice professionals. The work schedules among these types of workers is gruelling and very few find time for a social life or any activities outside of work. Without time away from work there is less time spent with family and friends and their work may also suffer due to burnt out. 

Hospice work is very different from other jobs because it takes not only physical labor but it is also highly emotional and can be exhausting for those involved, even when they enjoy it. When this happens it becomes increasingly difficult for them to give quality care to their patients while also maintaining their own health. Quality care should be the number one priority of medical professionals with patients coming first. Which leads these professionals to have to balance their priorities both professionally and personally to create the perfect balance and be able to sustain themselves and their patients. 

For administrators there is even more balancing that must be done to ensure the medical office is being run at maximum efficiency. They have toi balance between staffing needs, budget, and services. Just one of these falling behind or lacking can affect the lives and work conditions of everyone there. The three key areas of balancing comes down to: 1) protecting their staff from burnout by keeping enough staff that no one is overworked and avoiding excessive turnovers, 2) keep their numbers and profits where they should be, 3) and providing high quality healthcare for patients that is affordable and accessible. To reach this balancing act, many hospices choose answering service models or on-staff operators to care for their patients after-hours so they are not having to continue working after they have gone home. 

Professional Care

For those hospices trying to find the best medical answering and messaging services for their patients after-hours, it is important for them to confidently know that quality care will be given and that their patients will be well taken care of in their absence. The team behind the phones must be certified and trained and be able to answer the phones within seconds of the patients or their loved ones calling. The after-hours plan should have 24/7 triage care as well as home visits. CareXM offers these services and is able to care for patients in emergent and non-emergent situations. Using these services helps with balancing the immediate assistance and coordination between on-call staff and the manager. 

The medical answering service should also be professional as they help the patients and work with them and their loved ones. 

Accessible Services

While it is important to maintain balance for your hospices and their work and home lives, it is also crucial for your business to ensure that the costs between the hospice and the costs of the after-hour services are balanced as well. They have long term and short term solutions and are ideal for those needing an after hour car. 

Finding the right medical answering company can be difficult but one of the most important components it should have is being easy to reach for the patients when your hospice is no longer there. CareXM can help you to reach the high demand without asking too much and stretching your staff beyond their limits. 

Affordable Prices

Finding the proper medical answering company to help you out may not always be easy, but it is possible. Not only should they be accessible and professional for your patients but they should also be offering affordable prices so you can balance your finances without making your hospices suffer from being underpaid. Underpaid hospices burn-out quicker and can result in a fast turnover rate for you, leaving you to spend more time finding more employees rather than the other aspects of the balancing act.

Consequences of Unbalance

Finding a medical answering and messaging company may be just what you need to acquire more patients while avoiding overworking your hospices. Being a hospice is difficult work and can be emotionally and physically draining, which is why overwork and a lack of balance can be so dangerous for them. When there are mistakes in the medical field the results can be devastating, and finding proper after hours care in the click of a button is the fix. You may also be losing money and your experienced hospices because you don’t have the time or the money to meet their needs. When you can’t meet their needs, they won’t be able to meet their patients’ needs and it turns into a terrible cycle. 

The Trick To Balancing

Just like everything else, it isn’t always easy to balance all of the priorities and meet the needs of everyone, but when it comes to the work of hospices their work is important in the wellbeing of their patients. Balancing work and life for each of them will in turn help your company as well as their patients because they will be receiving quality care.