New Year’s Eve EVV – How a Mandate Shaped 2018

                       Sinq’s Holiday Home Care 2018 List of Reflections

Many home care providers, states, and EVV opponents are breathing a sigh of relief as January 1, 2019 approaches and disappears like the uncomfortable pair of socks one receives during the holiday season.  However, the 21st Century Cures Act Section 12006 Electronic Visit Verification mandate for PCS still looms heavily for the year 2020.  It does not go unnoticed by the Sinq writing staff that the 2020 reference to perfect vision is ironic when discussing the EVV mandate, for it has been anything but crystal clear for many parties involved within home care, home care technology, and the many states trying to decipher the mandate conundrum.

In 2018, Sinq attended many home care conferences and summits, expanded the limits of our software platform, has had many discussions with larger and smaller home care providers, guided states on EVV, and has traveled far and wide for training sessions with hard working home care workers.

Sinq’s growth and experience as a home care software company has been, and continues to be exciting and rewarding, so we would like to present our List of Reflections for the Year of the Mandate Not To Be:

The topic of EVV overshadows the human element involved with home care and direct care services. The Stop EVV voices are legitimate and deserve everyone’s attention.  Sinq views EVV as the least important aspect of home care technology, and that is why the mandate may be hurting, not helping, those individuals who need quality care;

The topic of EVV overshadows the real potential of home care software and reducing Fraud, Waste, and Abuse. EVV means check in/check out.  If the main concern among workers is being ‘tracked’ or ‘followed’ then that may be a red flag for some type of FWA.  The discussion should not revolve around GPS, but trust;

States are very quick to contract with EVV vendors and implement a statewide system without research and stakeholder input.Yes, much time is needed to implement an EVV system, but as we learned from Gary Tonks and The Arc of Ohio, knee-jerk reactions to sign the biggest vendor to a multi-year contract to fulfill a mandate around location services may prove to be detrimental. Also, if a state is relying on EVV onlyservices, they are most likely not going to experience value across the entire care continuum;

EVV shifts focus from excellent software platforms, reporting, and care capabilities. At Sinq, we would like to not hear about EVV for a long time.  Our software is so vast and unique, and we want to discuss the possibilities, not the basic requirements of a mandate.  Change in Condition, Care Plans, and Care Gaps should be the primary focus for home care providers, home care workers, and patients.  The real value exists within these capabilities, especially when Alerts and Events trigger positive results, for example, reducing hospital readmission rates.  Home care providers can benefit exponentially with quality home care software – they should not view the shift in technology as a punishment or invasive activity.  The move towards value-based care coupled with the advancement in technology will prove advantageous within the home care industry. (HEDIS, STARS, etc…).

While the list may be brief, we wanted to give our thoughts on the EVV mandate.  Sinq wishes the best of holidays for all, and a Happy, mandate free New year!  We appreciate all home care providers, the hard work of home care workers, assistants, direct-care workers, nurses, and families.

Cheers,

The Sinq Team

About Sinq Technologies

Sinq’s collaborative software technology platform was built with purpose in mind.Sinq’s Care Plan Transparency, Care Gap Management, and Change in Care Monitoring makes Sinq’s software stand out within the industry, and with Payers, Providers, and Plans. We can help you become compliant with EVV guidelines, but our expansive software offers long-term solutions for the betterment of your agency and clients.

Call today for more information, a free demo, or a consultation at 847-325-5007, or talk directly to Matt at 630-596-6721, email Matt at mtipples@sinq.io, or visit us at http://www.sinq.io/.

Reflections of Labor Day and the Importance of Support for Home Health Care Aides

Building Stronger Support Systems with Technology for Home Care Workers to Improve Working Conditions

We have expressed our gratitude for the hard work and dedication of home care aides, direct care workers, and personal care attendants alike in previous writings, and we are cognizant and troubled about the dire outlook that field of employment faces with turnovers and shortages.  Moreover, as we have stated many times, the focus on Electronic Visit Verification, forming associations about Electronic Visit Verification, and reliance on EVV-only software de-humanizes workers, clients, and limits the potential of home care technology.  

Without home care aides, certain home care software platforms would not exist, especially EVV.  One peril of home care technology is the tendency to forget that workers undergo stress, undesirable working conditions, and harassment. Communication between worker and boss, in this case the home care aide and the agency, is necessary due to the high turnover rates among home care workers; moreover, possible lack of support deserves extra attention due to effects the abuse and toxic environment may have on workers.

Excuse my lengthy, but poignant excerpt by Miriam Ryvicker’s recent article entitled “An International Perspective on Improving Occupational Conditions for Direct Care Workers in Home Health,” from the Israel Journal of Health Policy Research:

“Home care workers do not have the same level of protections by workplace safety policies such as those implemented in hospitals and nursing homes. A study of 1249 home care aides in the US found that 7% of the sample experienced physical violence on the job, while 19% were victims of verbal violence, including being yelled at, threatened, and subjected to racist language. Another US study found that 20% of home care aides experienced some form of abuse on behalf of clients or clients’ families – including verbal abuse, prejudicial comments, or witnessing elder abuse or neglect.”

The numbers, and the home care aides behind them, should be addressed.  The home care industry will suffer more if support and solutions to such issues are ignored.  To retain home care workers, and provide favorable working conditions, it seems plausible to utilize home care technology to bridge the communication gap.  Home care workers/personal care assistants may not speak to each other or communicate with their offices daily/weekly when much needed support is crucial.  However, because they are surrounded by technology daily, it can be a tool to open the door to a room of supporters.

To quote Ryvicker once again:

“Advancements in communication technology offer a potential opportunity to better connect home care workers to a support system. Establishing such a support system would call for both structural and cultural shifts in the home care industry to raise awareness and provide practical solutions to improve the occupational health and safety of home care workers both locally and globally.”

Of course, a lot needs to be done with home care technology to better involve workers’ reflections and concerns while in the field.  Maybe there should be a technology mandate for monitoring home care workers’ safety and well-being?  Maybe there should be EWSS technology – Electronic Worker Support System in home care software platforms?  Unfortunately, society is moving away from face-to-face meetings where support systems have a chance to flourish, but that does not mean that support is unable to exist.  Once the perfect harmony between home care technology and home care workers is created, a safe and supportive network for home care aides, personal care assistants, and home care nurses will have long-lasting, positive results.

About Sinq Technologies

Sinq's collaborative software technology platform was built with purpose in mind. Sinq's Care Plan Transparency, Care Gap Management, EVV / EvS, and Change in Care Monitoring makes Sinq's software stand out within the industry, and with Payors, Providers, and Plans. We can help you become compliant, but our expansive software offers long-term solutions for the betterment of your agency and clients. 

Call today for more information, a free demo, or a consultation at 847-325-5007, or talk directly to Matt at 630-596-6721, email Matt at mtipples@sinq.io, or visit us at http://www.sinq.io/