Why do care homes need a virtual medical receptionist?

In caring for the elderly, compassionate and effective communication is the cornerstone of what care homes try to achieve. However, with increasing demand, staffing challenges and numerous other administrative burdens; care homes find themselves struggling with simple tasks such as having their phones answered. 

And so, many care homes are turning to remote front desk support through the form of a virtual medical receptionist. An effective and dependable way to help them achieve high standards of care without having to worry about hiring and training costs.

What Is a Virtual Medical Receptionist for Care Homes?

A virtual medical receptionist is an individual who works remotely and is trained to handle inbound calls, book appointments, assist with patient intake and supports addressing family enquiries for care homes. 

Virtual receptionists working for care homes in particular are aware of the nature of the calls with regards to care for the elderly and family expectations. They work closely with the care home to design custom call handling scripts to ensure seamless communication with callers. Providers such as WellReceived offer HIPAA-compliant support 24/7 for care homes with the assurance of human centered call handling.

What Are Some Common Challenges in Care Home Call Handling?

Similar to running busy medical practices, care homeowners and staff too, face several administrative challenges. Some of these include: 

• High volume of incoming calls especially after hours and on weekends
  
• Unattended front desk due to limited staff, during lunch breaks or changes of shifts
  
• Overwhelmed carers who can’t also answer the phone
  
• Communication gaps with families from missed or delayed responses
  
• Coordination challenges with physicians, pharmacies, and transport services

When communication is not seamless, it impacts both operational efficiencies and also adds to a breakdown in trust with families; ultimately impacting the quality of care adversely. 

Reasons to Hire Virtual Medical Receptionists for Care Homes

1. 24/7 Call Handling

Calls come in at all hours of the day. With a 24/7 medical answering service, you can be sure that every call is attended to even on peak periods, weekends and holidays. This allows families and healthcare providers to feel confident that they can always reach someone at any hour. 

2. Improved Communication with Families

Leaving a family member on hold or worse, not attending their call can result in frustration and dissatisfaction with your services. A virtual medical receptionist can help improve satisfaction by offering timely and compassionate responses. This will help build your facility’s reputation among families. 

3. HIPAA-Compliant Call Coverage

Patient and resident information needs to be handled with strict confidentiality. At WellReceived, our receptionists are trained in HIPAA compliance, so your care home stays compliant with every call answered. 

4. Smarter and Personalized Callflows

We let you take the reins and define the rules. Your urgent messages can be routed to specific on-call staff, while other queries can be taken as messages. These messages will be delivered to you instantaneously through our secure WellReceived app. 

5. Reduced Burden on Admin Staff

Allow your care-givers to focus on what they do best, while we handle your calls. Our team allows you to focus on caring for your residents. With a virtual receptionist service you can improve both productivity as well as the quality of care and attention given to your patients. 

6. Scalable and Customizable Support

Whether it’s for full-time or just overflow support, our team works with you according to your needs. Many care homes use our services for overflow calls during peak periods or holidays.  

If you’re keen to explore how an answering service can help your facility today. Feel free to review our range of customized plans and a friendly team member will be in touch.

Concerns From Care Home Managers Answered:

Will a virtual receptionist sound impersonal?

Not at all, our receptionists are trained to offer professional and warm communication. They also understand the nuances of queries from family members who may be stressed or emotional.

What if there’s an emergency?

When setting up your account, we will work with you to establish escalation protocols for urgent calls. This will ensure that urgent calls are routed to the appropriate staff immediately. 

Is this only for medical calls?

No. We handle all types of inquiries ranging from medication and appointments to general updates and visitor coordination.

How will I track communication?

You will be able to access detailed call logs, detailed messages and call recordings instantaneously through WellReceived’s secure mobile and desktop app.

Why Does A Human Touch Still Matter in Senior Care

Senior care demands the need for empathy and deep personal connection. As such, your call answering solution should also be reflective of these values. AI receptionists, automated systems or voicemail can’t offer the comfort that speaking to a real person brings.

Virtual medical receptionists offer the best solution forward with real humans answering your calls 24/7 with compassion and professionalism – so that every caller feels heard and valued. 

More Than Just Front-Desk Support

Virtual medical receptionists are a strategic solution that can help improve your facility’s reputation among families, enhance your operational efficiency and most importantly support your caregiving staff. 

With WellReceived, care homes gain a trusted partner who can:

• Handle calls 24/7
• Uphold HIPAA compliance
• Offer customized callflows 
• Provide real human empathy at every touchpoint
  

If you’re ready to improve communication at your care home – book a free consultation with our friendly team and discover how we can help you deliver peace of mind; one call at a time.