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Case Manager, Time Management
8 Time Management Hacks for Care Managers
Before we discuss these eight secrets let’s agree to this common ground
Defining the Terms:
• Case Management = a persistent problem solving modality in home care.
• Care Manager = full time multitasking ninja
• Time Management = The management of time in order to make the most out of it.
In the LTSS care plan of every given complex client, there are many moving parts. Comprehending a patient’s medical history, health goals, and care preferences is a major undertaking. Then there’s the responsibility of ensuring this information flows to the right circle of care team support members in a timely manner. When various agencies, providers, practitioners and loved ones are involved, this process is incredibly tough to manage. Now we add to the mix the current environment where you get to run a virtual adult daycare across a vast geographical area. How many clients, care givers, family members, and neighbors are in your case load?
1. Do something with it
How often do you start something that you need to take care of, but not now? Everytime you revisit the same thing it takes away from something else. If you do that a few times a day with tasks, projects, documents or system inputs by the end of the year you would have spent an entire month engaging in and re-reading items without advancing any of them. The solution is simple: if you touch it, take care of it. Move it to the next step and then schedule the appropriate follow up. Close that window.
2. Continue to make lists, but stick to the most important things
Okay we all use lists or tasks. Service Coordinators will normally have lists with 35 to as many as 60 to-dos or more. Your lists are so long that they themselves are exhausting. Further investigation quickly shows that long lists are the perfect way to be busy, but not productive. When you have a long list, your energy is focused more on trimming the list than on impacting your clients. You probably have 6 to 10 things that will produce the highest level of results for those in most need, this is your new list, commit to finish this list by day’s end. You must remember that delegation is a thing and that NO (I can not do that or that is not my responsibility) is a full and acceptable sentence 🙂
3. Learn how time limits free you
You’ve started your day by making a list of the most impactful things. That should have taken about two minutes. Now take this extra step. Plan how long each item should take or how long you will dedicate to the items. Some of the biggest things that will matter the most may only take a few minutes to resolve but they do not get done because they seem so big. Most people who use these steps find they get more important work done in less time because their time is focused on the most productive tasks. Statistical fact: people operate better under deadlines. It is common for people to procrastinate. Putting off tasks until the resulting deadlines get closer and there comes a point at which the person will fire into action. What we have uncovered is that self-imposed deadlines are just as powerful. I will have this done by 2PM Today and I alot 15 min to complete this.
4. Plan when
Now that you know how much time to dedicate to each task, you need to plan when you will do them. In addition, you must build in time for the reactive mode. Try and schedule everything. You can use your out of office attendant as a training tool to mold the behavior of those that interact with you..
5. Prioritize
We have found that the most effective care coordinators go against the norm. We all have been trained to have items on a list, so they can be crossed off. The line through the item is rewarding. Congratulations, the healthcare industry has created an endless supply of Pavlovian Dogs. It is no longer enough. The things that produce the best results are generally the most difficult. Thus, they get left off of the list or are scheduled at the end of the day, causing them to get bumped to the next day…and the next…and the next. Schedule the most important tasks at the beginning of your day. After you make your list, ask yourself if the items on it are the ones that will produce the most impactful results? Which are the most important? When you handle the big and hard things up front, You get faster lighter and more agile mentaly spiritually and emotionally.
6. When in doubt, throw it out?
“Of all the information I chose to hold on to, 80% was never referred to again” ~ Most Care Coordinators This especially relates to bogging down your email. How many emails do you have to sort through to find what you need? After hearing this time management idea, I began to delete four out of five of the emails I used to keep. It’s been over 10 years, and I cannot think of a single time where it has hurt me. The best thing you can do is superfocus your subject lines. It makes it easy to find later.
7. Get Rid of Distractions at Work
Nearly 75% of service coordinators admit they feel distracted at work, with 15% of people stating that they’re almost always distracted.
The Impact of workplace distractions, according to our research, included:
54% said they “Aren’t performing as well as they should”
50% said they “Are significantly less productive”
20% said they are “Not able to reach full potential and advance in their career”
Continually looking at your phone interrupts work flow and focus.
According to recent research from Deloitte, the average person checks his or her smartphone 47 times a day. Yikes.
47 times divided by an 8-hour workday, means you may be checking your phone almost 6 times every hour. (Probably More) Most of us are completely unaware of this and That’s enough to distract anybody.
We all know that smartphones and other devices frequently interrupt us, and take our attention away from the project or task we’re working on.
It’s easy to frequently take a break from our important tasks to check our phones, watches, and other gadgets.
What happens when you eliminate distractions?
75% stated “I get more done and I’m more productive”
57% stated “I’m motivated to do my best”
51% stated “I’m more confident in my ability to do my job well”
49% stated “I’m happier at work”
44% stated “I deliver higher quality work”
8. Use Alert Medical Alarms PERS to keep you connected with your clients
Alert Medical Alarms PERS is not just a fall button. Our platform keeps care managers connected with clients. We have solutions that YOU may not have considered
Prone to falls
Suffer from Dementia
At risk of maltreatment
Social isolation and loneliness
If your client ever uses the button we notify you in a manner where you can cut, paste, and upload into your system all of the incident details, quickly revise plans and schedule the appropriate follow up. How is that for time management?
To learn more about Alert Medical Alarms PERS please visit this link: Time Management through the Alert Medical Alarms PERS platform
Here are new liberties you can enjoy immediately:
Start maneuvering through your day less anxiously
Redirect your behavior to support conscious and intentional consumption
Enjoy uninterrupted blocks of time to do deep work
Be more productive and less busy
Be more present for others
You get to decide what’s truly urgent and important
CHANGING THESE HABITS/YOUR MISSION IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT
Our behavior can only truly be affected in two ways: doing and repeating. You can agree intellectually that these changes will cause productivity increases and lessen your anxiety, but until you practice them, DO and continue to use them, DO OVER AND OVER, your behavior will not change.
Statistically, It takes roughly 22 days to form a new habit. Our experience is that it takes longer. But for now, if you try these suggestions for just 22 days, you will understand the power of taking back your time. Alert Medical Alarms is the #1 Training resource in the Personal Emergency Response System Industry! We would be happy to spend a few minutes on a Video or Phone Call for a proper dialog. To schedule a meeting please email “Luisa Baldos” training@alertmedicalalarms.com We are eager to assist you
