Do you ever hold your breath when you see a major newspaper or TV station in your area run a story on the home care industry?
Uh-oh, here come the arrows, you might think.
It’s usually at least partially bad news: Poor conditions. Untrained workers. The list could go on. Your home care or hospice company might not be guilty of these abuses, but you know it stings your reputation.
What will your clients think of you if they see the news item on TV, or read it in the papers? Your prospects also might be thinking, “I wonder if ABC home care is guilty of the same thing?”
Rather than bewail this misfortune, try to think of ways to capitalize on it. Not only that – you have an obligation to clear your name, even if it was guilty only by association.
On Feb. 17, the Chicago Tribune carried a long article about the need for more training of home care workers. (See our article about it, “Home care workers short on training, Chicago Tribune says.”)
Clarify the home care scandal news
The trick is to use this bad news to work for the good for your home care company. Find the criticism and even scandal that’s reported, and simply write an article that explains why your home care or hospice company does not fall under the same umbrella as these other organizations. Also that you are diligent in providing the proper kind of care, training, and you meet all state regulations.
For example, the Tribune article pointed out that Illinois requires only eight hours of home care agency training for its aides. You might explain that you provide that, and more hours if it’s true, and that you back up your training with quality control of your workers. Explain also any program to keep in touch with patients to make sure they are happy with the service they’re getting.
Seven tips to turn bad home care news into good
Here are a few ways to leverage bad home care PR into good:
- Write a blog piece explaining how your home care agency is doing what’s right, despite the news.
- Link to this from your Facebook page and other social media, such as Twitter and LinkedIn.
- Send a brief summary of your blog piece to your email list, or printed newsletter, linking to your blog piece.
- Write a letter to the editor of the newspaper or TV station, or even an op-ed piece, clarifying the issue.
- Call that article’s reporter or editor, and ask them if they’d like to do a story on
a good home service in the area. Even if they don’t, ask them to keep you in mind for future stories. - Get an interview on a local radio station clarifying how some home care services are very diligent and go beyond the state’s requirements, or whatever.
- Make calls to prospects such as discharge planners, offering to send them a link to your article discussing it. They’ll be glad that you alerted them. It’s even an excuse to get new prospects on your mailing or email list.
Best wishes in your public relations efforts to turn bad news into good!
