Caregiver turnover in home care agencies averages 65% annually. The cost of replacing a single caregiver — recruiting, training, onboarding — runs between $2,500 and $5,000. But the hidden cost is even higher: disrupted care, anxious families, and a reputation that makes recruiting even harder.
The Visibility Gap
In our conversations with over 200 home care agencies, one theme emerged repeatedly: caregivers leave when they feel invisible. They arrive at a client's home, provide excellent care, and leave — with no acknowledgment from the family, no feedback loop, and no sense that their work matters to anyone beyond the four walls they just left.
Meanwhile, families feel equally disconnected. They hire an agency, receive occasional reports, and hope for the best. When they don't hear anything, they assume everything is fine — or they worry constantly.
Building Bridges with Technology
Hearth creates a natural communication layer between caregivers and families. After each visit, caregivers can share brief updates — a good day, a concern about appetite, a milestone in physical therapy. Families see these updates in real time, and they can respond with a simple "thank you" or a question.
The Retention Impact
Agencies using Hearth report a 34% reduction in caregiver turnover within the first year. The reason isn't complicated: when caregivers feel seen and appreciated, they stay.
One agency director told us: "Our caregivers used to feel like they were working in isolation. Now families send them messages, thank them by name, notice when they go above and beyond. It completely changed the dynamic."
Getting Started
If you're an agency looking to improve retention, start by asking your caregivers one question: "Do you feel like the families you serve know your name?" If the answer is no, there's an opportunity. Hearth can help you build that bridge.
