Understanding the Caregiver Persona
The discussion opened with a grounding overview of today’s caregiver workforce:
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84% are women, many of whom are immigrants or ESL speakers
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Median age: 47, often balancing caregiving roles at home and work
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High burnout risk: isolation and lack of peer support are key challenges
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Only 27% feel highly engaged in their roles
Turnover costs average $2,500–$3,500 per caregiver, with higher costs for licensed staff. Simply put: improving engagement isn’t just a people issue—it’s a financial one.
AccentCare’s Approach: Tech-Enabled Human Touch
Joanna Ciampaglione, SVP at AccentCare, emphasized the need for high-touch engagement in a low-touch environment. With 30,000 employees across 31 states, scaling meaningful interaction is no small task.
AccentCare partnered with Nevvon for training and compliance, and with Caribou for rewards and recognition. The impact was immediate:
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85% participation in the program out of the gate
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2,900+ in-service completions via single sign-on integration
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Coordinators now spend less time chasing compliance and more time building relationships
“We used to chase caregivers for in-services. Now, with integrated platforms, they’re completing them proactively—and loving it.”
—Joanna Ciampaglione, AccentCare
Behavior Change, Made Simple
Alex Oosterveen, CEO of Caribou, broke down how micro-incentives and thoughtful UX drive engagement. Instead of offering large bonuses, Caribou gamifies small achievements—like clocking in on time or completing a shift.
Notable results:
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20% lift in 90-day retention
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600% increase in staff referral volume
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100% improvement in EVV compliance
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Even a $1 reward for 12 hours of training significantly boosts participation
“Break big bonuses into weekly micro-incentives. You’ll see 8x the behavior change with the same budget.”
—Alex Oosterveen, Caribou
What Smaller Agencies Can Do
Worried you don’t have a Fortune 500 budget? The message was clear: you don’t need one.
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Start small: Reward one behavior (e.g., EVV compliance) with $5 or even a raffle ticket
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Make onboarding seamless: Check in at days 3, 10, 30, 60, 90
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Create a sense of community and visibility, even for remote caregivers
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Listen to caregiver feedback—and act on it
“Our caregivers compete to reach the top of the leaderboard. It’s not about the money—it’s about being seen.”
—Joanna Ciampaglione
Final Takeaways for Operators
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Retention is a system, not a slogan. Build a culture of consistent communication, recognition, and upskilling.
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Integrated tech matters. Nevvon and Caribou’s partnership allows for seamless, mobile-friendly caregiver experiences.
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Make training work for caregivers. Shift from compliance-first to engagement-first mindsets.
Watch It HERE
