A home care answering service handles calls from prospective clients, families, caregivers and existing clients when agency staff cannot answer directly.
Call Types
- new-care inquiries
- family messages
- caregiver call-offs
- scheduling messages
- client service issues
- after-hours escalation
Routing
| Caller | Typical next step |
|---|---|
| New family | Intake/consultation |
| Existing client | Care team message |
| Caregiver | Staffing/scheduling workflow |
| Defined urgent issue | On-call escalation |
Agents should not make clinical decisions.
PHI
Home-care organizations that are HIPAA covered entities, or workflows involving PHI on behalf of a covered entity, should evaluate whether the answering provider is acting as a business associate and whether an appropriate BAA is required.
Choosing a Provider
Evaluate scheduling/on-call workflow, secure messaging, BAA availability where applicable, caregiver routing, recordings and 24/7 staffing.