Fifteen practical ways for non-medical home care and home health agencies to win clients: building referral relationships with hospitals, rehab centers, physicians and senior living, working with payers such as Medicaid waiver programs, the VA and long-term care insurance, local marketing, online reviews, fast response to inquiries, and the caregiver quality that keeps clients and drives referrals.
Families usually look for home care during a stressful moment: a parent coming home from the hospital, a fall, a new diagnosis or a caregiver who can no longer manage alone. They often ask a hospital social worker, a doctor or a friend for a recommendation, then search online and call two or three agencies. They choose the agency that responds quickly, listens, explains clearly, seems trustworthy and can start soon.
To record clock-ins, breaks and overtime automatically, see EZTime time and attendance software.
That means getting clients depends on two things: being known and trusted by the people families ask, and handling the first call and first visits extremely well. See how to start a home care business and home care agencies.
Most growth comes from professional referral relationships. Build them steadily, one relationship at a time.
Visit in person, bring useful information rather than just brochures, ask how you can make their job easier and follow up after every referral to report how the client is doing, within privacy rules.
Many clients pay privately, but payer programs can bring steady volume. Requirements, rates and application processes vary widely, so research carefully.
| Source | What to know |
|---|---|
| Private pay | Families pay directly; often the largest source for non-medical care |
| Long-term care insurance | Policies may cover home care; agencies may need to meet policy requirements and help with claims paperwork |
| State Medicaid waiver programs | Many states fund home and community-based services; agencies typically must enroll, meet state rules and use electronic visit verification |
| Veterans Affairs programs | The VA purchases home care for eligible veterans through community care arrangements |
| Medicare | Covers certain skilled home health services through certified agencies, not ongoing non-medical personal care |
| Other programs | Some states and counties fund caregiver support and respite programs |
Federal law requires states to use electronic visit verification for Medicaid-funded personal care services, so agencies serving Medicaid clients need a compliant system for visit data. Check your state’s specific requirements.
Families often call several agencies at once. The first agency to respond with warmth and clear answers usually wins.
No marketing can overcome missed visits, late caregivers or poor matches. Clients and referral sources talk, and a reputation for reliability is the most powerful growth engine an agency has.
Referral relationships grow through steady, useful contact rather than occasional big pushes. Set a weekly routine: visit three to five referral partners, follow up on every referral received with a thank-you and an update within privacy rules, share one piece of useful information such as a caregiver availability update or a family resource sheet, and log each contact. Over months, this consistency makes your agency the one discharge planners and care managers call first.
| Source | Inquiries | Clients started | Conversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital discharge planners | 24 | 14 | 58% |
| Physician offices | 10 | 6 | 60% |
| Online search and website | 30 | 9 | 30% |
| Family and client referrals | 12 | 9 | 75% |
| Senior living communities | 8 | 4 | 50% |
Track every inquiry by source and outcome. Focus relationship-building time on sources that produce clients, and fix the intake process for sources that produce inquiries but few starts.
A new non-medical home care agency spent heavily on online ads in its first six months and started only a handful of clients. The owner shifted strategy: she visited two hospitals and three rehab centers every week, gave short talks at senior centers, answered every call live and promised assessments within 24 hours. Coordinators tracked caregiver arrivals in real time and called families if a caregiver was running late. Within a year, hospital and rehab referrals became the agency’s largest source of clients, and family referrals grew steadily.
EZTime helps agencies deliver the reliability that wins referrals. Caregivers clock in at each client’s home with GPS time tracking, coordinators build schedules and fill open shifts, visit tasks run as task lists with photo proof, labor rule alerts flag overtime, certifications are tracked in the digital employee file with expiry reminders and updates reach caregivers through announcements. See the home care visit log and home care agencies.
Mostly through referrals from hospitals, rehab centers, physicians, senior living communities, care managers and families, supported by payer programs, online reviews, community education and fast response to inquiries.
Hospital discharge planners, case managers, rehab and skilled nursing facilities, physicians, home health agencies, senior living staff, geriatric care managers, elder law attorneys and community organizations.
Generally no. Medicare covers certain skilled home health services, not ongoing non-medical personal care. Medicaid waiver programs, the VA and long-term care insurance may cover some home care.
As fast as possible. Answer calls live during business hours, return messages within an hour and offer an assessment within a day or two.
Reliable caregivers and strong referral relationships, supported by a helpful website, good reviews and community education.
EZTime confirms caregiver clock-ins at each home with GPS and keeps coordinators on top of schedules. Pricing starts at $2 per employee each month, with a $20 monthly minimum.