Software buyer answers
Short answers to the questions agencies ask when choosing caregiver scheduling software.
- Are caregiver mobile app accounts included in scheduling software plans or billed separately? It varies. Some vendors count every caregiver login as a billed user; others include the caregiver app and price by clients or by quote.
- Can caregiver scheduling software export timesheets to QuickBooks? Many platforms list a QuickBooks integration, but what syncs (invoices, payments or payroll hours) and which edition it supports varies. Ask before you buy.
- Can caregivers accept a last-minute shift and receive updated client instructions in one app? Yes on platforms with open-shift broadcast: the office posts the shift, qualified caregivers get a push notification, the first to accept gets it, and the client's care plan and any notes since the last visit are in the same app.
- Can caregivers dictate visit notes instead of typing? Voice dictation and AI-drafted visit notes are now offered by several platforms. Ask whether the caregiver reviews and signs before the note is saved.
- Can family members get updates from the caregiver app? Most larger platforms offer a family portal, sometimes only on a higher plan or as a paid add-on; some share a visit summary instead.
- Can I build caregiver rosters from a reusable weekly template? Most platforms support recurring schedules (a visit pattern that repeats weekly); saved templates and copying a week forward are less common.
- Can I see caregivers and clients on a map in scheduling software? Some platforms give the office one map of clients and caregivers; others map only a single visit or one caregiver's day.
- Can scheduling software enforce Medicaid authorization limits? Most platforms track authorized units and warn; fewer can block scheduling past the cap, and on some that is a setting.
- Do caregiver scheduling software vendors include onboarding assistance? Most vendors help with setup and data migration; some include it, others charge a one-time implementation fee. Ask what is in writing.
- Does caregiver scheduling software include EVV? Most platforms have built-in EVV, but where they can submit depends on each state's aggregator and approval rules. Ask for your state.
- Does caregiver scheduling software track credentials and block assignments when one expires? Credential tracking with expiry alerts is common; a hard block on assigning a caregiver with a lapsed required credential is less common.
- Does scheduling software handle split and overnight shifts correctly for overtime? Overnight shifts crossing the week boundary and split shifts trip up payroll in many systems. Ask how a Sunday 10 PM to Monday 6 AM shift is counted.
- Does scheduling software warn about overtime before assigning a shift? Good platforms show the caregiver's projected weekly hours when you assign and flag anything past 40 (or daily thresholds in California).
- Does the caregiver app work without cell service? Most caregiver apps save a check-in offline and sync it later. Ask what happens to the EVV record.
- How is caregiver scheduling software priced per active caregiver? Few home care platforms publish prices. Some charge per user per month; others price by clients, revenue or quote. Ask what counts as a billable user.
- How long does it take to switch caregiver scheduling software? Two to six weeks for a 20-caregiver agency: a week to import clients, caregivers and recurring schedules, a week of parallel running, then cutover at a pay-period boundary.
- How much do caregiver scheduling apps cost for home care agencies? Most vendors quote rather than publish prices. On published per-user pricing, 20 caregivers runs about $160 to $500 a month, before any setup fee.
- Is there a free caregiver scheduling app for small agencies? Free plans are rare. Some state-funded EVV portals are free, a few vendors offer short trials, and generic free shift apps usually lack EVV, authorizations and care plans.
- Which caregiver scheduling app offers route optimization? Route optimization (ordering a caregiver's visits to cut drive time, with directions) is offered by only a few home care platforms; more match caregivers by distance.
- Which scheduling platforms support New York home care agencies (LHCSAs)? New York agencies choose an EVV system that sends records to the state's aggregator, often work with HHAeXchange for managed care plans, and track wage parity downstate.