Our 72-hour caregiver matching process is a structured sequence that takes a family from the first inquiry to a confirmed in-home care plan. The same steps apply in every city. We gather needs, build a match profile, review caregiver fit, introduce a candidate, and lock in a start schedule.
This page explains the mechanics only. It is not a medical diagnosis, a treatment plan, or a promise that any clinic or public agency endorses our service. Families who want local context can also use our Charlotte, NC care guide as a city hub while they follow the timeline below.
What the 72-Hour Timeline Covers
The 72-hour timeline covers five connected stages: intake, assessment, shortlist review, introduction, and start confirmation. Clock time begins when we have enough information to match, not when a family is still deciding whether to request help.
Matching means pairing a household with a caregiver whose skills, schedule, language, and temperament fit the request. It does not mean we diagnose a condition or choose medical treatment. If a hospital discharge, a sudden change at home, or a new memory concern is driving the request, we treat that as an urgency signal and move the same steps faster whenever a fit is available.
Hours 0 to 4: Intake and First Conversation
In the first four hours we collect the facts that let matching begin: who needs care, where care will take place, when help is needed, and what kind of help the family is requesting. This first conversation can happen by phone or through a written inquiry, and it is complete only when we can describe the request in plain, matchable terms.
We ask for the care recipient's preferred name, neighborhood or service area, and the days and hours that matter most. We also ask who will make scheduling decisions and how we should reach that person. If two family members share decisions, we record both contacts so later steps do not stall.
We then sort the request into a care type, such as companion care, personal care, or another in-home service. That label is a matching tool, not a medical label. It tells us which caregiver skills to look for first.
Hours 4 to 24: Care Assessment and Match Profile
Between hour 4 and hour 24 we turn the intake notes into a match profile that a coordinator can actually use. The profile lists living situation, daily routines, mobility and personal-care needs as the family describes them, memory or supervision needs, household preferences, and any hard limits such as pets, smoking, language, or gender preference.
We walk through a typical day rather than a checklist of diagnoses. Families tell us what mornings look like, whether nights are restless, whether meals, bathing, dressing, or transfers need hands-on help, and whether the person can be left alone. We record what the person enjoys and what tends to cause stress, because those details often decide whether a match lasts.
If the request involves memory loss, we note supervision needs, wandering risk as the family describes it, and communication style. Families who want public background reading can review the CDC overview of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. That material is educational only. It does not replace a clinician, and it is not used here as a diagnosis.
If the person is leaving a hospital or rehab setting, we add discharge timing, equipment already in the home, and the first 48 hours after arrival. Those details route the file toward hospital discharge care so the match is built around a safe first shift, not a generic weekly calendar.
Hours 24 to 48: Caregiver Shortlist and Fit Review
From hour 24 to hour 48 we compare the match profile with caregivers who are available in the requested area and time window. A coordinator reviews skills, recent home-care experience, schedule openings, language, and the household preferences already recorded.
Fit review is a side-by-side comparison, not a lottery. We look first at non-negotiables: available hours, ability to assist with the described personal-care tasks, and comfort with the described memory or mobility needs. We then look at softer fit, such as a quiet versus talkative style, experience with similar household routines, and whether the caregiver can cover the same days each week.
When more than one caregiver could work, we rank them. The first-ranked person is the one we prepare to introduce. The next names stay on a backup list so a decline, illness, or schedule clash does not restart the clock at zero. We do not share a caregiver's private personnel file. We share the information a family needs to decide whether to meet that person.
Hours 48 to 72: Introduction, Confirmation, and Start Plan
In the final 24 hours we introduce the proposed caregiver, answer remaining questions, and confirm the first shift. The introduction can be a call, a video conversation, or a brief in-person meet-and-greet, depending on timing and what the family prefers.
Confirmation is a specific agreement, not a vague "we will send someone." We confirm the start date, arrival window, expected tasks for the first visit, who will be home, how the caregiver will enter, and how the family will give feedback after the first shift. If the family wants a different person from the shortlist, we move to the next ranked caregiver instead of reopening intake.
Care can begin at the end of this window when the family is ready and a matched caregiver is free. If the household still needs to gather keys, medications lists, or a written routine, we hold the start time until those items are in place. A delayed start is better than a first shift with missing basics.