72-Hour Caregiver Matching in Columbus

Our 72-hour matching process is a step-by-step way to move from your first inquiry to a scheduled caregiver start within three days, once intake details are complete. The same sequence applies in every city we serve. This page explains each stage in plain language so families know what happens, what we need from you, and when care can begin.

We match caregivers for in-home support such as companion care, personal care, and memory care at home. We do not diagnose conditions or give treatment advice. Your own clinicians remain the source of medical guidance.

What the 72-Hour Matching Process Covers

The 72-hour matching process covers four stages: intake, caregiver screening, family confirmation, and the first scheduled visit. The clock starts when you finish the intake conversation and share the details we need to match skills, schedule, and household preferences.

Seventy-two hours is a planning window, not a medical timeline. If a family still needs to confirm hours, access to the home, or who will be present at the first visit, the start may move to the next open slot after those items are settled.

Families looking for local context can begin with our Columbus, Ohio home care hub. The matching steps on this page are the same whether you live there or elsewhere.

Step 1: Share Care Needs and Household Details

Step 1 is a structured intake in which you describe who needs help, what a typical day looks like, and when you want care to start. We use that information to build a match profile, not to diagnose a condition.

Expect questions about daily routines, mobility around the home, meals, companionship, and personal care tasks such as bathing or dressing. We also ask about language preferences, pets, smoking rules, parking or building entry, and whether more than one person in the household will direct the caregiver.

If the need follows a hospital stay, tell us the expected discharge day and which tasks feel most urgent for the first shifts. That helps us look at hospital discharge care as part of the same match, instead of treating it as a separate process.

You do not need a formal label to start intake. If memory changes are part of the picture, say so in your own words. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, and public overviews such as the CDC page on Alzheimer's disease and dementia can help families describe what they are seeing without replacing a clinician's assessment.

Step 2: Screen Caregivers for Skills, Schedule, and Fit

Step 2 is an internal screen that compares your intake profile with caregivers who are available in the hours you requested. We look for overlap in skills, schedule, language, and household conditions before we present a match.

Skill fit depends on the service you need. Companion visits emphasize presence, conversation, and light help around the home. Personal care adds hands-on support with activities of daily living. Memory care at home adds a calmer, more consistent routine for someone living with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia. Live-in coverage and overnight presence are screened separately from short daytime visits.

Schedule fit is just as important as skill fit. A caregiver who is a strong personality match but cannot cover the hours you need is not presented as a 72-hour start. If your request is for 24-hour live-in care or for short-term respite care, we screen against those shift patterns rather than forcing an hourly daytime match.

If the first available caregiver cannot meet a must-have item (for example, a language requirement or a pet-friendly household), we keep screening instead of sending a poor fit just to hit the clock.

Step 3: Review the Match and Confirm the Start Plan

Step 3 is your review of the proposed caregiver and a joint confirmation of the first visit time, tasks, and household rules. Matching is not complete until you accept the plan or ask us to continue screening.

You receive a clear summary of who we propose, which days and hours they can cover, and which tasks they are prepared to handle. You can ask about communication style, experience with similar households, and how backups work if a shift needs to be covered.

Confirmation is usually a short call or message exchange. We lock the start only after you agree on arrival time, who will let the caregiver in, and how to reach a family contact during the first visits. If you want a different match, say so at this stage. A declined profile does not close your request. It returns the file to screening.

Step 4: Begin Care Within the 72-Hour Window

Step 4 is the first scheduled visit, which is aimed for within 72 hours of a completed intake and an accepted match. The caregiver arrives for the hours you confirmed and follows the task list from intake, not a medical treatment plan.

The first visit is practical. It is a chance to walk through the home, confirm where supplies are kept, and see how the person receiving care prefers to be greeted and helped. Families should share only the information the caregiver needs to work safely and respectfully.

After the opening visits, we check whether the schedule, tasks, and personality fit still make sense. Small adjustments (a different bath time, a quieter afternoon routine, or a change from companionship to more personal care) are normal and do not require starting the 72-hour clock over.

How Matching Works for Memory Care and Related Needs

Matching for memory care at home uses the same 72-hour steps, with extra attention to routine, communication, and a calm environment. We match on the support you describe, not on a diagnosis we make.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, but it is not the only cause of memory and thinking changes. Families who want background reading can use the CDC overview linked above. Those who also want research-oriented clinical resources can look up NIA-funded Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. Listing that directory is not an endorsement of our matching service by the National Institute on Aging or by any center.

If you already work with a clinic or a local aging program, you can share relevant non-confidential care preferences during intake. We will not claim those organizations endorse this service.

What You Can Do to Keep the 72-Hour Timeline on Track

You keep the 72-hour timeline on track by finishing intake promptly, naming must-have versus nice-to-have preferences, and confirming the first visit as soon as a match is offered. Incomplete hours, missing building-entry details, or an undecided start date are the most common reasons a start slips past three days.

It helps to decide in advance who in the family can approve a match. If several relatives must all agree, tell us that during Step 1 so we do not present a caregiver while the decision is still pending.

Write down the tasks that matter on day one, such as meals, walking with supervision, or evening companionship. A short, specific list is easier to match than a vague request for "help around the house."

What Happens After the First 72 Hours

After the first 72 hours, matching turns into ongoing coordination: we confirm that the schedule still fits, handle backup coverage when needed, and adjust tasks as home life changes. The original match remains the starting point, not a permanent lock if the fit is wrong.

If needs increase from a few companion visits to daily personal care, or from daytime hours to live-in coverage, we run a focused re-screen rather than a brand-new inquiry from scratch. If you need a break as a family caregiver, respite visits can be added to an existing plan.

We still do not diagnose, treat, or replace clinical care. For questions about Alzheimer's disease research centers or related clinical studies, use public directories such as the NIA locator above or the Alzheimers.gov national research centers page. Those resources are independent of our matching process.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to match with a caregiver?

The process is built to move from a completed intake to a scheduled start within 72 hours. The clock starts after you share the care hours, household details, and preferences we need, and it finishes when you accept a match and we set the first visit. If intake is still incomplete, the start waits until those items are clear.

What information do you need before matching can start?

We need who needs support, which days and hours you want, which tasks matter first, and any household conditions that affect the caregiver (language, pets, smoking, parking, or building entry). We also need a family contact who can confirm the match. We do not need a medical diagnosis from us to begin, and we do not provide one.

Can you match someone for memory care at home in 72 hours?

Yes. Memory care at home follows the same four steps, with extra weight on routine, communication, and a consistent presence. Tell us in intake what a typical day looks like and which situations are hardest. We match on those needs. We do not diagnose Alzheimer's disease or any other condition.

What if we need help right after a hospital discharge?

Tell us the expected discharge timing during Step 1 so screening can include hospital discharge care. The 72-hour window still depends on a completed intake and an accepted match. Share which tasks are most important for the first shifts at home, such as meals, mobility around the house, or overnight presence.

What if the first caregiver is not the right fit?

Say so during Step 3, or after the first visits if the issue only shows up in the home. A declined or changed match returns the request to screening. We would rather continue matching than keep a poor fit just to preserve the original start time.

Do you only match caregivers in one city?

No. The steps on this page are the same regardless of city. If you want a local overview of services, you can use city pages such as our Columbus, Ohio hub, then return to this matching sequence to see how intake, screening, confirmation, and the first visit work.

Is a doctor's order required to start the matching process?

Matching can begin from the needs you describe as a family. We do not issue medical orders, diagnoses, or treatment plans. Follow the guidance of the person's own clinicians for clinical decisions. Public education pages from the CDC and research-center locators from the NIA can support your reading, but they are not part of our intake file unless you choose to share information from your own care team.