Home Care Operations Playbook
A working document for families coordinating daily home care — routines, caregivers, medications, escalation rules, and shift handoffs in one place
This playbook is for families managing a loved one's care at home — whether you have professional caregivers, family members rotating shifts, or both. Fill in each section on screen, then print it or save as PDF. Put it in a binder by the front door. Hand a copy to every caregiver on day one. When something changes, come back and update it.
1 Daily routine & schedule
Document what a normal day looks like for your loved one. Caregivers should be able to read this on day one and know exactly what to do — and when.
2 Caregiver roster & rotation
Everyone who provides hands-on care — paid or family — goes here. A new caregiver should be able to see who's who and reach anyone they need.
| Name | Role | Shift / Days | Phone | Agency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Backup contacts
If a scheduled caregiver can't make it — who do you call?
| Name | Relationship | Phone | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
3 Medication timing & administration
Every medication, when it's given, and how. Print this page and tape it to the inside of the medicine cabinet or keep it with the pill organizer.
| Time | Medication | Dose | With food? | Special instructions | Prescriber | Pharmacy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pharmacy contact
4 Provider callback protocol
When a caregiver needs to reach a provider — or a provider calls back — everyone should know who to contact, when, and who's authorized to speak on the phone.
| Provider / Office | Phone | Best time to call | Authorized to speak | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
5 Escalation matrix
When something goes wrong, caregivers shouldn't have to guess what to do. Define clear tiers so every situation has a response — and every caregiver knows exactly who to call.
Normal variations that should be documented at handoff but don't require a call. The on-duty caregiver handles these independently.
Something is off from the normal pattern. The caregiver calls the primary contact listed above for guidance. Don't wait until shift end.
Life-threatening or potentially life-threatening. Call 911 first. Then call the primary contact immediately.
6 Shift handoff checklist
Complete this at the end of each shift. Hand it to the incoming caregiver or leave it in the playbook binder. Consistent handoffs are the single most important thing you can do to prevent things from falling through the cracks.
Rate each area compared to your loved one's normal baseline. "Normal" means typical for them — not a medical standard.
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