How to get your first private-pay home care clients
By Scott McKenzie, founder of Home Care Agency Blueprint · Updated
Your first clients often begin as one phone call from a worried family member or a referral source. Answer quickly, listen first, explain what you offer in plain terms, offer an in-home consultation, and put your service terms in writing. Promise only what you can deliver, and avoid giving medical advice.
Be ready before the phone rings
- Confirm your license covers the services you will offer and advertise.
- One phone number that someone answers, and a short script for taking an inquiry.
- A written description of your services, service area, rates and minimums.
- A written service agreement and an intake checklist.
- Caregivers you can schedule; homecarerecruitmentguide.com, also published by Home Care Agency Blueprint, covers hiring.
The first call
Families who call are often in the middle of a hard week. Let them explain, ask who needs help and when, and say clearly whether you can help. If you cannot, say so and suggest where else they might look. Write down where they heard about you, so your inquiry list shows which sources work.
The in-home consultation
An in-home consultation is a conversation about needs and fit, not a medical assessment. Follow a written checklist so every family gets the same information.
Listen first
Ask what is happening, who needs help, and what the family hopes care at home will change.
Explain your services plainly
Say what you do and do not offer, and where you serve. If a question is medical, suggest the family ask the client’s doctor.
Talk about schedule and rates
Explain your rates, minimums and how scheduling works, and answer questions about cost directly.
Put terms in writing
Give the family a written service agreement before care starts. Your state may require specific content.
Agree on the next step
Say what happens next and when you will follow up, then do it.
Say only what you can back up
The FTC says advertising must be truthful and not deceptive, and advertisers must have evidence to back up their claims before an ad runs. The same habit works in a living room: describe what you actually do, and do not promise outcomes, start times or caregiver matches you cannot deliver.
Plan the money side elsewhere
This site does not cover pricing, budgets or billing. homecarestartupcost.com helps you budget for marketing and payroll, and homecarebusinessplans.com has a business plan template with a marketing section. Both are also published by Home Care Agency Blueprint.
Your state sets the details. Federal law and platform policies set a floor for how you market. Your state may add its own rules, for example on how licensed agencies advertise, what they must say about their license, and payments for referrals. Check with your state licensing agency and a health care attorney. For licensing, homecarelicenseguide.com, also published by Home Care Agency Blueprint, collects each state’s sources.
What to do next
Frequently asked questions
Should I offer a free consultation?
Many agencies do, but whether you charge for it is your decision. Whatever you offer, describe it accurately and give every family the same information.
Can I give families medical advice during the visit?
A non-medical home care agency should not. If a family’s questions are medical, suggest they ask the client’s doctor, and check with your state licensing agency on what your license allows.
Want to talk through your options?
A free 15-minute clarity call with Home Care Agency Blueprint. It helps people start home care agencies, so expect that perspective. You do not need a marketing plan first.
Book a free 15-minute clarity call