The first visit
How do I prepare for the first visit?
Have the practical things findable rather than explained: where things are kept, how the door works, what the person likes to eat, what time they usually wake.
Write down anything that must not be got wrong — an allergy, a name they prefer, a routine that matters to them. You can put this in the care notes on the booking, which the professional sees before they arrive.
If you will not be there, say so when you book, and say who will be.
What happens during the visit?
The professional works to what you agreed when you booked. If something has changed on the day, they will say so rather than working around it silently.
They cannot go beyond what their role allows, even if you ask them to. That is not unhelpfulness — a support worker who adjusts a dose has done something they are not permitted to do.
What is written down afterwards, and who sees it?
The professional files a short report on what happened. They choose what is shared with family members and what stays with the care recipient, because a visit note can contain something a person did not intend their relatives to read.
Notes are encrypted. Family members see what the care recipient has authorised them to see, and nothing more.
What if the visit did not go well?
Tell us. You can report a concern from the booking, the message thread or the professional's profile, and a person reads it — it does not go into a queue that nobody empties.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 first. We are not an emergency service.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 now
Emergency services can reach you faster than we can. Call them first — this page will still be here.
If nobody is in immediate danger but something has gone wrong on a visit, report it from the booking, the message thread or the professional's profile. A person reads every report.
Other topics
Nothing here is medical advice, and none of it describes what will happen in your situation. If your question is not answered, talk to us.