Care Plan
An individualized document specifying a client's care needs, approved service tasks, frequency, duration, and caregiver assignments. It is the operational blueprint for every shift and the legal basis for billing Medicaid and insurance payers.
Also known as: care plan · plan of care · POC · service plan · individualized service plan · care agreement
A care plan (also called a Plan of Care or POC) defines the complete scope of services a client will receive. It includes the client's demographic information, functional and cognitive assessment results, specific ADL and IADL task lists, service frequency and duration, assigned caregivers, stated goals, emergency contacts, and care restrictions.
Care plans are required for Medicaid and most insurance-funded clients and serve as the legal compliance document. For private-pay clients, care plans set expectations and protect both parties.
Care plans should be reviewed at regular intervals — typically quarterly — and updated whenever a client's condition changes, new services are added, or caregiver assignments shift. An outdated care plan is a common audit finding.
In home care, this means…
Created during intake after assessment. Drives caregiver task lists for every scheduled shift. Required for payer authorization and billing compliance.
Related terms
Assessment →
A structured in-home evaluation of a prospective client's functional, cognitive, and safety status used to build the care plan and determine appropriate service levels. Typically conducted by a care coordinator at the start of service.
Intake →
The end-to-end onboarding process for a new client, from initial inquiry through completed assessment, signed service agreement, and first scheduled shift. Intake establishes the client record, payer eligibility, and care plan.
Authorization →
A payer-issued approval to deliver and bill for specific services within a defined period or unit limit. Authorizations must be in place before scheduling any Medicaid, VA, or insurance-funded services.
ADL (Activities of Daily Living) →
Personal self-care tasks individuals perform daily, including bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, feeding, and mobility. In home care, caregiver assistance with ADLs is the primary service delivered.
Caregiver →
A trained, non-medical care worker employed to deliver personal care, companionship, or homemaker services to clients in their home. The primary point of service delivery in home care.
Shift →
A single scheduled work assignment: a specific date, time, client, caregiver, duration, and task list. The shift is the fundamental unit of service delivery and billing in home care.