How to start home care services with HAAS
Starting home care can feel like a lot of unknowns. This guide walks through the steps, from the first contact to the day care actually begins, so you know what to expect.
1. Reach out
Two ways to start:
- Request care online — the form takes about five minutes. We follow up within one business day.
- Call the office at (763) 353-0136 — Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm.
If a case manager is helping you, they can also contact us directly.
2. We talk through the situation
A HAAS team member will spend 15–30 minutes on the phone with you (or with the family member coordinating). We'll cover:
- Who needs care and what kind of help they need.
- The funding situation — Medical Assistance, waiver programs, private pay.
- Language, cultural, and family considerations.
- Schedule preferences.
- Anything that gives us context.
There's no commitment at this stage. It's a conversation.
3. Funding & assessment
If you're going through Medical Assistance, CFSS, or a waiver program, there's a state assessment — a county worker (or in some cases a managed care organization) meets with the person needing care and determines what services and how many hours are authorized. We'll help you understand the assessment and prepare for it.
This step has the biggest variation in timeline. It can be a few weeks or a few months depending on your county, waiver type, and the urgency of your situation. We'll tell you honestly what to expect.
If you're on private pay or already have current authorizations, this step moves much faster.
4. We match a caregiver
Once funding is set up and we have a clear picture of needs, we match a caregiver. We weigh:
- Language and cultural fit.
- Geographic location (drive time matters).
- Schedule availability.
- Specific care needs (e.g. transfer experience, certain medical needs).
- Personality fit when we have signal on it.
For many clients, the first match is the right match. When it isn't, we'll switch — no awkwardness about it.
5. First visit
Before regular care starts, the assigned caregiver typically meets the client and family briefly — sometimes with a HAAS supervisor present. This is mostly to introduce people, walk through the home, and confirm the care plan in context.
6. Care begins
Regular shifts start. A HAAS supervisor checks in regularly, especially during the first few weeks, and you have direct contact information for both the caregiver and the supervisor.
What "regular check-ins" looks like
- Phone availability for the office during business hours.
- Supervisor visits per the care plan and state requirements.
- Annual reassessments and care-plan updates.
- Ongoing communication about scheduling, scope, and any changes.
When things change
Care needs change — sometimes gradually, sometimes overnight. Hospital stays, new diagnoses, a caregiver moving, a family situation shifting. Tell us when something changes. We adjust care plans, swap caregivers, change schedules. That's normal. It's how this works.