Home / Home care referral sources
The best home care referral sources, and how to work them.
Discharge planners, senior living staff and elder law attorneys meet families who need care every week. Here's who to build relationships with, what they need from you and what to say.
The short answer
Where do home care referrals come from?
Most home care referrals come from four places: healthcare teams that discharge people who need help at home, senior living communities, professional advisors who families ask for recommendations, and your own community, including past clients.
Referral partners send families to agencies they trust to answer fast, start care quickly and keep them updated. Visits and leave-behinds open the door. A fast, reliable reply is what keeps the referrals coming.
The list
15 referral sources for home care agencies.
You don't need all 15. Pick the five or six that fit your area and the clients you serve, and work them well.
Healthcare teams
- 1. Hospital discharge planners and social workers. They arrange help for patients going home, often at short notice.
- 2. Rehab and skilled nursing discharge teams. Patients leaving short-term rehab often still need help with daily tasks.
- 3. Home health agencies. They provide skilled care. When it ends, many families still need non-medical help.
- 4. Hospice agencies. Families often want extra hours of care alongside hospice visits.
- 5. Doctors' offices. Primary care and geriatric practices hear families' worries during appointments.
Senior living
- 6. Assisted living communities. Some residents need more one-on-one help than staff can give.
- 7. Independent living communities. Residents who need a little help can stay in their apartment longer.
- 8. Adult day centers. Families who use them often need care in the evenings and on weekends.
- 9. Senior placement advisors. They help families choose care. Some charge a fee, so read the terms first.
Professional advisors
- 10. Elder law attorneys. Clients planning for long-term care often ask who they should call.
- 11. Geriatric care managers. Also called Aging Life Care professionals, they coordinate care for families.
- 12. Financial advisors and long-term care insurance agents. They help families plan how to pay for care.
Your community
- 13. Senior centers and your Area Agency on Aging. Families call them first when they don't know where to start.
- 14. Churches and faith communities. Clergy and care teams know which members need help.
- 15. Past clients and their families. Happy families tell friends. A thank-you and a review request make it easy.
What they need
What each referral partner needs from you.
Every partner wants the same thing underneath: to refer a family and never worry about it again.
| What they care about | What to give them | |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare teams | A safe discharge, often within a day or two | A direct line that's always answered, how soon you can start, your service area and what you do and don't do |
| Senior living | Residents staying happy and safe in their community | Caregivers who follow the community's rules, and clear updates to their staff |
| Professional advisors | Their own reputation with the families they serve | Clear pricing, how families can pay, and a professional first call |
| Your community | Knowing a neighbor will be looked after | A friendly, simple way to get in touch, and a quick reply |
Be clear that you provide non-medical home care. Partners trust agencies that say what they can't do as clearly as what they can.
Visit plan
How often to visit, and what to leave behind.
Referrals come from relationships, and relationships come from showing up regularly with something useful.
- Month 1
Make your list
Choose 15 to 20 partners near the towns you staff. Find the right person at each: the discharge planner, the community's wellness director, the attorney's office manager.
Result: a short, focused list - Months 1–3
Introduce yourself
Call first, then visit. Keep it short, ask what makes a good agency for them, and listen more than you talk.
Result: a real contact at each one - Every month
Stay in touch
Visit your top partners in person and send the rest a short, useful note. Offer a short talk for staff on a topic like fall safety at home.
Result: you're the agency they think of - Every referral
Close the loop
Thank them the same day, and let them know when care has started, if the family has agreed you can share that.
Result: they refer again
A good leave-behind
One page, not a brochure. Your services, the towns you cover, how fast you can start, how families can pay, and one direct number for referrals that's answered day and night.
Stay on the right side of the rules
Don't pay or give anything of value in exchange for referrals. Federal anti-kickback rules apply when Medicaid or other government programs pay for care, and many hospitals limit gifts from outside companies. Check your state's rules with your attorney.
Scripts
What to say to referral partners.
Change the words so they sound like you. Keep them short.
First call
"Hi, this is [name] from [agency]. We provide non-medical home care in [towns]. I'd love to learn what you need from a home care agency when you're discharging someone. Could I stop by for ten minutes next week?"
Follow-up email
Subject: Home care in [towns], when you need it fast
"Thanks for your time today. As promised, here's our one-page sheet. For referrals, call or text [number], day or night. We can usually start within [time]. [Name], [agency]"
Thank-you after a referral
"Thank you for thinking of us today. We've spoken with the family and booked their assessment. We appreciate your trust."
Keep health details out of thank-you messages.
The part that keeps referrals coming
Answer referral calls fast.
A discharge planner with a patient leaving today will call the next agency on the list if you don't pick up.
One number, always answered
Give partners one number for referrals. If your team can't pick up, it should still be answered and passed to the person on call.
Book the assessment on the first call
Families referred by a professional are usually ready to talk. Offer an assessment time while you have them.
Track every partner
Note who referred each family, then count assessments and clients started for each partner. Spend your visits where referrals turn into care.
Done for you
Referral follow-up that runs itself.
Every Carefully Booked plan includes a referral flywheel, built on GoHighLevel, from $499 a month. You do the visits. The system handles the rest.
What's included
- A 24/7 AI receptionist that answers referral calls within 60 seconds and books assessments.
- Instant alerts to your on-call person when a partner refers a family.
- Monthly touches and thank-you messages to your referral partners.
- Review requests to happy families, and a monthly report showing referrals by partner.
Home care referral sources FAQ
What are the best referral sources for home care?
Hospital and rehab discharge planners, home health and hospice agencies, assisted living communities, elder law attorneys, geriatric care managers and past clients are usually the strongest. The best ones for you depend on your area and the clients you serve.
How do I get referrals from hospital discharge planners?
Call first, then visit briefly and ask what they need from an agency. Leave a one-page sheet with your services, area, start times and a direct referral number. Then answer every referral fast and let them know when care has started.
How often should I visit referral sources?
About once a month for your top partners, with a short, useful note in between. Regular, brief visits work better than occasional long ones.
Can I pay for home care referrals?
Be very careful. Paying or giving gifts in exchange for referrals can break federal anti-kickback rules when government programs pay for care, and some states have their own rules. Ask your attorney before agreeing to any referral fee.
How long does it take to build a referral network?
Usually months, not weeks. Partners want to see that you answer fast and look after families well before they refer regularly. That's why many agencies run ads or work on their Google profile while referrals grow.
How should I thank a referral source?
Thank them the same day by phone, text or email, and let them know when care starts if the family agrees. Keep health details out of the message.
Be the agency partners trust to answer.
In 15 minutes we'll look at how referral calls reach you today and where they could slip through.