For home care agencies, some of the most important client relationships begin in moments of crisis. A phone call after a parent’s sudden fall. A consultation following an unexpected diagnosis. A family desperate for help—and unsure where to turn next.

These moments bring out the very best in compassionate agencies—but they’re also when families are at their most overwhelmed. In many cases, the event is completely unexpected, leaving families unprepared, short on time, and without the emotional bandwidth to sort through options or research providers.

This is where offering a Pre‑Care Program can truly set your agency apart.

Understanding the Family Experience

When a loved one experiences a health scare, families face a cascade of questions and emotions at once:

• Which decisions need to be made—and when?  Is home care needed now—or soon? From safety equipment to scheduling care, families struggle to prioritize under pressure.
• How should they decide? Emotions run high, and important choices must be made quickly and confidently.
• Who can they trust? With so many agencies and care models, families are unsure where to start or who will truly care for their loved one as they would.

Without a plan in place, families often delay care decisions or choose hastily—sometimes at the expense of quality, continuity, or peace of mind.

However, too many families find themselves in exactly this situation, reacting in the wake of an unexpected health event. Once a crisis unfolds, it’s hard to turn back the clock. That’s why it’s so important for home care agencies to play an active role in educating and influencing families to think ahead—even just a little. By planting the seed early, agencies can help families understand that preparedness isn’t about expecting the worst; it’s about being ready to care with calm and confidence when life takes an unexpected turn.

This is where Pre‑Care comes in.

What Is Pre‑Care?

Pre‑Care is a proactive approach to home care planning that helps families engage with an agency earlier than they tend to today—before a crisis forces them to make rushed decisions. It’s not about scheduling services right away; it’s about starting the conversation sooner, understanding what care might look like in the future, and giving families structure, guidance, and peace of mind.

Pre‑Care services typically include:

• A personalized discussion of the family’s situation, concerns, and goals as well as a review of potential care options and resources, leading to a documented plan that can be activated quickly when the need arises
• Guidance on what steps to take now—and what decisions can wait until later
• Help getting organized—clarifying who in the family is responsible for what, establishing a basic communication plan, and setting a foundation for future coordination
• Help navigating through available resources so that, if they choose, families can manage the situation on their own for as long as they wish—knowing that trusted help is available when they need it

Pre‑Care can take different forms depending on your agency’s goals. It can become a formalized, branded program with defined steps, materials, and follow‑ups—or it can simply serve as a more intentional way of interacting with prospective clients and families. In both cases, it’s about bringing families into the conversation before they’re in crisis and in need of immediate care —helping them prepare, feel supported, and see your agency as a trusted partner long before they are ready to engage an agency caregiver.

Ultimately, Pre‑Care creates a bridge between “we’re okay for now” and “we need help today,” ensuring families have the information, confidence, and partnership they need when timing matters most.

How a Pre‑Care Program Helps Families (and Your Agency)

This proactive service model is designed to support families before they’re in crisis mode and thus need professional care and to streamline care onboarding when that moment comes.

For families, it means:

• Having a “coach” who helps them make sense of their options, get organized, and make the most of available resources for their loved one, before and after a crisis 
  • Ongoing access to guidance and support
  • Personalized conversations about their loved one’s future needs
  • Clear guidance on which decisions to make—and when they will matter most
  • One point of contact who knows their story and preferences
• A written care readiness plan they can activate anytime
• Comfort and clarity when future challenges happen

For agencies, it means:

• A strong business tool—either as a new revenue source through a subscription-based Pre‑Care membership, or as a highly effective lead conversion engine that nurtures trust and shortens the path from inquiry to client onboarding. Or both!
• A clear differentiator in a competitive home care market, resulting from building trusted relationships early—before care begins—and carrying that throughout the are journey
• Stronger long-term client loyalty rooted in trust and preparation

By formalizing a Pre‑Care Program, agencies can engage families before the point of crisis, stay front‑of‑mind, and convert readiness into active care relationships more naturally and reliably.

A Real Example: Turning Chaos Into Calm

Picture this: A family calls your agency after their mother’s sudden fall. They’re overwhelmed, unsure what level of care she needs, and anxious about safety at home. In your assessment consultation, you walk them through the available options in addition to assessing the mother’s needs. Because the family feels that they could care for their mother as she recovers, with your help, your Pre-Care program sets them up to do so as a family Care Circle for their mother. You check in weekly or biweekly to see how they are doing. When the mother encounters another health challenge that leads the family to decide to bring in an “outside” caregiver, instead of starting from scratch, you can focus immediately on providing comfort, continuity, and compassionate care.

That’s the difference between reacting and being ready.

How Mariposa Brings Your Pre‑Care Program to Life

At Mariposa, we help home care agencies transform the idea of Pre‑Care into a seamless, meaningful experience for both families and teams. Our platform equips you with the tools to educate, engage, and stay connected with families earlier in their care journey—long before services officially begin.

With Mariposa, your agency can:

• Digitally track Pre‑Care consultations, follow‑ups, and readiness plans within one organized secure workspace
• Share educational content, assessments, and recommended next steps with families in just a few clicks
• Nurture Pre‑Care participants until they’re ready for active home care—turning curiosity into long‑term clients
• Establish an added revenue stream, not before possible with the traditional home care business model as well as improved conversion rates from prospect to clients

In short, Mariposa helps you bring Pre‑Care to life—making it simple to deliver value early, stay engaged with families over time, and ensure that when they need help, you’re the first call they make. 

Reach out to us to get you started, or if you simply would like to learn more.

Team Mariposa