Bookings
We designed the booking process to support caregivers and careseekers.
What is a booking?
A booking is a scheduled appointment between a caregiver and a careseeker.
Attached to each booking is a Care Profile.
What is a Care Profile?
Often, family members or loved ones will book care on behalf of someone else. It includes their name, their age, their location (only to be viewed once the caregiver accepts the booking request) and a short description of their care needs. One careseeker account can have multiple care profiles for different children, parents, or other loved ones.
Care profiles are used to provide insight into the booking, helping caregivers decide if they should accept or reject the booking request.
Why do bookings have to be “requested”?
Many professional caregivers have been overwhelmed by traditional agencies, given workloads they can’t handle, with clients that require more care than they can provide. This results in burnout and, ultimately, caregivers leaving a profession they once loved. We’re determined to change that.
By allowing caregivers to accept or reject bookings, they’re able to decide for themselves what they’re capable of. A caregiver that feels more confident in their work results in a happier caregiver that provides better care, resulting in happier clients.
Why would a caregiver reject a booking request?
While we strive to have every booking accepted, caregivers might reject a booking request for multiple reasons. It’s possible that the described care needs are outside their scope of practice, or the booking was made too short notice and they are unable to get there on time. It’s also possible that the described needs are too extensive and they won’t be able to complete everything in the time requested. In these circumstances, we recommend the caregiver talk to the careseeker to work something out.
What happens after a booking request has been accepted?
So the careseeker has found the perfect caregiver, they’ve sent them a booking request, and the caregiver has accepted it. At this point, the careseeker’s credit card will be charged.
All that’s left to do is receive care.
The caregiver will arrive at the location specified on the care profile and provide care. The Inbox can be used at any time throughout the booking process to provide additional information relating to care needs, parking, and other concerns or preferences. Communication is key to a successful care relationship.
Should a problem ever arise, the Alto team will be there. With our 40 years of health care experience and trusted staff, we promise you’ll be in good hands.