HOME-CARE HOURS PLANNING GUIDE
How to estimate the amount of home-care support your family may need
Use this practical weekly worksheet to organize a Louisville-area family's request for non-medical support at home.
THE SHORT ANSWER
What families should know first
There is no universal number of home-care hours. Start by mapping the times when help is needed, the support family members can reliably provide, and the remaining periods the family wants covered.
Map one ordinary week
Write down the time blocks when another person's non-medical help would make the routine more manageable. Include needs that happen less often so they are not lost in the daily pattern.
Morning routines
Note help being considered for getting up, personal care, dressing, breakfast and starting the day.
Midday support
Include meals, mobility, errands or companionship during the middle of the day.
Evening routines
Map dinner, personal routines, household tasks and settling in for the night.
Overnight support
Record the exact overnight periods the family wants to discuss without assuming staffing is available.
Weekends
List weekend routines separately when they differ from the weekday schedule.
Family-caregiver time
Mark work, rest, appointments and other periods when dependable family coverage is not available.
How often help is needed
Separate one-time, short-term and recurring needs so the requested schedule is clear.
Calculate the requested weekly coverage
Estimated requested coverage = the total uncovered time blocks the family wants help with each week.
Important: This is a scheduling estimate—not a clinical assessment, prescribed amount of care or guaranteed Peacemaker schedule.
Questions that can change the proposed schedule
- Which routines require another person's help?
- When is the person normally alone?
- Which family coverage is dependable each week?
- Are longer contiguous visits more useful than several short periods?
- Is overnight, weekend or respite coverage being considered?
- Is the schedule flexible?
- What is the care location?
What happens next
Peacemaker reviews the care location, requested hours, non-medical tasks and current caregiver availability before confirming a schedule. The worksheet helps organize that conversation; it does not guarantee staffing, timing, a particular caregiver or a universal rate.
Explore support that may fit the schedule
Personal care
Review respectful, non-medical help with personal and daily routines.
Explore personal careRespite care
Plan coverage around family-caregiver work, rest and appointment periods.
Explore respite careExtended care
Discuss longer, overnight or 24/7 schedules when fit and availability are confirmed.
Explore extended carePrimary sources
Use these authoritative resources for the government, benefit or medical-adjacent facts discussed above.
NEXT STEP
Discuss a Schedule
Bring your weekly estimate, care location and the non-medical tasks you want to discuss.