My SOC Used to Take 3 Hours… Then I Learned to Prep Like a Functional Human

Pre-Visit Planning for a Start of Care (SOC)

Starting a patient’s home-health journey begins long before you knock on their door. A smooth, organized SOC visit starts with one thing: solid pre-visit planning. This is the part of home health that no one teaches in nursing school, yet it’s what separates a stressful, chaotic day from a confident, efficient one.

Whether you’re a new home-health nurse or just looking to tighten up your workflow, here’s exactly how to prep for an SOC the right way.

Why Pre-Visit Planning Matters

The SOC visit sets the tone for the entire 60-day episode. Strong pre-visit planning helps you:

Avoid scrambling for missing details at the bedside
Build trust with the patient and family
Decrease your charting time
Catch safety concerns early
Identify required orders and possible barriers to care before you arrive
Keep your day running smoothly (and on time!)

Most importantly, great planning gives you the mental bandwidth to be fully present with the patient instead of glued to your laptop.

1. Start With the Referral Packet

Before you even get into your car, review the referral packet thoroughly. Look for:

Primary diagnosis and reason for referral
Recent hospitalization or SNF stay and key events
Surgical procedures, injuries, new limitations
New medications, dose changes, or high-risk meds
Follow-up appointments and required specialty visits
Equipment needs (walker, shower chair, wound supplies, oxygen)
Any red flags, such as altered mental status, complex wounds, or poor social support

If anything feels unclear, this is the moment to message your clinical manager or call the referral source—not when you’re standing in the patient’s living room.

2. Check Insurance and Authorization Requirements

Different payers = different rules. Before the SOC, verify:

Is the patient Medicare, Managed Care, Medi-Cal, commercial, or VA?
Do they require prior authorization for the SOC?
Do they require specific disciplines to be ordered?
Are there visit frequency limits?

This step prevents delays in care and avoids situations where you complete an entire SOC only to find out it wasn’t authorized.

3. Review the Patient’s Address and Safety Considerations

Always assess location logistics before leaving the office or home:

Is the home easy to find, or does it require gate codes?
Parking safety?
Any notes in the chart about unstable pets, firearms, drug use, or family dynamics?
Does this neighborhood require extra awareness or a daylight visit?

Home health is unpredictable—knowing the environment helps you stay safe and confident.

4. Call the Patient Before You Go

A quick pre-visit phone call sets expectations and builds rapport before you ever meet. During the call, confirm:

Your arrival window
That they have their medications visible and ready
That they have insurance cards, discharge papers, and any wound supplies
Pets are secured
A caregiver will be present if needed

This small step can save you 20–30 minutes of scrambling during the visit.

5. Prepare Your Bag and Supplies

A fully stocked bag prevents mid-visit chaos. Double-check:

PPE
Vital signs equipment
Lab supplies
Wound-care basics
Dressing supplies
Glucose testing tools (if applicable)
Your laptop, hotspot, and spare pen

Even if the referral says “no wound,” always bring your basics—you’d be shocked how often a “small cut” turns into a stage-2 pressure injury.

6. Preview the OASIS Questions

Before the SOC, skim the OASIS items you know will require careful thought:

Transfer and ambulation items
ADLs/IADLs
Vision, cognition, and mood
Bowel/bladder
High-risk medications
M1800 series (functional items)

This helps you mentally prepare for what you’ll need to assess and document thoroughly during the visit.

7. Plan Your Clinical Order Clarifications

If you already see gaps—missing DME, unclear wound orders, vague post-op restrictions—draft your questions ahead of time. You’ll likely need to message the provider during or right after the SOC.

Pre-planning eliminates the “wait, what did we decide to ask?” moments later.

8. Prepare for Patient Education

Think ahead about education you’ll likely need to provide:

New medications
Safety and fall prevention
Disease-specific teaching
Wound or catheter care
Diabetes management
Red-flag symptoms and when to call

Most SOCs involve heavy teaching. Having a mental plan keeps things organized.

9. Set Up Your Chart to Be Efficient

If your agency allows pre-population, prep your chart:

Load the meds from the referral
Start your template narrative
Pre-check basic history items
Draft your plan of care comments

Even small shortcuts can shave 30–45 minutes off charting.

Final Thoughts

Pre-visit planning is one of the most important skills in home-health nursing. When you walk in prepared, the SOC feels smoother, the patient feels more supported, and your charting becomes so much easier.

Home health is hard enough—you deserve systems that make your workload lighter, not heavier. With strong preparation, you’ll walk into each home feeling more confident, organized, and ready to lead the patient’s care journey.

Want a full breakdown of how to conduct a fast, Medicare-defensible SOC?
Check out my e-book: 2025 RN Home Health SOC Guide: A Practical Field Guide for Nurses in 2025.
It’s packed with real-world examples, checklists, and the exact workflow I use in the field.

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