SMS Texting Features Overview

Starting with version 5.0 of Companion, HomeTrak has introduced a suite of features to allow communication to your caregivers via SMS text message directly from the Companion program.

In order to use texting from Companion, you will need to contact HomeTrak Sales to set up a texting/IVR number for your office. When this number is received, it should be added to the Agency Office's list of Communication items with the category of 'Telecom'. This is the number from which texts to your caregivers will be sent.

In order to send a text to someone in your system, they must have a phone number with the specific category of 'Cell' on their profile. This is what the system will use to attempt to send the text message.

Sending a Text Directly to a Caregiver

Throughout the program, wherever you see the person's profile information at the top of the Find Area at the left of the screen, you can find a Chat button in the dropdown menu button on the profile display. Click on this tool to open a chat screen with this caregiver. Enter your message in the box at the top right of the screen and send it to the caregiver. If the caregiver has a Cell phone specified on their profile, this will automatically create a Mobile Security for the caregiver for messaging, if it does not already exist and send the message. Caregivers can reply to the message and it will show up in Companion's messaging system.

You can see your message history between the office and this person in this same Chat window, or in the Mobile Messaging Module.

Sending Pending Schedules from Caregiver Suggestion

When using Caregiver Suggestion to find appropriate caregivers for a schedule, you can use the 'Send Checked Caregivers the Schedule' button to email and/or text the selected caregivers a message offering the open schedule and to add them to the Pending Caregivers list on the schedule.

If the checked caregiver has a Cell phone and texting is properly configured, the system will send a text message indicating the offered schedule. If the caregiver has an email address, they will receive an email with details of the schedule. If a caregiver has a cell and an email address specified, they will receive both a text and an email.

If you have the IVR features to allow caregivers to call the IVR system to accept open pending schedules, they will be able to call the IVR after receiving the SMS text message to directly accept the schedule and automatically update the information in the system.

Event Reminders

The Event Reminders feature may be used to text reminder messages to a caregiver before events. This can be set up in the Caregiver Module under the Attach Detail dropdown menu on the ribbon.

Event Reminders may be configured to send before the start or end of a schedule and can be used to remind caregivers of upcoming events, or to remember to clock in to a schedule using Telephony.

See also the specific Help document on Event Reminders.

Telephony Alerts

There is also a new option in Telephony Alerting to choose an Alert message to send to a caregiver. This message will be sent at the same time as the first no clock-in message, and will be exclusively sent to the caregiver's Cell phone as an SMS text.